On Monday, Chelsea FC sacked their manger, Luiz Felipe Scolari midway through his first season with the club. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich had enough of Scolari after the Blues failed to defeat both Manchester United and Liverpool, fell to fourth in the Premier League, were booed of their home pitch at Stamford Bridge and played a draw with mediocre Hull City. But should Scolari be the only one to blame for the Blues misfortune? Apparently so.
Midfielder and German National captain, Michael Ballack has gone on record admitting that Scolari is not the one to blame for Chelsea’s performance; the players are. He admits that many of the players are underperforming, which has led to the Blues current situation. Blues Captain John Terry publicly backed Scolari and was shocked to see him let go so early. The Brazilian had the backing of the whole team, and it was evident after Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Stroke, where after Lampard’s second goal, the whole team surrounded Scolari in the celebration.
It was obvious that something needed to be done at Stamford Bridge. There is no excuse for the team that was leading the Premier League to have fallen into 4th place. This was the team that had mastered the 1-0 game, the team that had not lost at home for the last two years, and the team that invocated fear into the league with their set pieces. Yet, Chelsea has struggled not only to win the 1-0 game, but also to win at home. Their recent appearances on the pitch have been less than sensational. Chelsea’s star forwards, Anelka and Drogba, have not contributed much to the team after showing a lot of potential. Anelka still leads the Premier League in goals, but has not scored during league play in over a month, maybe even two. Drogba is a completely different story. Drogba was the go-to-striker for Chelsea who scored 17 goals in the Premier League last year, but due to injury, was sidelined for most of the beginning matches, causing Anelka to fill his place. Since Drogba’s return, he has only caused controversy, not results. He has been kept from the roster on cup tournaments and has been Anelka’s backup, only being subbed in toward the end of matches. The Ivorian striker was Chelsea’s leading scorer last season and a skillful striker who terrorized the opponent’s backfield, now he can’t find the back of the net. In addition to his lack of presence on the pitch, he has shown some desire to leave the club. Speculation is placing him to Inter Milan, Man City, or his former club in Africa.
In addition to poor performances, Chelsea has been plagued by a record number of injuries that have kept star players like Deco, Ballack, Drogba, Terry, Essien, and Joe Cole off the pitch. At one point in time, Chelsea had 7 of11 starters out of the line up because of injury. It is obvious that some players are still playing through the pain and some that trying to get back into competitive shape after their leave of absence from the pitch.
So what does this all mean? Simple: uncertainty. This is Chelsea’s 4th manager since 2006. The newest manager to take the rains of the struggling club is Guus Hiddink, the Russian National coach, and a friend of Chelsea’s owner. However, amid the uncertainty, there are a few certainties. Either Chelsea will concentrate and put the past behind them to challenge Man United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool in the League, finish up on top in the FA and UEFA Cup, or win the Champions league; or call it a season and drop off with another season without hardware. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that Scolari’s dismissal will make Chelsea an even tougher opponent in their upcoming Champions League match. It all depends on who shows up to the match: The Chelsea from the beginning of the season that was destined for success or Chelsea of late, sluggish and unprepared.
The first step to turning around the club is to win back their fans. Blues supporters have been weary the past few matches and are displeased with the current performances that they have been witnessing. Chelsea needs to score more goals, prevent the other team from scoring, and win games. If Chelsea cannot win back their fans, it will be all over for the club. Their brand is in jeopardy if the Blues do not shake their present slump. They will have an opportunity to prove themselves against Watford this weekend in the next round of the FA Cup.
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