Chelsea - Ancelotti Doing a Scolari?

[christianoharleiro]

Chelsea have dropped points yet again today and it feels like a bit of deja vu to me - last season, Chelsea and Scolari started very well, destroying teams with good football and most people (inc. me) had them down as the winners after the first few months. Come Dec/Jan, they started losing and drawing a lot of games resulting in Scolari getting sacked. They ended up finishing 3rd after starting as favourites.

This season, they started in the same fashion and once again, after a few months, most people (inc. me) had them down to win the PL. Come December, they have now won just one of their last 5 games - 1 loss, 3 draws and a win. Have Chelsea flattered to deceive, again?

If we win our next game, we will be one point behind them going into the second half of the season which we're traditionally much stronger in. SAF himself reckons that if we're within a point or two come 2010, we have an extremely good chance and are, possibly, favourites. Also baring in mind that the ACoN is in January, where Chelsea will lose vital players such as Drogba and Essien.

Is it just a mere dip in form for Chelsea, or will they continue to struggle? Discuss!

[Owenzy]

I said the exact same thing in the summer. Good thread

[RN10]

Lets hope so, we need them to drop a few more points if we are to win the league for a fourth consecutive season.

[djpailo]

Er we will be two points behind them if we win. Hopefully they'll continue to struggle

[Sownak27]

We still have them at home as well
Things are looking up
If someone told me (provided we win tomorrow) that at the end of the year after losing Tevez and Ronaldo and having an injury crisis like this, we'd be 2 points ahead of the leaders, with a lot of their important players leaving due to the ACON and Liverpool and Chelsea yet to come to Old Trafford, I'd take it easy

[organic potatoes]

i am certainly more encouraged, especially that it looks as though they are certainly capable of dropping some points in january, despite the fact the schedule is rather soft.

but if both us and chelsea continue dropping points at this rate, it will bring arsenal back into the picture.

tomorrow vs. villa will tell us more in that regard.....

[marty davidson]

Drogba will play against Fulham on Monday Ivory Coast are letting him play

[Adam]

it was predictable really. we've been pretty lacklustre this first half of the season but a win tomorrow sees us right in there. all the media hyperbole about the invincible chelsea was always going to be a little bit premature, and we will hopefully do the traditional, and pick up our form as we head for the finish. i daresay we needed a little bit of time to adjust to life without ronaldo, and one can only hope that valencia and obertan come into the fray more, our defence heals up, rooney hits top gear and although i don't hold much hope for him, maybe mame diouf. there are definitely positive signs, and i daresay that we are more than happy as a team to take a couple of points of deficit going into the new year. it's not over, and i loved being written off.

hard to know how far the manager is accountable for the dip in form. i think we are seeing a new, more open type of league where all clubs go into their games thinking that it isn't a given that the big team will win. it certainly makes for a much more exciting finish, and let's just hope that we're there at the end to make it 19

[maco]

at the start of the year on here I said he would be the first manager to be sacked i really can see it happening by Feb at least if we turn it around.. The only way he will keep his job is if the players like him

[abojodeh]

If we were not so unlucky with the injures against Fulham and had more luck against Villa we would have been on the top of the league

[PeeJay]

Seems a bit premature to me, Scolari was a fish out of water in the Premiership and when
things got tough he didn't know what to do.

[dlan4327]

I'll wait until the end of the season before I give him a report card.

[Jazz 16]

Continue to struggle??!?
They are top of the feckin league and still going strong in all comps.
They are having a blip, the same as ourselves, Pool and half the league.
Come May they will have some silver in the cabinet.

[moondog]

Continue to struggle??!?
They are top of the feckin league and still going strong in all comps.
They are having a blip, the same as ourselves, Pool and half the league.
Come May they will have some silver in the cabinet.

You're right jazz, if we were 5 points ahead this might be a reasonable comment, but....

It is interesting that this blip coincided with essien's injury.

[christianoharleiro]

they've won one game in their last five, will their poor form continue just like it did with Scolari at the same point last season. I don't understand how you missed that point, I did write 3 paragraphs about it.

[christianoharleiro]

scratch that, Andy Gray just said Chelsea have only won one game in their last seven.

[Mr United]

He's the new Scolari but a better version ...he can speed English better but he did not rotate the squad good enough...When Essien were out, Chelsea are out too...only Essien can do all the different

[Sownak27]

The difference between Ancelotti and the previous Abramovich era managers is that he at least tries to use some degree of youth players into the squad for cup matches Under Scolari, Hiddink and Mourinho would only ever use the same 11 players in the League, League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup.

Nice to see players like Kakuta and possibly Borini getting a chance.

[dualtamac]

You're right jazz, if we were 5 points ahead this might be a reasonable comment, but....

It is interesting that this blip coincided with essien's injury.

If I remember correctly last season was the same when Essien got injured. He is the best midfielder in the Premiership though, and anyone would miss him.

[CROoney]

Chelsea have dropped points yet again today and it feels like a bit of deja vu to me - last season, Chelsea and Scolari started very well, destroying teams with good football and most people (inc. me) had them down as the winners after the first few months. Come Dec/Jan, they started losing and drawing a lot of games resulting in Scolari getting sacked. They ended up finishing 3rd after starting as favourites.

This season, they started in the same fashion and once again, after a few months, most people (inc. me) had them down to win the PL. Come December, they have now won just one of their last 5 games - 1 loss, 3 draws and a win. Have Chelsea flattered to deceive, again?

If we win our next game, we will be one point behind them going into the second half of the season which we're traditionally much stronger in. SAF himself reckons that if we're within a point or two come 2010, we have an extremely good chance and are, possibly, favourites. Also baring in mind that the ACoN is in January, where Chelsea will lose vital players such as Drogba and Essien.

Is it just a mere dip in form for Chelsea, or will they continue to struggle? Discuss!

excactly what i thought and what i expected from him...to start the season great and to struggle afterwards