What a season have Chelsea had this season. It has been rather poor but the fact that they are still basically in the title race does not signify that. They started the season with regular displays of 'PlayStation' football that caught the eyes of many. But that one night at the Stamford Bridge against Sunderland was the simple beginning of a very dark period for Carlo Ancelotti and his men. Perhaps even the sacking of Ray Wilkins prompted them too. Who knows?
But it was that one occasion where Steve Bruce's men left London beaming with pride having just delivered a knock-ouy blow to the defending Premier League champions. I mean, who would have expected it to be the beginning to a very poor period in the Blues' calendar. After all, Ancelotti was being hailed as the saviour after guiding them to an unprecedented double last season. But, months have passed since and god knows the amount of pressure that has been lying on Ancelotti's back, waiting to explode any minute.
Fernando Torres and David Luiz were brought in the winter to boost their hopes of a magical revival- something that only the latter has managed to do it considering how Torres has failed to hit the back of the net for them since his multi-million move from Merseyside. From a man once dubbed as the 'next big thing' in football, El Nino has literally found himself as a lonely figure at Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti's Future Vs Torres' Chances: Should The Spaniard Start Against West Ham?
Torres was always destined for a hard life at the Bridge for this season at least ever since the failed attempt of Chelsea fans to mock the popular Fernando Torres banner at Anfield became publicized. The Spaniard merely showcased any sort of presence in his debut against Liverpool and was rightly substituted after in the second half.
Since then, nothing has really improved when it comes to his goal tally and even performance wise for the Blues. There has been some shadows of his old self but at the end of the day, shadows count for nothing do they? The Spaniard was almost given the nod most of the time in a bid to let him break his goal duct when it remained as a move that never materialized. It was pretty obvious how the Chelsea players were even setting up through balls and passes for him to score but it wasn't just the old Torres yet. His first touches were poor while his finishing lacked confidence.
As far as Ancelotti was concerned, every minute of a poor display or result was simply adding to the massive pressure on his shoulders. Perhaps, the Champions League defeat against United would have recorded a massive pressure data in Ancelotti's blood. So, the more he tried to help Torres by playing him, it seemed he was just digging his own grave. Performances weren't that good and he knew he had to make a change. And it turned out to be one hell of a change.
Chelsea's last two matches against West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City has been so impressive that the Blues are now being compared to their double-winning form last season. But what really has been the 'magic' tonic behind this mini revival? The answer was pretty simple and obvious for the Italian- 'believe in the men that previously brought you success'.
Fernando Torres was effectively dropped into the bench and what a difference did Didier Drogba made for them as he single handedly lead all Chelsea's offensive build-ups and helped them in cruising to a comfortable victory over both West Brom and Birmingham. Perhaps even John Obi Mikel's return at the defensive section of their midfield assisted all their good efforts going up front.
But, there was an added intensity into Chelsea's style of play. There was no need to keep on passing the ball to allow Torres to score. There was no need to accommodate to the Spaniard's lazy style. There was never a time where Drogba let the midfield players down with a poor touch. It was free-flowing football at it's best.
Therefore, our very simple verdict on this battle would be for Ancelotti to keep placing Torres on the bench as the Blues have looked a very different side without the Spaniard on board the field. Salomon Kalou's pace and Florent Malouda's technical abilities combined with Drogba's physical presence up front simple adds a new dimension to their footballing capacities. So please and please Carlo, leave Torres on the bench.
Chelsea's Big Chance To Embarrass Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson's recent statement about how his side will respond well to the recent resurgence of Chelse and Arsenal- thanks to their dropped points against Newcastle does have a true fact in it. The Red Devils are the best examples of dealing with pressure and desire to succeed when it comes to final push at the end of the season. They have been there on so many ocassions that pressure is probably a cliche in the dictionaries of Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and even Edwin Van Der Sar.
After all, United have been able to grind out victories all season despite not performing at their level best. Scoring two goals in injury time to win a Champions League final does sort of prove how intact Manchester United is under Sir Alex. But Chelsea have a very huge chance to create history.
Once again, they did start the season with some very good drubbings of the lower teams but things got a lot worse at Stamford Bridge and everybody were expecting them to be out of the title race. At one point, it very much seemed exactly like that especially after Aston Villa snatched a last-gasp equaliser in a 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge and Wolverhampton capitalizing on their bad luck with a 1-0 surprise win at Molineaux.
However, that decisive win over United back in March basically kicked start their revival journey. Since that good victory at the Bridge, Chelsea have won five out of six games in the league and based on the current circumstances, they are definitely back on track in the title race. And while some might consider a six point lead something that United will never lose, Live Soccer TV explained here on how things can get very complicated in the final few weeks of the season.
With that, Chelsea are definitely in there with a chance of causing a massive upset for United. If Carlo Ancelotti's men can win all their remaining games and hope United drop points along the way, there is a very slim chance for them to defend their Premier League title. And if Chelsea do clinch their second successive title under the Italian, Chelsea will not only make history but they can look forward to another season of Premier League football under the imminent guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.
