Chelsea's struggles

A nightmare start to the domestic season has discarded the Blues as hopefuls to retain their crown, and everything suggests 620x350 www.timesofoman.com that even a Champions League place is out of reach

Another weekend, another humbling reverse. A repeat of 2014-15's celebrations is already looking like a distant dream for shell-shocked Chelsea, and if history proves a reliable guide even a Champions League place will be unattainable come the end of the campaign.

After the euphoria of winning the Premier League title in May, Chelsea have endured the roughest return to reality. Defending a crown is never easy, but even the pressures of being the team everybody wants to beat cannot explain the plummeting form of a side which at times looked invincible under Jose Mourinho's tutelage last season.

A 2-1 reverse at the hands of West Ham on Saturday marked the fifth defeat in just 10 league matches for the Blues - two more than the entire 2014-15 season. Having conceded just 32 times on their way to the title, a leaky defence this time around has already shipped 19.



As always, manager Mourinho is a perfect barometer for his side's health. As the pressure mounts, his actions become ever-more exaggerated and clown-like. Enigmatic interviews, constant barracking of match officials and games with the press were a hallmark of his final moments at Real Madrid, and are creeping back now with the Blues. But in such a crisis, not even the Special One's antics can distract focus from what is set to be a disastrous year.



At this point 12 months ago, the future champions had picked up 26 out of 30 available points, a rhythm sustained over the course of the campaign. With just 10 so far, Chelsea require 2.75 points per game to match the 87 sufficient to lift the title. That, needless to say, is if not impossible extremely improbable. Even a top-four finish is fading away with every game.



The average benchmark for Champions League qualification over the past five years has been 71.8 points. Chelsea would need to pick up 2.17 points per game from their remaining fixtures to reach that mark. That means turning the current duds into title contenders overnight, and from what the players have shown in the opening months of the season that will not be happening anytime soon.

Unless a miracle occurs, the Stamford Bridge faithful should get used to the idea that the ground will be a Champions League-free zone for 2016-17.



Every match becomes a six-pointer from this moment onwards. But it is possible to pinpoint several key encounters for the club before the end of January. It does not make for good reading. Chelsea will have to take on four fellow early contenders for the top four, and only one of those games will take place in the comparative safety of west London.



At their best, all of these fixtures would be winnable for Mourinho's men. But so far, and aside from an admirable victory to down Arsenal, the Blues' record against the early pace-setters in the Premier League gives no indication that they can compete against 2015-16's form teams.



The champions may still have a mathematical chance of turning round fortunes and making a charge for the top four. But all the cards are dealt against them. Mourinho has the look of a haunted man, staring failure in the face; and as the Champions League disappears over the horizon, pressure on the Portuguese manager will only build in the coming weeks. 

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Chelsea boss (Jose Mourinho) has to get back to what made him the Special One... and Chelsea HAVE to back him

Roman Abramovich will make a decision over whether to sack the Blues boss in two weeks' time but he should be given time to put things right at Stamford Bridge

 

 

The good news for Jose Mourinho is that Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis are both in gainful employment. After all, a club languishing in 15th place, with an air of underachievement, signings who have not succeeded, a dreadful defensive record and seemingly fractious players would normally send for one of the relegation troubleshooters.

Such is the strange position Mourinho finds himself in. He is normally bracketed alongside Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson, Rinus Michels and Arrigo Sacchi, the all-time greats. He tends to be leading the table, not jostling for position in the sack race, only to see Tim Sherwood sprint across the line.

The Englishman was fired five months after managing Aston Villa in the FA Cup final. Five months ago, Chelsea were crowned champions. But the similarities end there. Sherwood is a rookie, Mourinho in a situation he has never experienced before. Chelsea, not Villa, are the season's greatest disappointments.



But that does not mean Mourinho should be fired. There are times, whether in his extraordinary seven-minute monologue after the defeat to Southampton or Saturday's meltdown at West Ham, when he appears to be inviting Roman Abramovich to dismiss him.

Goal understands Chelsea will review Mourinho's position during the international break in mid-November, but there are days when he projects the impression he is out of control and games when it appears his paranoia is infecting his team and damaging their chances. There are moments when it seems as though they could benefit from the fresh approach of a less intense, more upbeat manager.

