Since Villas-Boas appointment, I have read several articles and tweets advising Chelsea to give Villas-Boas time to prove his worth. I found that a bit strange because our club has given most managers at least one season to prove their worth. The managers that didn’t have a complete season at Chelsea are Scolari, Grant and Hiddink. Hiddink did well by bringing us the FA Cup; he was not sacked from Chelsea. Hiddink had a contract with Russia that he had to honour, we were lucky to have him for that short time.

Scolari did not last more than 7 months because the players had lost faith in his ability. The players questioned his training methods. Scolari didn’t want to play Drogba who had returned to full fitness, he argued that Anelka and Drogba couldn’t play together. He wanted to swap Drogba with Adriano. Adriano’s career had already taken a serious nosedive at that point. He couldn’t change things tactically and we became predictable on the pitch. In Scolari 25 games, we won 14, drew 7 and lost 4. The future looked bleak; the club had no choice but to sack him. When Hiddink replaced Scolari, our season improved astronomically and we won the FA Cup.

Avram Grant was sacked from Chelsea because we came second in three competitions. We lost League Cup final to Spurs. That alone should have gotten him sacked but we still gave him the chance to chase after the premier league and the champions league. We ended runners-up in the premier league and the champions league final. Grant was poor as a tactician and motivator. He stuck to Mourinho formation and played Mourinho’s favoured starting 11. He couldn’t change things tactically and as a result, we became predictable under him. If you think what Grant did at Portsmouth and West Ham, you will be glad we did not offer him more time.

Last season, Ancelotti could have been sacked by December but because the players still had faith in him, he was given until the end of the season. We made a strong comeback from fifth position to second position in the league. If we had won against Manchester and luck was on our side, we could have retained our premier league trophy. Ancelotti failed to inspire to his men to achieve what would have been the greatest comeback to a league trophy. If you think relegation specialist Grant got us second in three competitions, you will understand why Ancelotti was sacked.

Be glad our club holds our managers to a high standard. Mourinho came in, he wasn’t given time, he bought his time by winning trophies. Guus brought a trophy, if he did not have a contract with Russia; he would have remained at the club longer. Carlo got another season because he won trophies in his first season. At Chelsea, it’s simple, you win a trophy or you bug off. That’s the reality and we mustn’t hide from it. Take a look at Arsenal, seven years no trophy one manager. It tells you more time is not necessarily a good thing.

Villas-Boas doesn’t have seasons to prove himself. He needs to bring at least one trophy to keep at his job for another season. He has worked under Mourinho and he understands the challenge. He has accepted the challenge and I hope he succeeds at it.

What Villas-Boas needs now is cash to buy some quality players. If we don’t do this, he is going to struggle to achieve his objectives. I don’t believe Chelsea needs much change. I don’t believe in getting rid of some of our current players (especially when there is no replacement in sight). Our opponents are strengthening their squads; we will need all the depth we can get if we are going to win trophies next season.

I think the priority signings should be a right-winger and a creative midfielder. A right-winger will balance our attack because most of our attack came from the left side of the pitch last season. Malouda created and scored our most goals in the league because the ball was always given to him. We had nobody on the right wing to receive the ball. Towards the end of last season, Carlo played Ramires on the right wing to balance our attack but it yielded little result as the players were too used to crossing the ball to Malouda. Chelsea also needs at least one creative player. Last season Anelka and Malouda provided the creativity. This coming season, if Benayoun remains fit, he will also inject some creativity. If we add one more creative player, our midfield problems will be solved. It’s time to give Andre enough cash to help him achieve the vision he has for Chelsea. Till next time, Up the Chels!

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In this story, the Standard quotes Ancelotti as ‘taking a break from management’ and not seeking employment ‘until next year’.

‘The news is sure to put Tottenham and Arsenal on alert with the long-term futures of Harry Redknapp and Arsène Wenger respectively in doubt,’ the Standard further reports. Or speculates, as it were.

That’s all I need. This is just the sillyness this blog was invented for.

The Good

- It’s over. Speaking personally as an Arsenal fan, that means the loosening of a feisty nutcracker on my testicles, but I believe it’s much the same for most teams. Team and fan burnout is bound to happen eventually, and it’s time for the body Duracells to undergo their yearly recharge. The players will deservedly kick it back in whatever exotic beach their six figure salaries beget; and the fans will go back and work in whatever soup kitchen their mindless football support begets.

