2014-15 Premier League Champions, Chelsea FC now sit at 13th place in the league, with only four points in four games.
By Connor Orchard
The curse of the “P” struck once again for Jose Mourinho on Saturday, as Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace delivered a sucker punch and sent the Chelsea manager home with just his second home defeat in 100 Premier League games with Chelsea.
If you’d have told me before the start of this season that after four games Chelsea would be sitting eight points behind their main rivals Manchester City, I’d have laughed in your face. Now on the other hand, it seems as if Chelsea could be in huge trouble, and without sugar coating it, if you’re a Chelsea fan and you aren’t worried by now, then you should be.
When you think that just four months ago, Chelsea were being crowned Premier League champions and were at the top of the table since the very first game in the season, it now seems nothing less than ludicrous that such a dominant team could be sitting where they are now.
Jose Mourinho’s last 7 Premier League defeats have come against: Pulis Poyet Pardew Pochettino Pulis Pellegrini Pardew ‘P’s in a pod.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) August 29, 2015
But what’s the problem?
Chelsea have one of the most top quality teams in the world, and are struggling to find results at a home game, against a team that they should not be losing against. Jose Mourinho hinted that three or four of his players are not playing to the standards he wants them to be, and that they should expect nothing less than the axe if they do not improve their performance. When asked, the Chelsea boss refused to comment on the names of the players he was walking about. Although the reported four players are believed to be Branislav Ivanovic, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic.
The four below-par players [in the firing line] are understood to be Branislav Ivanovic, Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic & Hazard. #CFC (Mail) — ChelsTransfer (@ChelsTransfer) August 30, 2015
Now with the International break upcoming, the Chelsea boss said he is ‘helpless’ to rectify his side’s abysmal start to the season:
‘Because of the international break the next match is in 15 days,’
‘I don’t know what happens in 15 days, every player goes away with their national team and I stay for two weeks with four players.
‘I can’t work, I can’t improve. At this moment I can’t do anything during these two weeks to improve my team.’
So the question that all Chelsea fans are asking is, would Paul Pogba help Chelsea with their lackluster start? At this point… maybe, maybe not. But one player cannot change the performance of 11 others. The problem for Chelsea is their defense, and Jose Mourinho has said that he is now desperate for an extra defender to bring into the team.
But with Everton boss Roberto Martinez refusing to sell John Stones, it is now looking even worse for Chelsea fans, as they only have two days remaining until transfer deadline day, and Chelsea cannot afford to continue into the rest of the season without an extra signing or two.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville made some brilliant points about Chelsea, and said that all Chelsea players need a slap around the face, and said the idea of defending Premier League champions not being able to get themselves ready to go again the next season is ‘inexcusable’.
The reason that all of this is so surprising though, is because Mourinho simply doesn’t lose matches, and he’s proven that with his incredible managerial record. He has now only lost two Premier League games at home at Stamford Bridge, and always finds a way to get the best out of players.
His players are normally out on the pitch, they pick up a good result, and they go again, it’s like clockwork for them. Now on the other hand, we could already be seeing Chelsea out of the title race, and their next fixtures aren’t going to help them in any way either.
They face Everton next at Goodison Park, and then they face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. So the black-and-white of it is, if Chelsea perform like they have been in their previous four games, then they do not stand a chance at picking up a point against either of these teams.
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