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Perhaps my single greatest concern at this present moment is the lack of form the side is showing.

Other circumstances are all important, and they definitely play their part. Half-hearted performances, tactical naivety and dickhead referees have all served to blight the Blues this season, yet a poultry twelve points from the last thirty available is little better than relegation form. In fact Blackburn, Bolton and West Brom have won more games than the Blues over the course of the last ten matches. Only Wolves, Wigan, QPR and Aston Villa have accrued less points than Chelsea Football Club has recently, and to add insult to injury, three of the points picked up by Alex McCleish's side came against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on New Year's Eve.

formtable2.png

Source: FA Premier League website

This horrific run in form - currently standing at a four-game winless streak in the Premier League - has seen the likes of Arsenal (14 points from the last 30), Newcastle (16 points from the last 30), and even 8th-placed Norwich (16 points from the last 30) all gain ground on Chelsea. In the case of the Gunners, their superior goal difference has taken them above the Blues and into the last of four Champions League spots.

This contrasts terribly with the form of the two Manchester clubs, who have taken 22 points from their last 10 games - and they have achieved this without playing particularly well, which is even more worrying. Tottenham's form is equally as impressive, with five wins and four draws from their last ten matches, whilst Sunderland have amassed the same amount of points as Harry Redknapp's men, coinciding with the arrival of Martin O'Neill on Weirside.

Scoring goals has not been a particular problem for Chelsea, as only the four sides currently sitting ahead of them have netted more times than Andre Villas-Boas' charges. Defensive lethargy may well be put to blame, especially when you consider the haphazard and laughable attempt at trying to defend a three-goal lead against the weakest Manchester United side in a decade left the Blues with egg on their faces and perilously close to succumbing to one of the most embarrassing capitulations of all-time (though taking a single point from that game still constitutes an epic failure on the players' part).

Actually, Chelsea's recent run has coincided with a reduction in the amount of goals scored per game, and an increase in defensive vulnerability. Sure enough, in 2012 the Blues have already doubled their tally of league clean sheets recorded from April to December 2011, but the loss of Didier Drogba to the African Cup of Nations and midfield duo Frank Lampard and Ramires to injury, as well as the shuddering lack of form and confidence about Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge at present has certainly affected the team.

formtable.png

Source: BBC Sport website

An even bigger loss has been John Terry's recent absence, as a niggling injury has prevented him from featuring in the last three matches - three matches that Chelsea have, frankly, been utterly appalling in defensively. Terry may not be the defensive lynch-pin he once was, but the ever-dependable ex-England skipper brings an air of authority, confidence and organisation to a backline featuring two helplessly out-of-form and fatigued full-backs. It comes without surprise that Chelsea have a better win percentage with Jose Bosingwa safely sat on the bench, but Ashley Cole has been equally as weak on the opposite flank, barely looking a shadow of the left-back he was even a year ago.

The same applies to Petr Cech, who has recently developed a case of paper-wrist-syndrome, having been beaten at Everton at the weekend by Denis Stracqualursi's tame effort. Then against Manchester United, he could only parry Hernandez' header (albeit from point-blank range) into the net. Against Arsenal and Aston Villa in 2011 he was equally as hopeless. Though he has saved the club on countless occasions (this season included), Cech may well be becoming a liability, though a leaky defence - such a description may well be complimentary - certainly has not helped aid the Czech, who remains, perhaps, the greatest goalkeeper in the history of the club.

The blame can only be throw at a small number of minorities. Firstly, Villas-Boas, for taking so much time over the summer to address the squad he had inherited from a manager that had lost his job because he had lost the dressing room; a dressing room consisting of a group of overpaid, underperforming, egotistical tossers whose only loyalty lies with their multi-million-pound sponsorships and exorbitant wages. The lack of quality in this team has been well-documented. It was papered-over by a Double-winning season, but a terrible run of fortune last season exposed those deficiencies for all to see, and the cracks are not only re-appearing now, but they are rapidly expanding. Andre had the chance to address this in the summer, and also in the Winter transfer window. Admittedly he did make signings, but a reserve team striker, a centre back, and an unproven winger who has been sent out on loan already was hardly what the supporters would have had in mind.