- Man United. Well, I’m not saying that Man United ‘the club’ are good. I will always lean more towards liking the ‘Man United are puss-oozing scabs on the knee’ statuses than not, but a grudging respect does emerge when you see them go about their work in a professional and efficient manner although the title is already sewn up. Granted that the opponents were Blackpool and not Barcelona, but the champions came back from a one goal deficit to win 4-2 with minimum fuss and to-do. And perhaps the fact that professionalism shone through regardless of the fact that it was Blackpool or Barcelona is why they’re champions.

- My Blackberry. I knew that it was a decent phone by all accounts, but it’s like a piece of heaven has been scissored off and the remains dropped in my lucky hands. I thought for one second that I liked it as much as cheese. I immediately dismissed that thought as blasphemy, but the fact that the thought germinated speaks volumes. This point has been included in a football article because you are requested to follow the BFZ_Arsenal twitter account here. It will be active, Blackberry holder’s promise.

- Birmingham getting relegated. We can always ruffle poor Barry Ferguson’s hair like he did Koscielny’s, no?

- Brett Emerton’s goal against Wolves. Stunning volley.

The Bad

- It’s over. What the hell are we going to do for two months and ten days? I plan to complete my knitting backlogs, learn to swear in Tamil, watch the Unbeaten 49 DVD for the 49^th time and weep copiously while looking at a football, all in that order.

- Roman Abramovich. I mean, seriously. Having a vision for success at your club is one thing and ruling over it with an iron fist that rivals, well, my Mom’s, is another thing altogether. Carlo Ancelotti won Chelsea the Double in his first season at the helm. And he led them to a Champions League quarter-final and second place in the League this time. Things don’t work out sometimes, and as Arsene would be quick to say, they certainly weren’t involved in a relegation fight. New managers bring with them new systems, potentially new players and an entirely new style of cutting up the asparagus during lunchtime. It’s your club Roman, but this roulette brings with it a palpable risk.

- Arsenal. What a bellend of a season this one turned out to be after all the promise shown in its nascent stages. The table since the Carling Cup final has become quite popular by now, one in which Arsenal are looking nervously down at the relegation places instead of fighting for the title. The last few months are the time for the final big push, and Arsenal have gone on a fatal slide every time they’ve got themselves into respectable positions. We’ve proved every cliché right this year, except the ‘Arsenal play the best football’ one. We have been pretty ugly sometimes. Well, we’ve got the ‘ugly’ part right. Just need to get the ‘win’ part in next year.

- Jason Roberts’s goal against Wolves. Stunning luck.

The Tangerine

This is an ode to a team and manager that have been a breath of fresh air to what is ultimately a quite rigid and unforgiving league. Blackpool came up via the playoffs last year and, like all teams coming up via playoffs, were widely tipped to perform embarrassingly badly in the league and go straight back down. While they did eventually bite the dust, they gave a very good account of themselves up to and including the last day of the season when they momentarily silenced Old Trafford.

78 goals conceded is always going to make your job dashed difficult and Blackpool’s defence have been their clear weak point. The Championship is such a free-scoring league because all teams have moderately good attacks and poor defences. When teams make the step up, they’re able to cope with scoring a few goals but ship a truckload in because of the PL’s quality. And in spite of DJ Campbell and Taylor-Fletcher’s determined goal-scoring, Kingson’s countless saves and standing last guard, Charlie Adam’s lion like leadership, 78 goals made most of the difference in the end.

I’m not alone in giving Blackpool a cheery pat on the back and a murmured ‘we’ll meet again mates’ as they trudge back into the second tier. Among other things, they remind me unerringly of my own team.

Ten-man Everton ensured Chelsea signed off their season with a whimper. Coleman was sent off well before Beckford surged past the entire team to score. Ancelotti was dismissed hours after the game.

Today, our beloved club dismissed Carlo Ancelotti with the statement below.

I would like to thank Carlo for the League and FA Cup double. I will never forget his contribution to our club’s history. I wish him the best in his future endeavors unless its against us. Arrivederci Carlo.

That man was, of course, Carlo Ancelotti. Yet, one year on, many Chelsea fans are now harrumphing and murmuring their way towards an ‘unacceptable’ second place in the League Formerly Known as the Best League in the World™. How can they be so inclined to forget something that happened less than a year ago? Have they forgotten the first 4 seasons in the Premier League when Chelsea were in the dreaded bottom half? What about the seasons in the 80s when Chelsea weren’t even dining at English football’s top table? What TheMakéléléRole is trying to get at is that if there is one thing out of the innumerable ‘gear-grinders’ that currently plague top-flight football, there is one that grinds not only TMR’s gears but also its brakes, pistons and axels. That is fickle, spoilt fans.

