Post-season review - Chelsea 2013/14

[didierforever 7,349]

the answer is simple - SUCCESS.

at the start of the season, there was a thread which asked about your expectations. mine was

1. title challenge

2.QF CL

3. domestic cup.

we have achieved all of that. i can understand that people would call it a failure cos of the situation we found ourselves in but it was a brilliant performance from us to get into that position. a double over city, a double of pool, wins at home to arsenal, united, spurs, draws away against the same teams.

everyone knew what our problems were in the start of the season. and it showed. everton loss, stoke loss, whu draw, wba draw, villa defeat, palace defeat, sundeland loss. except for villa and palace, all of those dropped points come down to a lack of clinical striker. a striker who can score 20+ goals for us. there have been a couple of games where we came unstuck but a couple of those are expected.

CL was a definite success. we were pretty good in the competition and lost to the best team in europe at the moment without a doubt.

what people forget that this WAS transitional season for us. transition but still fighting for the title or rather titlles.

[didierforever 7,349]

Im looking forward you post. A post where you can explain why this season is a success, with better arguments than "before the season the targets were top 3 in PL, and QF in UCL". Lets discuss about it.

i just did.

[didierforever 7,349]

he needs to learn a lot about a lot

atleast he is better than "lionsden". i am dreading coming to the forum tomorrow. he is going to go on a "this is poor, that sucks, blah blah blah" spree.

[Henrique 9,133]

i just did.

You don't. You used the same arguments about "targets", you just missed that we got no "Domestic Cup" at all. Targets YOU set, and you are saying our problems this season relied on the lack of a clinical striker that could score 20 goals in season, but you just forget that between 04 and 06 the team won 2 PL with no "clinical striker than can score 20 goals in a season".

[Gilvorak 3,734]

We bottled the League and CL in disastrous fashion. No idea how anyone can claim this season was a success.

Dropping 13 points against WBA, West Ham, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and losing a CL semi-final you were leading at home isn't a success in any fashion.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

You don't. You used the same arguments about "targets", you just missed that we got no "Domestic Cup" at all. Targets YOU set, and you are saying our problems this season relied on the lack of a clinical striker that could score 20 goals in season, but you just forget that between 04 and 06 the team won 2 PL with no "clinical striker than can score 20 goals in a season".

Yeah that seems to be the go-to excuse. Everything is our strikers fault.

As if the 04-05 and 05-06 seasons didn't happen.

[didierforever 7,349]

You don't. You used the same arguments about "targets", you just missed that we got no "Domestic Cup" at all. Targets YOU set, and you are saying our problems this season relied on the lack of a clinical striker that could score 20 goals in season, but you just forget that between 04 and 06 the team won 2 PL with no "clinical striker than can score 20 goals in a season".

yes, we just had a lampard who could score 20+ goals a season. or was it 15-ish. plus we already had a system back then. we had players in their prime, JT, lamps, DD, duff,etc etc. right now we needed to play in a system which we have done for the majority of the season. the fact that we had to go away to united and psg and play schurrle as a CF is PROOF of our striker situation.

only after matic came in did we find some solidity in the mid too (oh what am i saying, u think he sucks too). we had a squad at the start of the season which would lack 7/8 players at the start of the next season. mata, kdb, essien, bertrand, etoo, torres (?), ba(?), mikel, lamps (?), luiz (?), cole (?) maybe even rambo(?). if this was not a transition period that please tell me what is.

if u dont define success according to the objectives set at the start of the season, then how do u? oh wait, thats right, whenever chelsea lose a match, bump this thread and right the same things over and over again.

as for domestic cup, u want me to say that our season is a failure cos essien had a dreadul 40 odd minutes against sunderland, or cos we lost to city at etihad in an FA cup match which at that time, none of us seemed to care about since league and CL were the priority.

so how is this season a failure? cos for me its a success cos we have achieved our targets or even bettered it in one case in the 2 most important things for us PL and CL. we have players who fit our system better than the players we had before (schurrle, salah, willian, matic). we have already shown that we can go toe to toe against the best teams/squads in the world (city, psg, bayern, pool). we need to clear out some problems, which we definitely will during this summer.

[Barbara 15,149]

the thread some members were dying to post again and yell at the four winds how much a failure mourinho, this club and these players are.

I stand by my words. It's been successful enough, we surpassed a bit my expectations, but we did let down in a bad way imo. The way we lost to the minor sides in the EPL and how we couldn't give a proper answer today just show this team still needs a lot of maturing to do and work some character as well. Mourinho isn't completely exempt from fault, but I think he took the most from this squad, even a little bit more than I thought he could.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

It's a success. Anyone who thinks this season is a failure is indeed clueless and needs to give up watching football right now.

