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The Season Ahead Part Seven : Chelsea
Published by Ian John on September 3, 2009
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Prospects for 2009 :
Well, it’s looking fairly decent for the money men of London. The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as manager brings plenty of big game experience to the club and the signs are that the Italian is already winning the players over, something which perhaps successive managers after Jose Mourinho have failed to do. By Chelsea’s standards last season was a little disappointing in league and Europe but the quality is still within this squad to produce something special this season.
2009 is a big season for :
There’s plenty of Chelsea players for whom the season 2009-2010 is a big one but perhaps it will be biggest of all for England skipper John Terry. As the figurehead of both club and country it has been something of a an irritating pre-season for Terry, who was constantly linked with Manchester City throughout that period and his recent signing of a new long term deal at the club looks finally to have put those rumours to rest. On the field however Terry’s form will be crucial for both club and country if they are to achieve the success that is expected of them over the coming season and beyond.
Guaranteed to irritate in 2009 :
Oh, there is plenty about Chelsea that will irritate the life out of many fans. From Didier Drogba’s histrionics and inability to keep his mouth shut, to Ashley Cole who seems hell bent on alienating as many fans as humanly possible during the course of his career. Then of course there is the fact that Chelsea, like Manchester City, don’t have to operate within the financial constraints of their business model, relying instead on a wealthy sugar-daddy to support their frantic spending. Admittedly this has calmed somewhat in recent times but the fact remains if Roman wants to spend big to get someone, he can and there’s not a lot you can do about it.
Things they’ll moan about in 2009 :
I don’t think Chelsea fans will have too much to complain about this season and the reason for that will be explained below. I really don’t expect too many Chelsea fans to complain bitterly about the money Manchester City are spending as it would be the most extraordinary case of people in glass houses throwing stones. I just wonder if Chelsea fans biggest gripe this season may be that they haven’t spent enough safeguarding the future of the club. After all, this is now an ageing team and the quality to replace the likes of Ballack, Drogba, Terry and Lampard isn’t really in place.
Song that sums up their chances in 2009 : “I want it all” by Queen
This could be a very big year for Chelsea. With Manchester United losing the goals and influence of Ronaldo, Liverpool seemingly shooting themselves in the foot after just three games of the season and Arsenal, while brilliant, still showing signs of a fragile nature, Chelsea just keep on picking up results week in week out with little fuss. This is a hallmark of an Ancelotti side and could well be the way Chelsea recapture the Premier League title this season. However as Roman has made clear, that will not be enough and the pressure will be on for Ancelotti to deliver the one prize that has eluded the club so far, the Champions League trophy.
Image courtesy of ***EamonCurry123*** at flickr.com
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Nabyl Charania on Thu, 3rd Sep 2009 3:33 pm
Given their squad and the issues with the other big 4 I think if they don’t come out of this season with one of the Premier League title or Champions League success, it will be a failure of a season for them. Drogba has started on a fine note, and it appears as though him and Anelka will forge a fruitful partnership up front.
Diego Zidane on Thu, 3rd Sep 2009 3:35 pm
You are right Chelski needs to win some silverware to justify their squad!
Ian John on Sat, 5th Sep 2009 4:02 am
Chelsea do have a large squad but if you want a team who should win something based on the size of their squad, then surely Spurs come into that category? Have you seen how big theirs is? Chelsea look very strong at the moment, I am just not quite convinced the stamina will be there for the entire season and with the transfer ban looming, I think that will really hurt them, especially given the average age of their squad.