Chelsea’s Premiership Blues Continue
Monday’s draw with Fulham left Chelsea 12 points adrift of league leaders Manchester United. Even the most adamant of their fans must now concede their chances of retaining the Premier League are gone.
Saying that, it could have been a whole lot worse. Clint Dempsey failed to convert a last minute penalty which would have condemned The Blues monotonous play to perhaps what it deserved. After trying to fool the country, Carlo Ancelotti’s claim that Fernando Torres and Didier Drogba can play together fell through the cracks. With an out of form striker off the pitch, and one on it, maybe it doesn’t matter.
At least Drogba has an excuse, the fact he had malaria was well hidden and after it was revealed he had recovered, the same could not be said for his general play. Fans and pundits may have taken a more sympathetic view if he had made the most of it like Cheryl Cole. Lets face it, with some of his dramatics, he could of gotten away with it!
Frank Lampard’s long awaited return has also not had the desired effect and along with Florent Malouda not being able to find his best form, Ancelotti has very little to choose from. After seeing the magic Daniel Sturridge has conjured up at Bolton, he and the chairman may wish their bank was £50 million pound stronger.
Not that the pressure hasn’t already been heaped onto the team already, games against Tottenham, Manchester City and Man United are still to come. Previously the Spurs clash wouldn’t be an issue. Now though they have over taken them in the Premiership and after beating AC Milan in the Champions League, they are moving up with an ambiguous swagger.
The battle between Man City and Chelsea for whose wallet is in fact bottomless seems to be tipping towards the North. With the Londoners failing to break down defences such as Fulham, what chance do they have against the master of negative tactics Roberto Mancini?
The two games left against United speak for themselves. Wayne Rooney has shown whilst not being able to score from one on one’s or open goals, he is capable of a ridiculous bicycle kick to win his team the most important of games.
However it isn’t all doom and gloom, although it may seem like a fall back, the old saying ‘Form is temporary, class is permanent,’ will provide a certain cushion of comfort for all of those involved with Chelsea. They will just hope that class adheres to this norm and their form doesn’t stay ‘temporary‘ for very long.
