Players are as much to blame so it's time to buck the trend.

I have had my say on the sacking of AVB yesterday and stand by what I have said. AVB had to go because as a manager of our club he failed to deliver. He failed to motivate the players and to get the best out of them. Chelsea sit 20 points off the top of the Premier League and are in real danger of missing out on a top four finish and going out of the Champions League next week. It's hardly as surprise really is it!.

Saying that, for me the players are as much to blame in all this. Forget all the reports and rumours we have been reading for the past few weeks, at the end of the day these people are paid professional footballers and are expected to do their job and I only think that a couple of them can honestly hold their heads up and feel as though they have this season.

These people are paid ridiculous sums of money to train for 2 hours a day and then play 90 minutes once or maybe twice a week. These people are put up on a pedestal as icons, hero's and have almost worship status. We expect them to cross that white line week in, week out and give everything to the Chelsea cause no matter who is in charge. This season we have seen glimpses of what we are capable of but for the most part they simply haven't delivered.

I am pleased to hear this morning that Abramovich has given the players a dressing down after AVB was sacked. The players have been made to feel that in no uncertain terms, if they fail to do their jobs, they too will face the sack. It's about time someone gave them a kick up the arse!.

We have more or less the same core of players that have all played under Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti and now AVB. For three seasons under Mourinho they gave their all and continued to do so with Grant at the helm. They didn't under Scolari but did under Hiddink. Again delivered in Ancelotti's first season and since then it has all fallen apart.

What's different? It's more or less the same nucleus of the team, the same core that our success has been built on, so why have we watched our demise for two seasons now?.

As players you can't just turn it on when you feel like it. It's like me, I get paid to do a job where I work and if I didn't do it, I would expect a dressing down and if it carried on to be fired!. These players have turned it on then off on numerous occasions and yet it's the manager who has always got the sack!.

Yes the manager has to manage his players but surely these PAID PROFESSIONALS should go out there and deliver what the manager has asked of them despite problems in their relationship. The thing is, if you have a manager out of his depth or tactically inept, they will be found out in the end anyway. If the players get out there and do exactly what is asked of them and we still lose the game, it comes down to just the manager.

Unfortunately, we find that some of our players cannot look themselves in the mirror and tell us that they have given everything to the cause this season, cannot tell us that they have 100% done their very best to follow instruction from the manager. Yet again, it's the same old story.

Let's hope this morning, the players unite with Bobby Di Matteo to refocus their efforts on a massive 8-9 days for our season. Let's hope Roman delivered his message and it got through to every single one of them because no matter how much you try and ignore it, these same players are now faced with playing for their seventh manager in eight seasons and there is already rumour in the press that Di Matteo is disliked by the players, more so than AVB!.

It's time to buck the trend. Time to BE professional and time to do the job you are paid to do!.

KTBFFH

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