CHELSEA 2013 SO FAR: Champions of Europe to nearly men!

The title of this post is a statement none of us ever thought we would be making back at the beginning of the season. Fresh from the best night of our footballing lives in Munich, we realised we had finally done it. We were finally Champions of Europe.

After the celebrations had died down and we saw Chelsea Football Club invest in players for the future, we still had hopes and dreams of another successful season. With EIGHT trophies to fight for, it was never going to be easy but you would have put money on Chelsea bringing home silverware his season in at least a couple of them.

Nine months down the line and into the season, the fact of the matter is that Chelsea have blown it in all but one of those competitions and are the "nearly men" of the season. It's tough to take and to accept.

Serious questions need to be asked at the Football Club at the end of the season as what has happened so far is not acceptable. The only positive we have so far is the fact that we have a young squad that will get better and better as each season passes.

We keep hearing about the amount of games we have played so far but we all knew that would be a possibility with the competitions we were taking part in with the potential to progress. This is where we have to question the clubs policy as far as loaning players is concerned. We have left ourselves short at times this season and have paid the price.

The sacking of Roberto Di Matteo needs to be questioned. OK at the time the players form had dipped and he made a right mess of the Champions League this season but thinking back to his management style last season after taking the job on from AVB, he showed just how good he was as a man manager. He got the players on side, playing for him and for each other and I believe he could have turned things around but, as we all know, was never given that chance. Two fantastic performances at Arsenal and Tottenham indicate the potential we had at this football club with Di Matteo in charge.

The appointment of Rafa Benitez has to be questioned also. Forget my own personal opinion of him as our manager and just look at his record in the Premier League, the points lost and the decisions he has made at this club in certain games that has cost Chelsea.

I personally believe that we are in SERIOUS danger of missing out on the Europa League AND a top four finish in the Premier League with Benitez in charge. I take stick on here for it but I am calling it as I see it. If we miss out then he walks away from this club with his pay cheque and that's it as far as he is concerned. For Chelsea if that happens? We you all know the consequences for OUR football club.

The real issue for me this season is the mentality of the players. For years we had big game players with a winning mentality and in the space of nine months it looks to have disappeared. We had players that lifted their game in the big games, inspired others around them and stepped up to the expectation of the supporters and more often than not delivered.

In the SEVEN competitions we have failed at this season, we haven't seen anything of that and this is what disturbs me the most.

Forget the Europa League, with important Premier League games left in the coming weeks, these players AND the manager all need to take a look in the mirror as individuals and as a collective, step up, pull it together to salvage something from our season.

A top four finish and Europa League win would be a start but the same questions will remain.

From the Champions of Europe to the nearly men, this has been Chelsea's season!

Carefree & KTBFFH!

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