Another person to throw the blame at is Ron Gourlay. No, not Roman Abramovich. The Russian's obvious support for the club continues to be exercised by bank-rolling transfers costing millions, at last count an £18 million expenditure on the aforementioned Bamford, Cahill and de Bruyne. Other relatively recent acquisitions (Torres, Luiz, Lukaku, Mata and Ramires all included) shows his financial support. It is Ron Gourlay, the man petrified of spending even when absolutely necessary, and his fellow board members, who have denied Villas-Boas the funds to go out and buy world class players. Bids have been confirmed and interested admitted, but time and time again Chelsea have missed out on their targets, with Mata's arrival seemingly a fluke at best.

Alternatively you can look at the players. Their flaws are well-known, but rather than blaming Torres for his countless misses, the incredible inconsistency of the once-reliable quintet of Cech, Cole, Terry, Drogba and Lampard, the usual scapegoat contingent of Bosingwa, Kalou, Malouda and the now-departed Nicolas Anelka - or even tosspot referees like Howard Webb and Chris Foy (note the f, Tottenham fans) - we should look at the players we don't have. Like a playmaker, or wingers who can do that amazing thing of actually crossing a ball. A pair of new full-backs and a goalkeeper to keep Cech quite literally on his tip-toes wouldn't go amiss either. But this links back to the other guilty parties - gormless Gourlay and numbnuts Villas-Boas.

The bottom line is a point that aims to strike home a stunning reality. Chelsea currently occupy fifth place, and it might now even be considered optimistic to look forward to the Champions League next term - unless we somehow do a Liverpool and win it this time around. The Blues are in dire straits, certainly up Shit Creek, and without a paddle. The teams around us may be equally as inconsistent, but they do it well. And that is where our problems lies. Newcastle, Arsenal, Spurs, the two Manchester sides - they all play good football. Not necessarily good to watch, but certainly effective football that does the necessary. Even the likes of Sunderland and Norwich have recently possessed the sort of cutting-edge that earns European football.

At Chelsea, you can't really see that. But for a handful of players that are relied on time and time again to dig us out of the mire (namely the vision and trickery of Juan Mata, the drive of Ramires, the enthusiasm of David Luiz (so often an attacking conduit from the heart of defence) and the inconsistent indifference of Daniel Sturridge), there is no invention, there is no spark. There doesn't even seem to be the old Mourinho-instilled sense of determination that used to make up for a lack of attacking quality. The last true winger the club had was Arjen Robben, and the only real creative midfielders we've had in recent years, such as Tiago, have quickly moved on to ply their trade elsewhere. The desperate need for new blood has already been documented by myself and countless others, and we're going nowhere until we have creative talent aboard the Chelsea ship; a ship that is currently stranded upon an iceberg of the mundane and mediocre.

You can probably even see this continuing for another season or two, for this transition we all speak of has yet to begin, and will only commence once the dead wood has been removed and a new spine emerges. Emphasis will be put on summer signings and youth players like Lukaku, McEachran and Bertrand stepping to the fore.

It is a sobering thought, but Chelsea aren't going to improve any time soon. The only thing we can do at this stage is deal with it and hope for the best.

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Ive said all along during 2004-2008 we should have done what Barca are doing now and keep strengthening and evolving the squad while we were on top.

While we build the new team we need to set our current players who actually have some hunger namely DL4, R7 and JM10 as the players to build around, well fed "superstars" and the past their best players need to leave and accept a significant lesser role respectively.

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I do get a bit piss of by what Sloth says, that AVB did not buy players, not enough.

But before I go saying it's AVB fault, would I like to know is it AVB fault or someone else?

Since it is been well documented that the coach has little say on transfer unlike the board.

So who's fault is it? AVB or the board?

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I do get a bit piss of by what Sloth says, that AVB did not buy players, not enough.

But before I go saying it's AVB fault, would I like to know is it AVB fault or someone else?

Since it is been well documented that the coach has little say on transfer unlike the board.

So who's fault is it? AVB or the board?

There were really strong targets and confirmed targets (Pereira, Modric, Vargas, Neymar, Lucas Moura), but the club failed to sign them... either they didn't want to join or the opposite club asked too much money. The manager is not the negotiator.. He may help persuading the player (like was the case with Mata), but first there must be an agreement between the clubs, which did not happen. It was not AVB's fault.

Bring back Kenyon.

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we waited 50 years for our first top division title ...then 50 years for the next ,,,two more since then but if we have to wait 5 years for the next..

so be it . I just want to feel pride at the effort my team shows. Many times in defeat I have been able to say they did their best ,,we could be proud of them.

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Mata has been struggling for a while now. His last great performance was against Man City, i'm a little worried ! Sturridge has been struggling too and of course the other bloke upfront is pants.

