The worst European champions of all-time?

[Strike 6,960]

edit: i believe in this team though. most of the players had barely any Premier League experience. in 2-3 years, we will improve.

[SinineUltra 1,164]

If Torres is still here next season I might just actually stick a gun in my mouth. He has influenced the sacking of three managers and our complete and embarrassing downfall

Which managers are we talking about? If we are thinking about the same men then it isn't as one sided you make out of it.

[karaclouds 47]

Great and interesting article! Having now sobered up, (a little bit!), I think the way we won our Champions League trophy was by the desire to never give - the classic case being the Napoli return leg- however in this current season it's gone. Sure you can say player power may have something to do with it (the sacking of AVB perhaps?). But overall the team isn't together, as mentioned earlier we are not playing as a unit, we lack the desire and the motivation. Last night's game, not a singular player showed that he wanted to play for Chelsea. Yes, there are times when players just simply are having a very good game, but that should only be a rare moment.

During pre-season I hope the new manager that comes in has the authority to inspire players that they have to play for the club, for themselves and for the fans. (I also hope that we maybe are free of a former goldilocks by next season!)

[coolhead23 1,146]

Well written article in the heat of the moment

I guess we are all aware of this: worst sacking, getting a manager who just wanted to revive his career, bad decisions, bad management, bad tactics, etc, etc, etc ....

Someone rightly pointed out in the Live match thread that the problem doesnt begin or stops at Rafa (yes we all know goes to the club management as well) but it goes deep into the players as well and i completely agree. For me the players are completely to be blamed maybe more than the manager.

Arent the players being too complacent of their positions in the team or rather should I use the term "Player Power" here. One entire generation has thrived on it after Roman's takeover, the scaring thing that we can imagine is "Is it passing on to our new generation". Take Scolari's incident, Ray Wilkins sacking incident: we went into a period of mourning, AVB's incident, now the entire Rafa's fiasco. It seems the players have taken things for granted (blame goes to the club management completely), they could just say Damn it! We would have a new manager next season. Yes i agree Managers play a very important part but once your on the field the 11 men are on their own, they should be self motivated to perform on the field (after all they get payed insane amount of money).

Where is the heart in these recent performances? It is not that we cant do it, we very well can ... remember Champions league campaigns run to the final at Moscow, champions last season. The argument is why we cant do it on a regular basis. When a half baked United team can keep winning titles season after season, we got a better team on paper until last season. Why cant we even put up a decent performance.

I mite be on a completely wrong track here and ready to take the stick but then that what i have been feeling for some time now. Honestly i have stopped watching matches (it was suppose to be a sabbatical until Rafa is in charge), not because my love for my team has gone down or i dont support the Blues but it hurts/pains to see this team who won are the current European Champions doing a complete U turn on their performances ... like the one last nite.

I hope and sincerely hope that the club management has learned lessons with the incidents which has happened this season. And they get in a manager who is given time to settle down and plan out his strategies which is strong enough to take the Blues to the next level. Importantly give him the full control.
Enough said already

[bluephoenix 1,125]

one horror of a season !

[bushman 2,043]

Not too long ago, when I wrote here that Chelsea were very fortunate to win Champions League I was attacked with vengeance.

I also said, " park the bus " wasn´t my style of play, then.

Was Rafa wrong when he pointed at current management to be held responsible for this pathetic season ? No, he was not, I feel.

Last season´s CL winners were beaten last night again. Mind you the team played their 50th game of this season, so far.

Where was Chelsea´s management before this season started ? The first game Chelsea got whipped by Falcao. Wasn´t that a warning for things to come ? Isn´t there anyone at Stamford Bridge who knows how to add, how many players are needed to compete at this grueling schedule ?

Somewhere, I read here, just maybe Chelsea needs to miss on some competitions to regroup in a year or so. Slowly but surely, it looks like a pretty good idea. The team at current stage is not capable to win any trophy.

An overhaul of the management is much needed, I feel. Only then, we may expect any results. The team have plenty of youg players around. Bring those to Stamford & start from there.

[NishC300 1,865]

We don't have a proper midfielder in the pivot to dictate the game
and keep possession and we lack counterattacking ability atm. We sold
Kalou and kept Yossi!

[bushman 2,043]

This club needs a lot more than a proper midfielder. That´s the least of worries.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I only skimmed it last night, but I see Alex is talking about co-efficients again.

Fuck co-efficients. They're meaningless at this point in time. We could have a gold-plated co-efficient that shoots ambrosia from it's nipples and it wouldn't mean shit if we're not in the Champions League next season.

The fact is that to be the European Champions you have to beat the best. Seedings are becoming meaningless because the gap between the top 8 seeds and the next 8 teams is becoming wafer-thin. Dortmund, Juventus, PSG and Ajax were THIRD seeds for fucks sake. Money is elevating all the teams competing.

