Who to blame for the worst season in the Roman era ?

[The only place to be 11,313]

You make a good argument, but one entirely based on paper speculation. Are you sure Roman wanted Guardiola? Did you ask him yourself, or did the tabloids tell you?

It was the biggest open secret in the game for about 12 months. Every decision, be it players we bought in or the players we let go to clear space for future transfers was being made in order to get Guardiola.

There's enough blame to go around, including the current board, the past board and some of the playing staff, but ultimately it comes down to what Roman did in the first five years of his ownership. But people make mistakes, especially when they're relatively inexperienced and the good thing is he doesn't seem to be making the same ones. In fact, he seems to be trying to rectify one of his bigger mistakes by re-hiring Jose.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

It was the biggest open secret in the game for about 12 months. Every decision, be it players we bought in or the players we let go to clear space for future transfers was being made in order to get Guardiola.

There's enough blame to go around, including the current board, the past board and some of the playing staff, but ultimately it comes down to what Roman did in the first five years of his ownership. But people make mistakes, especially when they're relatively inexperienced and the good thing is he doesn't seem to be making the same ones. In fact, he seems to be trying to rectify one of his bigger mistakes by re-hiring Jose.

In that, I do agree with you. But only time will tell if he does indeed re-hire Mourinho. Abramovich swings the axe as the club owner, but short-termism has worked well in the first part of his ownership. I think now he realises he needs to switch his eye from the short-term, having seen Chelsea established as a current English footballing superpower, and look to the bigger picture. About bloody time as well. Let's just hope he shows the necessary patience and allows the next manager a minimum of three seasons. Anything else will be a disaster, this club needs time to start again.

[coolhead23 1,146]

TBH everyone is to be blamed, when we are in together the credits and blames has to be taken collectively.

Owner and Board: No one knows if Roman is the one who approves everything or is it the board/advisors making the call. When everyone was aware that we would be playing 7 competitions this season when didnt the board get in enough players or send out players, clearly a thin squad today.

U had the holy grail delivered by the manager who was make shift manager, why cant have faith in him? Did u give him the job just because he won it. The board could have taken the tough decision of opting a new manager at the start to have the built up process going rather than sacking him 2-3 months in the job and then be clueless. Were they afraid that everyone would talk bad about them if RDM was not appointed the manager after the cup win if that was case why sack him and become a laughing stock. And why Rafa after sacking RDM? Total chaos at times.

Managers: RDM had the world at his feet after the Champions league victory and i expected him to be smart to do something different when he was appointed the manager. But he did what everyone does when appointed the manager, impress the boss! Playing attacking football and try to become Barca, there was no plan B in that strategy plus we were no Barca. I dont completely blame him for doing that but he should had a plan B and should have rotated the squad accordingly.

The less said about Rafa is better i believe.

Players: There are so many times during the season the players have given the feeling that they just dont want to play out there or dont give it a damn (i m earning my wages who the h*** cares). Are u in a state of mourning? When you wear the jersey and take the field u are expected to give more 100% day in day out thats the reason u have been hired. I dont buy the theory that they are tried and cant perform at the highest level. These are super athletics who are payed hell lot of money and nurtured & trained to keep going at the highest level. And it hurt when they dont even try.

Fans: Lots and lots of expectation specially from a team who were suppose to be in transition. Right at the start of the season, fans were looking at a repeat for champion league success along with the premier league title.

[bushman 2,043]

Some of us weren´t expecting to repeat CL. However, I certainly did not expect to see the team being bounced off every competition, this year.

This year´s Chelsea just have too many games to play for the thin squad, I feel.

Overall, the team is good, many talented players on the team & on loan. A great future awaits them, I feel.

Still, the team needs 2-3 players to be right there. To challenge Manure, Citeh & most of all in CL competition. It may not happen even next year but the nucleus of the team is just as good as any other, I feel.

[1chelsea 864]

Roman, torres, benitez, and some player who lack fighting spirit to win matches. they play all game like we are winning all the time, credit to few player like

hazard

mata

luiz

oscar

ramires

ceck

[bushman 2,043]

Roman, torres, benitez, and some player who lack fighting spirit to win matches. they play all game like we are winning all the time, credit to few player like

hazard

mata

luiz

oscar

ramires

ceck

Roman, are you sure you talking about the owner ?

[Special Juan 27,093]

A re-hash of the board should be as important as buying the right players in the summer. The decision making at times beggars belief when players like Lukaku are sent out on loan when our striker line up is as bare as Kim Kardashian's muff.

[bushman 2,043]

A re-hash of the board should be as important as buying the right players in the summer. The decision making at times beggars belief when players like Lukaku are sent out on loan when our striker line up is as bare as Kim Kardashian's muff.

Now you are talking Kim´s muff, my kind of striker.

[1chelsea 864]

Roman, are you sure you talking about the owne

yeah have idea of what is going on with board but could not give better action but sack n sack

[bushman 2,043]

yeah have idea of what is going on with board but could not give better action but sack n sack

Well, most of us do not like to see managers being sacked but no results = no job, that´s the way she wrote at Chelsea.