Yet he remains Jose Mourinho. The winner of two Champions Leagues, eight domestic league titles and 22 trophies in total. He is, as he said immodestly but accurately recently, the greatest manager in Chelsea's history. Were Abramovich looking for a manager, his CV would make him the stand-out candidate.

His side are stumbling now, but many are players who have produced the best form of their career under Mourinho: Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic, Branislav Ivanovic, Cesar Azpilicueta. Many are Mourinho's signings. Some, seemingly, are his disciples. Where he has led, they have followed. Where he has criticised referees, they have harangued them. While outsiders may condemn Chelsea's behaviour, the Portuguese defends Diego Costa's antics. Such loyalty may yet bring a reward in the form of goals.


If his players have to return to being the indomitable champions of last season, he has to return to being Jose Mourinho, the manager whose sides are built on watertight defending, the man whose teams go on extended excellent runs, the specialist in big games and the coach who could go for years without losing at home.

The strangest element of Chelsea's slide is that it is quintessentially Mourinho. It is also a reason not to replace him. They have delivered too little for the Portuguese this season, but any successor may want a radically different group, whether because of their footballing philosophy, tactical plans or preference for different personalities. In other words, and while Chelsea have the talent to surge up the table, there is no guarantee of a quick fix. Rebuilding major clubs can be an expensive process. Just ask Manchester United, who have spent around £280 million under Louis van Gaal alone.

It is better to find the answer within, even if Mourinho has questions to field. He has proved himself to be the best short-term manager in modern football. When he signed a contract until 2019 in August, a manager who has never stayed anywhere for four years gave himself the opportunity to prove he can prosper over a longer period.


 

THE CANDIDATES | Who could replace Mourinho at Chelsea? 

When he did so, neither he nor Chelsea could have envisaged such a dramatic decline. It has changed much, not least the image of Mourinho as a manager with an immunity to the slumps others suffer, but not everything.

He remains a manager who is destined to be bracketed among the best. Some of them have endured their difficult days, too. Many thought Sir Alex Ferguson was a fading force in 2005, when United lost 4-1 at Middlesbrough and Roy Keane made a dramatic exit from Old Trafford. Some felt Arsene Wenger was past it in 2011, when Arsenal were hammered 8-2 by United.

Ferguson recovered to win the Premier League 18 months later and the Champions League within two-and-a-half years. Wenger may not have reached such heights, but he has proved himself a fine damage-limitation expert. Mourinho has sniped at the Frenchman and his record of consistent top-four finishes but now needs to emulate the supposed specialist in failure before seeing if he can return to the summit of the game, Ferguson-style.

The great Scot is proof that the best deserve to be treated differently from the rest. It is only a few months since Mourinho really was the Special One. Chelsea would have to be absolutely certain he no longer is before they dismiss him.

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Enyeama: Business as usual?

  
Vincent Enyeama  may have ended his international career in ignominious circumstances, but the Nigeria stopper still remains a key figure at club side LOSC Lille

It remains to be seen whether Vincent Enyeama is part of Nigeria’s history exclusively, or whether he could yet be a figure in the national side’s future.

The goalkeeper publicly retired from international duty during the international break following a fallout—or a ‘little misunderstanding’ according to the NFF—with head coach Sunday Oliseh.

If appearances are to be believed, it’s over for the legendary stopper, who was influential as Nigeria lifted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013.

It's true that there was a little misunderstanding in the camp of @NGSuperEagles , but the matter has been resolved. Enyeama remains in camp

— The NFF (@thenff) October 6, 2015

However, international retirements aren’t always as final as they appear, and should Enyeama return to the fold, it would not be a major surprise.

It may be that Oliseh sees the goalkeeper’s exit as part of a necessary blood-letting process and would be resistant to welcoming the potentially divisive stopper back into the squad, although it may be that necessity alone—should Carl Ikeme and the new-look defence struggle—could see Enyeama return to action.

Has Nigeria's centurion gone for good?

Regardless of his future with Nigeria, the keeper remains a key figure at club side LOSC Lille, and will doubtless have a major role to play this season as Les Dogues look to overcome an underwhelming start to the campaign.

Herve Renard replaced Rene Girard during the summer, and the Cup of Nations-winning coach has been charged with ushering in a new era at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.

It was never going to be easy; the Northern club lost the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Simon Kjaer, Marcos Lopes, Divock Origi and David Rozenhal during the summer, and it was always going to take time for Renard to turn his young team into a collective underpinned by a winning mentality.