The main point of the article (which will not have been obvious from TMR’s indecipherable ranting so far) is that patience is a commodity that must be thought of on the same level as money in terms of importance. The easy examples of patience paying off are those of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, who took 6 seasons to win his first league title and can now count 12 (presuming United don’t go all Devon Loch on our ass), as well as FA Cups, League Cups, and Champions League trophies. Arsene Wenger, despite recent form, has been successful as Arsenal manager. Even if we take out the money, have a look at David Moyes and what he has done at Everton when backed by his chairman and fans.

However, more importantly, let’s go back to Carlo Ancelotti. TMR really enjoys the saying ‘Be careful what you wish for’, and it is rarely as apt as it is now for Chelsea fans. If Ancelotti is sacked, Chelsea will be back at Square One, just like 2 years ago when he took over. TheMakéléléRole wonders whether, realistically, Chelsea could hire a manager this summer who would win the Double straight away, in their first season at the club? Villas-Boas , the Porto manager, seems an attractive choice.

Hey guys, remember that time when we hired that young Portuguese manager who came in, wowed us all, and won Chelsea their first League title for 50 years, the FA Cup and the League Cup twice? Well 4 months after winning the FA Cup trophy, with captain John Terry and Frank Lampard draped all over him like the cheap hookers, he walked away from the club (albeit with one of ‘Oh sorry, did I just barge into you by mistake?’ shoves from Roman) after three games where Chelsea failed to win. Laughable.

Finally, TheMakéléléRole wants to mention another issue – Fernando Torres. Oh, Fernando. How to solve a problem like Fernando? Frankly, our first thought is to give him one of our special and famous bear-hugs. But we’re glad you asked, because TMR has ideas. Call us crazed, but we’d like to give him a little more time until we call him a flop, a failure, a waste of money. And here is why: bear in mind, if you will, the general theory that players who play long seasons for their clubs, pick up knocks, and then proceed to play in major international tournaments, tend to be exhausted at the start of the season. Then bear in mind, if you can stand the thought of cutting the man some slack, the fact that in 2008, Fernando Torres (after scoring 24 league goals in his debut season at Liverpool) went to Euro 2008 and came back victorious. In 2008/2009 he tore his hamstring, Sellotaped it back together, then the Sellotape ripped a little bit and then he picked up an ankle injury for good measure. Torres then proceeded to go to South Africa for the Confederations Cup. Back at Liverpool, injuries plagued him further, not helped by The Waiter depending on him so badly that he was often rushed back from injury, a sure-fire way of exacerbating the problem. Of course, that summer he was back in South Africa becoming a World Champion, before getting straight back into the thick of it this season with more injuries and the occasional goal. We could also go on to mention that Fernando has been playing under the most immense pressure since the age of 17, when he was thrown in at the deep end at Athletico Madrid.

Now TMR is patiently disposed. It always has been and that’s why people like it. But even if we weren’t, we reckon it would be within reason to suggest that this man has been under more physical and mental pressure in his career so far than we would experience if we lived to 200 years old. What we suggest is that we give Fernando the summer off for the first time in 4 years, let him blow the top off a couple of San Miguels and get the hair back to its former glory (incidentally, is this the first time that hair has been the subject of footballing pathetic fallacy? So beautiful when scoring for fun, so dark, dank and lifeless these days) and then let’s see if he doesn’t repay us by scoring 40 goals next season, firing Chelsea to League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League glory. And hell, TheMakéléléRole is feeling generous, so we’re going to let Carlo Ancelotti stay a little longer as well, because he’s such a nice man. And if not, well, let’s just sack them both. And get Ray Wilkins and Zola back. They’ll win it all for us.

TMR doesn’t know what Chelsea’s fickle and impatient fans like to do to calm themselves, but we suspect it involves the coming together of darts and pictures of Ancelotti/Torres/Kalou/Mikel/Bosingwa and everyone else who is a massive waste of space, isn’t fit to wear the shirt/tight-fitting hand-made Italian suit etc. TheMakéléléRole’s message to these fans: go and do some dart-throwing, get all that anger out of your system, and then let’s give this ‘patience’ thing a try. Oh, and be careful what you wish for…

Article written by TheMakéléléRole.

