I was getting ready to go to work the other morning and got fed up with Mrs Frank Lampard’s face on DayBreak, so I had a flick around the channels.
Now whenever I see Premiership Years on Sky Sports I always get nostalgic and giddy so I have to put it on.
This was a particularly good one – the 2004/2005 season. José’s first season in charge and the title winning year.
Whilst they were flicking through the games there were a few things of note regarding Chelsea. Firstly, even then, the balance of the side almost seemed perfect. This was the side with Duff and Robben out wide.
The individuals in the side generally were not as good as now but that side had more than individuals – it was a unit. All of the players would bust a gut for each other and when they scored they loved it.
Another point to note from the little tid-bits was how much Frank Lampard pulled the strings. He ran the games. So many of the goals were as a result of Lamps dropping deep to get the ball from the defence or Maka, spraying it out wide and then busting a gut to get forward.
Eventually he’d be on the end of the move or he’d receive the ball in the final third in order to play someone in. He was the definition of a box-to-box midfielder. In my opinion he got better and better up until last season. Now this season we do not have this dynamic midfielder.
I still believe it is due to the slow recovery from the injury but he is most definitely not the same player and the team suffers as a result. He is more than a goal-scoring midfielder – he is the catalyst of the team. The team does not blend without him playing at the top of his game.
The out of form Lampard is not the sole reason for our inconsistency of late. The thin squad prior to January has been a big problem and that in turn has devastated our confidence. We’re currently 5th and out of the FA Cup.
We MUST finish in the top 4, no question, but I really want the Chelsea hierarchy to grasp and take the opportunity to play the “transition” card. Arsenal have been playing that card for years now and when the day comes that they win a major trophy they’ll try to tell us that it was all worth it.
I believe we need to take the chance to bring in some hungry, young players – like David Luiz and take the pressure off of the likes of Frank Lampard. I think that we also need to have a look at the players we have in the current squad.
We want a unit, like the 2004/2005 season and if there are any individuals that are hindering that then now is the time to address it. Give Ancelotti the chance to get rid of players he feels are a negative influence and bring in players that’ll give him balance. Let the team finally be an Ancelotti team instead of it always being known as the Mourinho team.
When I mention the negative influences I’m immediately looking at Didier Drogba. When things are good, they are oh so good. He was fantastic last season. But now that he’s been given the challenge of competition he does not like it. We are not playing well and I’m sick of him sulking.
We need players willing to work hard and show that they care. Fernando Torres is not playing well right now. He is apparently not 100% fit, is low on confidence and is getting grief from all away fans and the media alike.
He is showing that he is willing to work hard for the cause and prove that he wants to be there. Jon Obi Mikel is another player that has had an easy ride at Chelsea. He’s not really got any proper competition as the holding midfielder and I don’t think he offers enough. This is highlighted more now that Frank is struggling for form.
Let us turn this negative season into a positive. If we can look back upon this season in the future and see that we addressed the dead wood, brought youth through, brought quality in and qualified for the Champions League then we could be set for the next 10 years.
IF Roman decides on another sacking and a new revolution then have we ever really learned anything?
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