[laura90 556]

It's not about failure or success.

It's about improvement.

It's quite simple: If you improve, season is success if don't it's not success.

There are two aspects which football team can improve: performances on the pitch ( attacking play, defensive play, balance between attack and defense) and results.

Regarding performances on the pitch, we only improved our defensive play. Attacking play and balance between attack and defense have worsened in a way. Of course, we lack striker, but that doesn't change the fact that our strikers scored more goals this season than the than last , or maybe even season before.

When it comes to results we improved. But would we be so close in title race if we faced Manchester from the last season? If we got tougher group in group stages of Champions League?

Results can be decisive. They come down to luck and performances on the pitch.

And quite frankly, without solid play and solid performances on the pitch( when we win or lose), they mean little in team development.

Lacking of 20 goals per season striker, whether our style of play could have one ( in possession type games, not counter attacking ones) is still good excuse.

[didierforever 7,349]

the strikers in 2004-05 - droga - 16, eidur-16, kezman -7, total 39

2005-06: crespo -13, DD -14, eidur -3, total 30

2006-07 - sheva -13, DD -33, kalou (?) - 9, total 55

and this is what taking into account that we had the best defence in the league, not just clean sheets and goals conceded-wise but actually a defence which seemed impenetrable. we had a mid which boasted of makelele, essien, lamps is being compared to what? mikel, ramires and luiz????? give me a break...

i mean are we seriously even comparing that squad to this one.

even the goal scoring aside, those strikers were good players. can u say that about the current 3 (current etoo, also considering, he took half a season to get into any groove).

some people are just.... special.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

It's a success. Anyone who thinks this season is a failure is indeed clueless and needs to give up watching football right now.

So many ironic things with this post it is hilarious unless it was tongue in cheek comment

[Steagles 70]

I voted failure. Based on where we were at, I think we should have won the Premier League, but we lost to Sunderland.... Otherwise, it was a resounding success.

[thekid9 418]

With the players we have we should be winning the title, this " transition" bull has been going on for too long now!

Look at the players Athletico have, we are better in almost every position, same with Liverpool!

The games we have lost this season, make beating the big teams pointless!

HOW is this season a success? we have had silverware the last 3/4 seasons....NONE this season....Explain to me HOW this season is a success?

and we haven't even played well this season at any stage baring a couple of games, we have been VERY lucky! VERY!

[BloodIsBlue 291]

This is just the begging, a lot of things to look forward to next season. We came close and managed to stay competitive with some really good teams, in terms of winning trophies we were competing with some really amazing teams. I think the changes needed are clear and next season we can better no doubt. We're ending off the season in a good spot seeing as we finished top 4 in both domestic and European leagues.

[The only place to be 11,313]

We bottled the League and CL in disastrous fashion. No idea how anyone can claim this season was a success.

Dropping 13 points against WBA, West Ham, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and losing a CL semi-final you were leading at home isn't a success in any fashion.

Because if you had asked most fans if they'd have taken a top three finish, a CL semi-final all whilst building a solid foundation for next season then they would've taken it.

The atmosphere around the Bridge and amongst PROPER supporters has completely changed from where it was last season. We have a manager we love and believe in who has given us some memorable times and we finally have a decent framework to add to in the summer.

[Nike 373]

Success in terms of results.

Failure in terms of offensive philosophy.

Success in terms of mentality/mindset.

Success in transfer market.

[Stingray 9,441]

Because if you had asked most fans if they'd have taken a top three finish, a CL semi-final all whilst building a solid foundation for next season then they would've taken it.

The atmosphere around the Bridge and amongst PROPER supporters has completely changed from where it was last season. We have a manager we love and believe in who has given us some memorable times and we finally have a decent framework to add to in the summer.

Finally some sense.

Top 3 epl

Semi final Cl

Some stars on the rise (even Courtois)

Mourinho building a foundation

How can this be a failure. Targets/goals about winning the league/CL were never set by Mourinho nor the board, only by emotional 'fans' on here.

[Jase 43,479]

Although unlikely, I swear this thread (and probably the Mourinho one) will take another 180 degrees turn from negative to positive comments if we win this weekend and both City and Liverpool lose...

[Stingray 9,441]

Although unlikely, I swear this thread (and probably the Mourinho one) will take another 180 degrees turn from negative to positive comments if we win this weekend and both City and Liverpool lose...