While most of our supporters here in the Football Transfer Tavern can’t wait for the current international break to be over, our Chelsea fans can wait…unless their team decides to stop feeling sorry for themselves.
Going down to Stoke City despite putting up a good fight at the Britannia Stadium prior to the Premier League going on hold temporarily, it seems that whatever Chelsea do, they are doomed at the moment.
Facing Norwich City at home this forthcoming weekend, this looks a really winnable game for Jose Mourinho but he’ll be taking nothing for granted regarding Alex Neil’s side because is something can go wrong for the Blues at the minute, it is going wrong.
Mourinho will be back on the touchline for the game against the Canaries after serving a one-match ban during the Stoke fixture and Chelsea just need wins now to haul themselves back up into the upper echelons of the Premier League where they’re usually used to competing.
While the reports received rolled eyes in abundance earlier today, we read in the Daily Star that Chelsea and Arsenal are being alerted to the fact that London is apparently Lionel Messi’s preferred destination if he gets in even more hot water regarding those tax authorities in Spain.
Maybe even Messi would struggle to get the Blues out of their current predicament but given his links with the Blues right now, how would he look in Jose Mourinho’s team?
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Click on the image below to reveal the dream Chelsea XI under Mourinho including Lionel Messi.
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Thibaut Courtois
While Asmir Begovic has done well on a personal account this term, the bottom line is that Thibaut Courtois is still a better goalkeeper and may have contributed to the Blues shipping less goals this term, such is the calibre of his performances.
In truth, Chelsea’s defence haven’t helped Begovic this season and Courtois would’ve probably struggled too but given the stellar performances we saw from the Belgian last term, the Blues will be a stronger outfit when they have their former Atletico Madrid loanee to call upon in the starting eleven once again.
Cesar Azpilicueta
With Serbian right back Branislav Ivanovic having been one of the most disappointing Chelsea players so far this season, many Blues were calling for the long-serving to be dropped and this is now the case.
In Ivanovic’s absence, Cesar Azpilicueta has reverted to his usual spot at right full back. The Spaniard has been one of few Chelsea players who have been relatively consistent this term although the former Marseille man would admit that he can still do much better.
Gary Cahill
Not one to shirk away, one Chelsea star who will continue to give his all is Gary Cahill who has of course won everything there is to win at club level in his time spent at Stamford Bridge so far.
It doesn’t look as if he’ll be adding another trophy to his glittering Blues spell right now but as we saw with his goal in the away game at West Ham United, Cahill is one of those players who visibly gives 110 per cent.
In fairness to both he and John Terry, although the pair have made mistakes this term, the likes of Nemaja Matic and Cesc Fabregas just haven’t given them enough protection.
John Terry
Enjoying a Twitter spat with Robbie Savage lately, Terry basically claimed he doesn’t respect the opinion of the former Welsh international.
With Savage probably having laughed to himself following the Blues’ latest loss at Stoke City prior to the international break, little mistakes are costing the Blues and it’s very easy to point the age factor at Terry at the minute.
Confidence loss more so than age seems to be catching up with Terry at the moment who simply watched Christian Benteke ghost into the Chelsea goalmouth to score a third goal at Stamford Bridge in Liverpool’s recent win at Stamford Bridge.
Baba Rahman
Baba Rahman hasn’t really turned heads in his short Chelsea career to date but given the loss in form of Branislav Ivanovic, we’re including the Ghanaian international with Azpilicueta at right back.
Always talked about a lot in the tavern, Chelsea simply have loads of players out on loan right now and some Blues fans by the bar are wondering why the club continues to sign the likes of Baba and Papy Djilobodji when there’s players like Nathan Ake who could step up instead?
Ake has been doing well on loan at Watford and Chelsea supporters can’t think why it seems to take Blues youngsters that much longer to step into the first team.
Nemanja Matic
Alongside Branislav Ivanovic, Nemanja Matic has been another of Chelsea’s most disappointing stars so far this season.
Dropped by Jose Mourinho on a few occasions now, you can see why with the usually consistent Matic failing to protect Chelsea’s back four with subdued performances in central midfield.
With a fantastic goal away at Everton proving the only high point of his season so far, Matic needs to up his game and quick because Chelsea have quite some catching up to do if they are to even nab a place in the top four.
Cesc Fabregas
As is the case with so many others in Chelsea’s squad so far this term, Cesc Fabregas is another who can do far better.
You’d expect a player of Fabregas’ calibre to remain in mouthwatering form with the Spaniard proving an untameable force in the Blues’ midfield while supplying Diego Costa in the early part of 201/15.
Right now however, Fabregas is somebody who looks jaded and far from being anywhere near the peak level.
Like fellow central midfield partner Matic, Fabregas will have to dig deep in the coming months to help Chelsea claw themselves out of the huge hole they currently find themselves within.
Pedro
The big money summer arrival from Barcelona started incredibly well with his eye-catching performance away at West Bromwich Albion on his debut but since then, it’s been rather abject from the seasoned winner.
Missing sections of the campaign through injury it must be acknowledged, Pedro hasn’t gone on since his impressive debut, often looking subdued in the Chelsea team while flashing many opportunities off target.
Having been used to winning silverware season in and season out at Barcelona, Pedro is in uncharted territory right now just like Blues boss Jose Mourinho but he boasts the quality to turn it around.
Willian
Probably Chelsea’s most consistent performer so far this season, Willian has continued to want the ball while creating chances and scoring and you can’t say the same for many other Blues players.
Sometimes criticised by Chelsea supporters for a poor final ball last season, Willian has stepped up his game when the going has got tough and many more Blues stars need to follow his example.
Usually a staple part of Mourinho’s team on the right wing, we’re playing Willian in the number 10 role where he can also flourish.
This allows Pedro to play on the flanks while Willian replaces Oscar who has gone off the boil in more recent times.
Eden Hazard
Winning the PFA Player of the Year prize last season, you’d never know it this term with Eden Hazard looking anything but confident and clinical this season.
Receiving the brunt of Jose Mourinho’s disappointment so far this season with the Portuguese opting to drop Hazard on several occasions, we can’t put our finger on just what has gone wrong for the former Lille playmaker.
Hazard is devoid of confidence right now but being such a quality player deep down, he has to turn it around soon, claim our band of Blues supporters by the bar.
Lionel Messi
And so comes the inclusion of the greatest player the world has ever known who today was of course linked with the Blues by the Daily Star among other publications who claimed Lionel Messi would prefer a switch to London amidst tax authority issues.
With the reports claiming Messi would command a weekly wage of £600,000-a-week, it is eye-watering money but in football terms, nobody can do what he can do on the football pitch.
The same reports claim Arsenal would be Messi’s preferred destination but Chelsea are far more adept at splashing huge money.
Still an incredibly unrealistic rumour for many of our Blues fans in the tavern, they can still dream about Messi getting them out of the current mess they find themselves within!