[The only place to be 11,313]

A re-hash of the board should be as important as buying the right players in the summer. The decision making at times beggars belief when players like Lukaku are sent out on loan when our striker line up is as bare as Kim Kardashian's muff.

But didn't Lukaku need that loan? Weren't people calling him a flop last summer?

[Weckerz 3,781]

Talkchelsea, home of knee-jerk reactions.. If we'd won yesterday, which we could have, this thread wouldn't exist and you'd all be saying that this team is actually doing well in a transitional season.

Besides, no team would win the Prem with our midfield. It's so bad it's laughable. Spend your money on that department coming summer, Roman, instead of splashing silly cash on a striker we don't need.

[Special Juan 27,093]

But didn't Lukaku need that loan? Weren't people calling him a flop last summer?

Now whilst a loan was good for him, was it good for us just having a season start with Sturridge and Torres? Knowing we had a shed load of games this season. This club has been massively fortunate that Torres has not had a bad injury, if he had we would of seen how bad the choice to have only to forwards really was.

I can't speak for other people but I wanted Lukaku here, not on loan.....here playing for Chelsea.

But that would of meant giving a young lad a go wouldn't it? Don't want that now do we.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Now whilst a loan was good for him, was it good for us just having a season start with Sturridge and Torres? Knowing we had a shed load of games this season. This club has been massively fortunate that Torres has not had a bad injury, if he had we would of seen how bad the choice to have only to forwards really was.

I can't speak for other people but I wanted Lukaku here, not on loan.....here playing for Chelsea.

But that would of meant giving a young lad a go wouldn't it? Don't want that now do we.

But these are problems years in the making. Torres cost us around £100 million in total, so he needed every chance to prove himself before we wrote him off. This meant Lukaku wouldn't have got that many games, so he went on loan and now we have one of the hottest young strikers in European football ready to come into the squad next season (fingers crossed).

It's just another of the results of a lack of long-term planning. Now there seems to be some direction in the club in terms of recruiting and developing young players which simply wasn't there (and if it was, it wasn't good enough) even 12 months ago. Look at the Josh situation - he could've been loaned out at the start of the season and tried to win a place in a team, but AVB kept him around because he said he'd use him and by the time he went to Swansea their team was settled.

Now we have 23-24 players out on loan and some will come back next season, whilst others will spend another season on loan probably joined by the likes of Lewis Baker, Nathan Ake and possibly Islam Feruz.

We talk about this conveyor belt of talent, but we've had to repurpose the machine that is Chelsea Football Club in a very short period of time and that's obviously going to be uncomfortable and have a number of mishaps along the way. But I'd rather a short, sharp pain than a long drawn out death (hello Liverpool).

[Jase 43,479]

Can't disagree with Azpi here. It's been a problem everytime we reached the penultimate games in the cup competitions this season and we have bottled it every single time. Feels as if we're like Arsenal right now...

http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-chelsea-fc/2013/04/15/chelsea-defender-admits-worry-over-big-game-bottling-82029-33176502/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

CHELSEA'S poor run of form in top games is out of character, and needs to be addressed, says Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Blues' season has been characterised by a series of top games in which the team has seemed to choke: the FA Community Shield, the Uefa Super Cup, the World Club Cup final, the League Cup semi-final.

Against Manchester City on Sunday at Wembley, a similar pattern emerged, with Chelsea failing to turn up for much of the first hour of their FA Cup semi-final, and going out despite a valiant late flourish.

Azpilicueta says it is a concern, and that the club needs to look at what has happened once the season ends

“Yes - it is not normal for Chelsea,” he said. “But it is the reality now that we really need to refocus on the future. We have the semi-final of the Europa League that we can win at the moment, and the fight for a Champions League place.

“After, at the end of the season, we will look to the balance of the season. But now is one month of competition, and we will be focused.”

Asked if losing so many big games was a worry, the Spanish full-back said: “It is a little bit, because I think that in the first minutes we didn't play our game: because we were defending, we didn't create chances, we shoot one time in the first half.

“It is true that we need to play different. But they [City] are a strong team and they started really well. We did our best, but it is true that in the second half we did better.”

[Special Juan 27,093]

Watching the last twenty minutes yesterday makes you say to yourself "Why did we not start like this"

Much the better side for the second half, players with quick movement, some nice interchange of play and slow and sloppy start set the tone.

Still fuming.

[Santiago. 1,500]

Anyone else fucking noticed it all happened when Oscar was moved centrally?

[Tomo 21,681]

Who remembers our last game away at Everton in 2011?

We finished 2nd but on 71 points, most season's that will get us 4th at best, (and also factor in the title rebound games at the start which boosted our points and gd no end) we had an ageing team. Anelka and Malouda were both horrifically past it yet still dominating our wings. Essien was not as good, Lampard dipped in form as well. The football we were playing was so static, lethargic and devoid off anything good. The Liverpool home match especially almost had me in tears.

Compared to that, this season has been a dream, remember how we were on here pretty much begging Carlo/Roman to get some width and creativity? well now we have Mata, Hazard and Oscar. Lets not forget just how badly we needed players like that and now we have got them.

We have had to bite the bullet in terms of trophies this season but our future is as good as any one's in England if we get the balance in the team right this summer. Compare that to two years ago when we only looked like heading in one direction and that was down.