The co-efficient at this point in time means absolutely fuck all if we're not in the Champions League draw next season.

We're a disgrace to football. Today's performance just showed a complete lack of class and respect for European football. If you don't want to be in the Europa league, just withdraw and take a heavy fine or something, we have no dignity left anyway. Just got back from the pub, absolutely disgusted. Even more so watching Tottenham, they have class and have taken over us recently. They are much better than us atm and will probably fuck us over at the bridge. We deserve nothing this season and that's exactly what we'll get.

We won't win this competition, we won't win the FA Cup and tbh for all the care about resting players for Sunday, we won't win on Sunday either. I can't wait for this season to end, i actually hate the team i love atm. No guts, no passion, no desire, no bottle and mostly of all, no class.

Anyway Alex, the question i understand but the whole world know the answer mate.

Fuck this pessimism as well. What the fuck type of supporter throw the club they supposedly love under the bus two days before a big game?

I'm sorry we're not as good as we were. I'm sorry we're playing a bit shit. I'm sorry that when you go on FIFA the player ratings are a bit reduced.

But has that fucking badge on your shirt changed at all in the last few months? Have the club changed their name? Did we lose some of the history and no-one told me?

Too many spoilt fans bitching because it's a little bit hard to support the club right now as if they're entitled to win every game or enjoy every moment.

[bushman 2,043]

Roman came, riding to the rescue & saving Chelsea from financial oblivion. We all should cherish it.

However, his help to clean up the house now is more needed than at any other time. Rafa must go asap. DOF must be replaced with much more experienced one. Ron Gourlay still chanting the company mantra about CL qualification but doing dick about it.

The club is in total mess. ROMAN rise above it once again & bring this club where it belongs, to the top.

Most of us will refuse to turn our backs on the club & support it, no matter what.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Roman came, riding to the rescue & saving Chelsea from financial oblivion. We all should cherish it.

However, his help to clean up the house now is more needed than at any other time. Rafa must go asap. DOF must be replaced with much more experienced one. Ron Gourlay still chanting the company mantra about CL qualification but doing dick about it.

The club is in total mess. ROMAN rise above it once again & bring this club where it belongs, to the top.

Most of us will refuse to turn our backs on the club & support it, no matter what.

I honestly don't know what good replacing Emenalo would do. Yes we have a lot of players out on loan, but we needed to do that because we weren't doing it 5 years ago. We're paying for those mistakes now and firing the guy trying to fix them seems completely pointless to me.

As for Gourlay, I have no fucking idea what people want him to do. What exactly do you want to see him doing right now about helping us get top four?

And once again the man with the money gets a free pass because fans like you see him as a saviour and infallible. Seriously, some people treat him like Kim Jong Un on here. He can make mistakes and guess what - he has made mistakes. Right now we're trying to fix them and we're having more success in some areas than others but if it makes you feel better, this is about as bad as it gets being a Chelsea fan nowadays.

[Ollie 4,400]

Win every game? How many games have you counted recently that we've won and do you think with the players and resources we have that this is acceptable? We have a bunch of players that don't give a fuck atm and i am not happy with that. Last year the team showed guts and passion, all that i have stated but this season it's gone so down hill, we're losing to Steaua, drawing against Prague and Brentford, hiring managers we all hate...

If we win something this season, it will be a fucking miracle. Just because i support the club, i'm not gonna pretend that everything's great and that we're playing brilliantly and everything's all rosey in the garden. I'll continue to give my support, i hope we win something but come on, open your eyes and look at what we have become. We're a laughing stock and an embarrassment to the game.

Wish we could fast forward 2 or 3 years. I mean ffs we moan about having a small squad... how many on loan do we have? 23?

This is the worst it's been since roman arrived, just the UCL win from last season makes it seem not so bad. the writing was on the wall after that Atletico game in truth. Was sure a sign of things to come, and then failing to win the Club World Cup. This season has been awful and i'm fed up of sticking up for this team and the players. We care, i write angrily because i fucking care, if i didn't give a shit i wouldn't waste my time venting my frustration. Tbh i'm still angry. The players, they don't seem to care. That yesterday was not a performance of European Champions.

And as for Torres... If i did my Job to the level he did his, i'd be sacked.

[bushman 2,043]

I honestly don't know what good replacing Emenalo would do. Yes we have a lot of players out on loan, but we needed to do that because we weren't doing it 5 years ago. We're paying for those mistakes now and firing the guy trying to fix them seems completely pointless to me.

As for Gourlay, I have no fucking idea what people want him to do. What exactly do you want to see him doing right now about helping us get top four?

And once again the man with the money gets a free pass because fans like you see him as a saviour and infallible. Seriously, some people treat him like Kim Jong Un on here. He can make mistakes and guess what - he has made mistakes. Right now we're trying to fix them and we're having more success in some areas than others but if it makes you feel better, this is about as bad as it gets being a Chelsea fan nowadays.

