Poll: Who is to blame for Chelsea’s demise this season?
Published:
With a paltry three wins from their opening 10 games this season the troubles at Chelsea have been going on for too long to be written off as a slow start.
Jose Mourinho’s side have already lost more games this year than they did in the whole of last term and find themselves languishing in 15th place.
The manager has come under increased scrutiny in recent weeks with a number of outbursts leading to FA fines, the possibility of suspension and speculation surrounding his future at the club.
But is Jose solely to blame for the club’s downfall? Read on to see the alternatives and have your say in the poll below.
[poll id=”289”]
Jose Mourinho
From his bizarre summer signings – Papy Djilobodji and Michael Hector – eyebrows were raised about Mourinho’s state of mind before the season was even in full swing. The controversy hasn’t ended there, however, with benching John Terry, the public belittling of Eva Carneiro, constant sniping at referees, FA fines and potential suspensions all dominating the headlines – not to mention the terrible performances the one-time ‘Special One’ has overseen.
Roman Abramovich
One school of thought is that the signings mentioned above were Mourinho’s way of getting a message to his owner that investment is required once again. Abramovich can hardly be accused of not pouring his personal wealth into the club over the years but if he has suddenly tightened the purse strings does the buck lay with him?
The Players
While there are a few gaps in Chelsea’s squad the presence of players of the ability of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Willian, Nemanja Matic, Branislav Ivanovic etc. etc. could and should be achieving much more.
This group of players haven’t become bad overnight but something is clearly wrong. Were they punching above their weight last year? Have some of the key players passed their peak?
Referees
Mourinho has been dealt with by the FA for his comments about referees, but does the Portuguese have a point? A number of questionable offside, free-kick and red card decisions have rocked Chelsea’s attempts this season. A conspiracy against the club? Probably not. Bad luck and questionable refereeing? Maybe.
Eva Carneiro
Many Chelsea fans trace the club’s downfall this year back to the opening day of the season when club doctor Eva Caneiro rushed to Hazard’s aid in the 2-2 draw with Swansea.
Far be it from us to take sides but playing devil’s advocate – might Chelsea’s season be playing out entirely differently had the doc left Hazard on the pitch?
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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