To this end, Enyeama was clearly going to be a key man for the new coach. While some of the squad’s other veterans—men like Rio Mavuba, Florent Balmont, Franck Beria and Marko Basa—have all arguably past their prime, Enyeama, 33, is still performing at his peak.

He proved it during the early weeks of the season with a series of outstanding displays. After nine matches, Lille boast the best defensive record in the division—having conceded only four goals—with Enyeama making a collection of sublime stops. He’s always been a player who rises to the big occasion—just ask Lionel Messi—and proved this once again with an unthinkable performance in the 0-0 draw with Olympique Lyonnais in September.

Renard | Is overseeing the best defence in France

Despite possessing Moroccan forward Sofiane Boufal, one of the truly mesmerising players in Ligue 1 today, Lille have struggled to find the net and have been wholly let down by their offensive displays this season. None of Junior Tallo, Baptiste Guillaume and Yassine Benzia have convinced, and having lost the likes of Eden Hazard, Gervinho, and Salomon Kalou and over the last four years, Lillois supporters have been left dreaming of better days.

After nine matches, they have scored only four goals—the lowest in the division—and have found the net only three times in front of their own fans.

At least Renard, knowing that his defence was almost watertight, has only one area of concern.

Les Dogues’ defence has naturally deteriorated since Enyeama received a straight red card after bringing down Paul-Georges Ntep during an away match against Stade Rennais.

Enyeama | No stranger to the big occasion

His replacement, 20-year-old Mike Maignan, saved the subsequent penalty, but was beaten soon after. Since then, Maignan has performed admirably, but cannot yet match Enyeama’s character, personality, defensive organisation and shot-stopping. He has conceded two in his three-and-a-half matches since a combination of suspension and bereavement kept Enyeama away—half of Lille’s tally all season.

After serving his time on the sidelines—Enyeama hasn’t featured since the sending off—the Nigerian should be back in action this weekend as Lille travel to En Avant de Guingamp on Saturday.

The goalkeeper, without doubt, will be desperate to put a miserable week behind him and prove his worth once again for Lille.

Sir Alex Ferguson, for example, appeared to relish when his players ended their international careers in order to focus on their club careers, and he arguably got the best out of the likes of Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes once they had called time on Ireland, Wales and England respectively.

Without the distraction of international competition, Renard will hope that he can get the absolute best out of Enyeama and perhaps even extend his club career. He will surely receive a player supremely motivated and, perhaps, one who appreciates ‘getting back to business’ and making the right kind of headlines after the unhappy controversies of the international break.

There is certainly work to be done for Enyeama as he looks to re-establish Lille, who sit in 12th, as European contenders. Renard will know he has the quality to do just that, even if Oliseh may be finding out a bit too late.

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Mourinho set to appeal FA punishment

 

The Portuguese trainer has vocally criticized the sanctions imposed on him for his words following the Blues' last defeat, and has confirmed that he will fight the punishment

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will appeal against the English FA in the wake of receiving a stadium ban and a £50,000 fine for his comments regarding the officiating in The Blues' loss to Southampton.

The outspoken former Real Madrid and Inter man was punished for suggesting referees were reluctant to give penalties for his current club.

But speaking in a press conference on Friday ahead of the clash against Aston Villa, Mourinho assured he would fight the ban.

"I have to be honest with myself, that’s the most important thing. So I have to appeal," he told reporters.

He also admitted that his character could make it difficult to one day manage the England national team, under FA control.

"Well, maybe I am naive, and I know that naive I can use that word, for me English football fans, English passion for the game, what makes me like this country so much, is not the FA, it’s the people," he said.

"If one day I have to work for those people, I will.

"No player in the national team than they were with us. So it’s not the habitat that’s making them play better or worse. They are in the situation that we are, which gives me total confidence that we’ll be here, we have to improve them, they have to improve, and they have to go back to their normality." 

Chelsea have endured an indifferent start to the 2015-16 Premier League, jeopardising their chances of retaining the title.

And Mourinho recognised that perhaps a visit to Stamford Bridge was not as intimidating for other teams as in previous years.

"Maybe. One thing is to go to a stadium where the percentage of defeat is huge for the away team. And it is another where a team goes and they’ve only won one in four," he affirmed.

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