Visit http://themakelelerole.wordpress.com/ for more interesting articles. Follow TMR on twitter: @themakelelerole

To make things worse Kalou says, “It was all the team”; when we win or lose trophies, it is all down to the team. Kalou: If it is all about the team, why do we spend millions in signing and dismissing managers? Why did Roman travel to Italy several times to convince Carlo join our club? Why did Roman broker a deal with Russia to lend us Hinddink after Scolari’s mess? The team could have just turned up on its own.

Kalou also says, “We’re here to play for the club. We’re happy to work with anyone”. Since it is all about the team and the team is ready to work with anyone, let’s replace Carlo with Clement or Emenalo. It would cost us less and who knows the team might even be kind enough to win a trophy. I hope Carlo thinks twice making such reckless statements again.
Examine Kalou comments to Sky Sports News

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. For me, the most important thing is to stay as a team,”

“Last year we won the Double and it was all the team. This year if we don’t win any competition it’ll be the same.

“I’m not looking for an excuse. It doesn’t matter which players or who is the manager, the players have to be together and give a better performance.

“We don’t make the decision. We’re here to play for the club. We’re happy to work with anyone. That’s for the board to decision.

“The players are going to give their all on the pitch and that’s the most important thing.”

Compare it to his statement in April after our 3-1 win over West Brom

“It is the Chelsea everyone wants to see, a team that goes out on the pitch and plays hard, that plays with each other.

“We showed that we’re fighting for ourselves, for the team, also for the manager.

“It would be easy to point to someone and say it’s his fault. The game is about the squad, and everyone has to be concerned about that.

“But we played together, and when you play like that, it is easy to win.

What is your opinion on our Champions league exit? My candid opinion is that we deserve the knockout. We cannot blame our failure this year on a slip, referee or former manager. I hate to admit it but United won without even getting into third gear.

Carlo’s decision to start Torres puzzled me. Why start Torres who has not scored in over 10 hours for such an important match? Carlo’s decision was as poor as that of Capello in playing Heskey at the world cup. It is important to know that I have nothing against Torres. I believe he will come good for Chelsea soon. If Berbatov can go from scoring less goals than “own goal” to top goal scorer, Torres can do the same given he is a much more gifted striker. Carlo should have gone with the familiar Drogba-Anelka partnership.

The media has already begun their crusade for Carlo sack. I would be disappointed if the club sacks him. I do not believe a double winning manager can turn crap in a period of one year. Carlo is only as good as the players and the back staff we provide him. How do we reward his double winning season? Ballack, Cole, Deco and Carvalho are let go and replaced with Ramires and Benayoun. With Lampard, Zhirkov, Alex and Benayoun out injured for months, Carlo did not have the selection luxury of his first season.

Our season is effectively over. The only thing worth fighting for now is the pride of London. We need to finish the league on top of Arsenal for bragging rights. We need to let go of Anelka, Malouda, Zhirkov, Kalou, Ferriera and Bosingwa before next season begins. We need to replace these “experienced” legs with youthful ones. Our youth have very good technical ability and are hungry for success. We must give them the chance to replace these players next season.

Carefree

Although you might want to burry this Stoke game in the past and move on, it is important we draw some lessons from it. These lessons may help us against United this coming Wednesday.

1. No Time for Drogba-Torres Experiment: Since the arrival of Torres, Carlo has been trying to find a way to make him gel with Drogba and the rest of the Chelsea team. So far, it does not look like we are making headway with the gelling process since we are still waiting for Torres to score his first Chelsea goal. We have reached the stage of the season where there is no room for experimentation. Carlo has to decide between Drogba and Torres. If I were Carlo, I would stick to the tried and tested Drogba who also recently scored.
2. Essien: As you know, our Bison missed significant portions of our recent seasons through injury. Every time Essien returns from injury, he performs miracles because his legs are fresher than that of his mates. Essien is not used to playing as many games as he has played this season. As a result, Essien is experiencing a natural drop in form. I suggest we play Mikel against United, as he should be fresher and in a better shape than Essien.
3. Malouda: The man needs a break. He started this season firing and has been involved in many of our goals this season.  However, the long season seems to have taken its toll on him; this is evident in his drop in form. If we want the best from him soon, we need to rest him and play Zhirkov or Kalou in his stead until he is mentally and physically ready.
4. Ramires: He is currently our most important midfielder. He builds our attacks and helps in defense. When Carlo substituted Ramires off against Stoke, we could not build any more attacks.
5. Bosingwa: Since my previous post on Bosingwa, the man has done little to inspire me to believe in his ability. I just hope he does not make any costly mistake in our upcoming match against United.

If there is anything, you learnt from the Stoke game that you want to share, please feel free to post it in the comments.

Up The Chels

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