What about United game mate?

You can't except that Mata will play whole season on level like this. Look at David Silva at City. He is not in great form and they have World Class reserve for him in Nasri.

Our main priority in Summer will be a World Class midfielder and another winger with KDB.

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@Igi, that's exactly my point there, mate. We rely entirely on the likes of Mata/Ramires/Sturridge, if one or more has a bad game then we really struggler in a match. Whereas in 09/10 you had attacking quality all over the pitch - Anelka, Malouda, Drogba, Lampard, Ballack, Kalou, Joe Cole, Essien, Zhirkov, Deco, even Ash. Now we have two or three good players, rather than half a dozen brilliant ones.

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Yes the bad results are extremely frustrating. But the main concern for me and most likely a lot of other Chelsea fans is the lack of heart shown on the pitch. We don't have the best squad at the moment but our squad is still more then capable of beating teams like Everton and it is just not happening. There is no respect being shown for the shirt that they are wearing. The obvious candidates are always putting there best out there but there is only so much they can do with a squad around them that show no heart. The players i talk about are your obvious ones, Lampard, Ivan, Ramires and Terry. Looking at Lampard he is still scoring goals but you can see he is not half the player he used to be but that is expected at his age. You cannot take away his effort that he clearly puts on the pitch week in, week out.

The most frustrating thing about it all is the lack of form of our main striker at the moment, Fernando Torres. He clearly has not shown what we all wanted from him since he joined us and it is upsetting. Yes he misses easy chances but to be fair to the lad he should be getting much better service from our wingers and full backs. A lot of people say he is not in the box but even when he is the cross is either over hit or does not come in at all. The few crosses that reach him at least he gets a head on to them most of the time. He should be doing better yes, but his service should also be a lot better also.

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The fact there were reports of us contacting teams for possible transfers towards the end of the window is really a wanning image for me. The fact we had some targets, and happily let them be delayed while having the thinnest squad in the league. Added to the fact we still have the same problem as last season, with reported squad harmony being distrupted with pointing fingers everywhere as to whom is responsible for the form we are in.

It is like kids getting in trouble and them blaming each other for the reason why they are in trouble - the teacher being Roman in this case. I think what is needed to be done is to remember the whole squad it isn't about them, but about the whole team and club rather then the egotistical ones wanting this and that - added that maybe AvB has made some mistakes - this is the time, imo, that he does his analyse of the team that he is so-called 'famous' for and put it to work!

The problem might lay in some corner, but for the time coming we need to focus on top four, the FA Cup and the CL. That way we can evaluate at the end at then finally get more of a view of the so-called project AvB and Roman are wanting to build. I personally think the transfers in the January window should have happened in the summer with one or two more additions - or possibly some leaving - as well as not loaning Yossi, but it is always easier to say that now rather then doing it when iut was needed.

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I'm going to reiterate what most Chelsea fans have been saying on here, Facebook and in person. The lack of heart and determination shown in practically every game bar the Champions League match vs Valencia is very, very worrying. I'm one to stay positive for as long as my tested patience will allow me. So when fans were calling for the head of Fernando i stuck by him and held hope above sense thinking he would miraculously return to stunning form, this hope built on snippets of the old Torres in the games leading up to his red card but for whatever reasons either it being lack of pace and confidence or not enough service provided for him, it just hasn't happened since then. That saga for me has gone on for far too long now and we must move him on in the summer for the clubs and players benefit. Andre Villas-Boas...... Well now i can't say my patience has run out when backing this very collected, charming and precise gentlemen. What i will say is, so far, not so great! I truly believe he has something special about him and will be a success in the future weather that successful future is at Chelsea Football Club or somewhere else it's too early to call! All we ask is that he addresses this rotting problem that is our current starting XI. Play Lukaku, give Piazon minutes, give the starting place McEachran deserves on his return, hand Bertrand his much deserved chance in place of the burnt out Cole. Any blind fool can see this current Chelsea team just doesn't have the legs or chemistry it once had. Use the young and hungry talent we have amongst the ranks because they have the desire, movement and chemistry we are crying out for! I can only hope this happens sooner rather than later and that AVB realizes now that without movement, desire and stamina we will not finish 4th, we will not win the FA Cup and we will certainly not win the Champions League. As some of you have said before it's not the losing that hurts this much, it is losing without the passion and the pride we demand from out very own boys in Blue....

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