Replacing Emenalo is much needed. Let him stay with scouting. He is good at it. As DOF the job is over his head. Just look at Chelsea´s squad.

Fans like me see Roman as the one who brought glory to Chelsea for the past ten years.

Of course he is not infallible. He allowed the every day matters out of his reach. Roman must get more involved. Hire better people to run this club. Only then, we will see Chelsea winning trophies.

As for your quips about me as a Chelsea fan. I don´t even read it anymore.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Replacing Emenalo is much needed. Let him stay with scouting. He is good at it. As DOF the job is over his head. Just look at Chelsea´s squad.

The squad is a mess. But this is a problem that has been coming for a while and the club are actually trying to remedy it which is why I continually question the logic behind replacing him. Everyone can see that we were treading water this season because Roman wanted Pep, and that's part of the reason we're struggling now.

Fans like me see Roman as the one who brought glory to Chelsea for the past ten years.

Of course he is not infallible. He allowed the every day matters out of his reach. Roman must get more involved. Hire better people to run this club. Only then, we will see Chelsea winning trophies.

As for your quips about me as a Chelsea fan. I don´t even read it anymore.

You seem to have a problem discussing things. You called the loans 'fucking baffling' and then acted like a little girl when the logic of them was explained to you. You see only the short-term and don't understand the long-term. I also didn't make a quip about you, but if you think I did then I apologise because that's what grown-ups do when they make mistakes.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Win every game? How many games have you counted recently that we've won and do you think with the players and resources we have that this is acceptable? We have a bunch of players that don't give a fuck atm and i am not happy with that. Last year the team showed guts and passion, all that i have stated but this season it's gone so down hill, we're losing to Steaua, drawing against Prague and Brentford, hiring managers we all hate...

If we win something this season, it will be a fucking miracle. Just because i support the club, i'm not gonna pretend that everything's great and that we're playing brilliantly and everything's all rosey in the garden. I'll continue to give my support, i hope we win something but come on, open your eyes and look at what we have become. We're a laughing stock and an embarrassment to the game.

Wish we could fast forward 2 or 3 years. I mean ffs we moan about having a small squad... how many on loan do we have? 23?

This is the worst it's been since roman arrived, just the UCL win from last season makes it seem not so bad. the writing was on the wall after that Atletico game in truth. Was sure a sign of things to come, and then failing to win the Club World Cup. This season has been awful and i'm fed up of sticking up for this team and the players. We care, i write angrily because i fucking care, if i didn't give a shit i wouldn't waste my time venting my frustration. Tbh i'm still angry. The players, they don't seem to care. That yesterday was not a performance of European Champions.

And as for Torres... If i did my Job to the level he did his, i'd be sacked.

Sorry, but it's the pessimism of writing big games like Sunday's off that pisses me off. We were shit last night and we didn't want to be there, but we'll turn them over in the second leg and move on.

We can play well when motivated and I expect us to do well on Sunday.

[bushman 2,043]

The squad is a mess. But this is a problem that has been coming for a while and the club are actually trying to remedy it which is why I continually question the logic behind replacing him. Everyone can see that we were treading water this season because Roman wanted Pep, and that's part of the reason we're struggling now.

You seem to have a problem discussing things. You called the loans 'fucking baffling' and then acted like a little girl when the logic of them was explained to you. You see only the short-term and don't understand the long-term. I also didn't make a quip about you, but if you think I did then I apologise because that's what grown-ups do when they make mistakes.

To remedy the squad problems. Emenalo is not the one to do it. Live with it. I explained it to you umpteen times.

I do not have any problems discussing things, whatsoever. The basic matter is still the same. You live in the past.

The game of football became a multimillionaire´s business. Ever since Murdoch´s Sky Tv came on. Money is needed to run it & succeed. No money invested, no trophies, See Arsenal.

[English Freak 456]

Sorry, but it's the pessimism of writing big games like Sunday's off that pisses me off. We were shit last night and we didn't want to be there, but we'll turn them over in the second leg and move on.

We can play well when motivated and I expect us to do well on Sunday.

Well..I don't think any of the players look motivated under Rafa's management..

We've only had 2 solid displays under Rafa...that 8-0 win against Villa...and the recent win against West Brom.

Nearly every other game...we've had patches of good play..and then patches of comedy football where our defence & midfield just look utterly clueless...

[The only place to be 11,313]

To remedy the squad problems. Emenalo is not the one to do it. Live with it. I explained it to you umpteen times.

I do not have any problems discussing things, whatsoever. The basic matter is still the same. You live in the past.

The game of football became a multimillionaire´s business. Ever since Murdoch´s Sky Tv came on. Money is needed to run it & succeed. No money invested, no trophies, See Arsenal.

You haven't explained it though. You can't. You don't know the problems, you don't know where their roots lie and you don't know what the solutions are.

Don't tell me I live in the past either.