Just when they seemed to have stumbled beyond disaster, just as it looks to all the world that this once great team have lost their way, Chelsea ignite for themselves a small beacon of light. It's only small, but it's there. Last night they beat FC Copenhagen two-nil in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, easing some of the pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti after a dismal run of domestic form. And Europe now remains as their last hope of salvaging anything from this season.
The Blues began the campaign as they ended last year; in amazing form. They capped a double-winning term in 2010 with an eight-nil final day victory over Wigan, and they began this season in the same vein. Twelve goals in the first two games and a run of eight wins out of nine put Ancelotti's side in pole position to retain their title, but a defeat at Liverpool changed it all. Almost instantly, the confidence and self-belief seemed to drain away from the aging squad and they are currently on a run of five wins in sixteen games, a run that has seem them slip out of reckoning in the title race. Even Champions League football next season is in doubt as they currently sit in fifth place, two points behind Tottenham in fourth.
To add to this, domestic trophies are now out of the question. They fell at the first hurdle in the Carling Cup; Newcastle came away from Stamford Bridge with an entertaining four-three win that left the Blues out of the competition that now sees Arsenal and Birmingham in its final. And their defence of the FA Cup has stumbled to a halt in the Fourth Round; Everton held them to two draws before dumping them out on penalties, ending the chance for Chelsea to win the Cup for third consecutive time. So close to being history makers, and now so close to seemingly dropping into the abyss, similarly to Liverpool.
The blame is hard to assign to someone. It seems to be a combination of unmotivated players and the failure of the Abramovich-Ancelotti team to refresh an aging squad. Chelsea's top players; the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka; are all gone thirty, which is old in footballing terms. It would be okay if they had a wide selection of youthful talent bursting through, but it's not the case. Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta have been shipped out on loan to Bolton and Fulham respectively, while young England starlet Josh McEachran seems to be the lone beacon of the Blues' excessive investment in their youth set-up. And that brings us to Fernando Torres.
Too much expectation has been heaped on the poor Spaniard. He was meant to be the saving light for Chelsea, the one to drag them from their slump in a blaze of glory and bang in the goals to revitalise their dying season. But three games in, he has yet to hit the net, seemingly yet to pass to a team-mate and the underwhelment of his arrival is, er, overwhelming. David Luiz, who has done okay, was bought out of small change for a cool £25million, compared to the huge £50million paid to Liverpool for Torres. Seemingly a bad deal? Do me a favour. This is one of the best strikers ever to have graced the Premier League, in bad form but nevertheless immensely talented and a good buy for Chelsea, for a big reason.
Fernando Torres is available for European football for Chelsea, and that can be a massive advantage for the Blues. If the Spain international can hit a vein of form, reminiscent of his years at Anfield prior to Roy Hodgson, he can spearhead a charge for silverware on the continent. I think it's fairly certain now you can expect big changes at Stamford Bridge this summer. Didier Drogba may be the biggest name to suffer the cull as Abramovich may attempt to revitalise his club, while Carlo Ancelotti will be lucky to keep his job if they end the year trophy-less. And the Champions League remains that last chance; and a seemingly far chance when you consider the talents of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in opposition.
But what a massive incentive for the players to go out with a bang; a bang that will only be suitable if it happens on the 28th May at Wembley Stadium. Namely the Champions League final.
There's a real lack of footballing videos on YouTube, so here - in an unrelated move - is the highlights from West Ham versus Burnley, worth it just to see Thomas Hitzlsperger's debut strike.
NWR
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