Ex-Pro on Chelsea: They were strong and powerful last season – they’re not now.

After Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, one ex-pro - a Champions League winner, has already made a claim that Chelsea are shadow of the side that won the Premier League last season. 

We all knew it was going to happen after Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace, we knew the negative press we would receive with everyone having knives out to attack us. Now for me personally, I don't really care about the majority of pundit's opinions. However, there are those out there that have been successful as players winning the biggest prizes in the game - these are the ones I listen to.

Steve McManaman, a Champions League winner with Real Madrid and a surprisingly non-biased pundit on BTSport has spoken of Chelsea after the weekends results and has given an opinion that I know will cause debate amongst the Chelsea faithful. When asked of Chelsea's chances to retain the Premier League this season he said:

"I would say it’s over.

I didn’t fancy them to win the league anyway come the end of the transfer window so it’s not a surprise to me, no.

Before they began the season, certainly at the end of the transfer window, would you have said hand on heart that Chelsea were your favourites to win the title?

I don’t think so. I don’t think anybody chose them so that’s what we all thought about it.

Chelsea can’t lose any more games. I think they lost, what, three games last season in their title victory – they’ve lost three already this year.

That shows you instantly what they’re fighting against and the fact they’re going to have to travel in the Champions League as well makes it doubly as hard.

When you’re missing a couple of players… Morata and Kante and that, you would never have thought that Chelsea have left themselves short.

I’m absolutely amazed that, a couple of injuries in, and they look like a ghost side of what they were last year.

They were strong and powerful last season – they’re not now." - Source: The Sun.

As I said, everyone has an opinion and his is one I respect. Now I am not saying that I agree with his opinion but you have to admit that it seems to be the general opinion in football at the moment.

I think we are stronger than we were last season when everyone is fit. OK, we maybe short up front with Tammy Abraham to hopefully be recalled in January to bolster our options (more on that later) but across the other areas of the pitch we are better in my view - we have more options.

It's also important to remember that the season is a long slog and literally anything can happen here. Yes Manchester City are scoring goals for fun and rightly sit at the top of the pile at the moment. Yes, they beat us 1-0 but that was against a Chelsea side that never turned up on the day. Remember we saw this last season against Liverpool and Arsenal and look what happened afterwards.

Do you think Chelsea have it within themselves to get things right, to work hard and put a string of victories together to gain our confidence to then hopefully get on another run like last season? I think they have.

Do we look like the same side as last season? No, not at the moment. However, we have seen glimpses of what this team this season is capable of against Tottenham and Atletico Madrid that's important to remember.

Should there be doom and gloom about Chelsea at the moment? Should we jump on the press bandwagon and dissect everything about the manager and the players? No, not at all.

There is thirty games to go and with Antonio Conte in charge, anything IS possible. I would not bet against Antonio Conte and his players demonstrating just how strong they are to see what we will show for it at the end of the season.