First off, good evening or good day (depending on where you are in the world).

I was talking to a Chelsea fan at work today and he reckoned you can trace the decline of the team to 2010 when Ray Wilkins was dismissed.

As I don't follow you guys that much it's hard for me to give an opinion so I wondered what you folks reckon?

Is there some element of truth or is it just pure nonsense?

Please advise.

You could say the decline started when Mourinho left considering how dominant we were at the time. But the mysterious sacking of Wilkins threw a spanner in Carlo's second season for sure. Our problems are the result of a culmination of issues, rather than one massive mistake.

I think the problems did start when Ray went, but more so that the board didn't support Carlo enough.

We could of given him Di Matteo or Zola to assist, but instead he was given the guy that made the tea, after coming back from training under-12 girls in Oz.

With that in mind, I think Carlo done really well in the end last season, eventually getting back on track after a 'bad moment' or two. Not that it matters a f**k now!

And that guy that made the tea was consulted by Roman when it came time to let AVB go. Still have no idea what he's done to merit that kind of trust and responsibility.

Yes. I'm not saying that was a direct cause, but it's like all our luck or karma turned sour after that.

Likely we were headed for a decline anyway and our strong start was a mirage but the firing still put a exclamation mark on it.

Our problems are the result of a culmination of issues, rather than one massive mistake.

What he said.

Club management, coaching to boardroom has been dysfunctional for years now and has lead to alot of back-room politics within the club.

Whether its been transfer decisions being made in the boardroom above the heads of management, players being kicked out of the club after questioning the owner, rumors of coaches wives telling other wives of infidelity, lack of clarity/overlaps of roles and responsibilities with backroom staff, etc, it's all been a bit of a mess.

I put in another thread that we shouldn't under estimate the value of a good assistant manager, its no surprise that during our most successful periods in recent years we've had a top notch number 2, first Clarkey, and the Butch.

I would reckon that these guys both brought something completely different to the club in terms of what they did day to day, but they both brought the same thing with them success!

EDIT: Plus they both loved the club, which I doubt the tea maker does, probably just loves his wallet!

Edited March 8, 201214 yr by shedpensioner

Too many yes men in fancy suits

Drogba's malaria.

The warning signs were there before he was sacked, but for me the turning point from worrying wobble to clear decline began the moment Torres made his debut against Liverpool and lost all his confidence. I'm not saying he would have been any better if he'd debuted against anyone else, but that was a very poor piece of man management by Carlo to start him against his former side, who were obviously going to lap up every single thing he did wrong. From that moment on it became about "Torres hasn't scored" more than "Chelsea didn't play very well" and it's eating us up as a club to have this hanging over us every game.

Edited March 8, 201214 yr by Zeta Orionis

i think Ray leaving was the beginning of the end for CA, ad after all that happened Ray never slagged the club off, great professional

The warning signs were there before he was sacked, but for me the turning point from worrying wobble to clear decline began the moment Torres made his debut against Liverpool and lost all his confidence. I'm not saying he would have been any better if he'd debuted against anyone else, but that was a very poor piece of man management by Carlo to start him against his former side, who were obviously going to lap up every single thing he did wrong. From that moment on it became about "Torres hasn't scored" more than "Chelsea didn't play very well" and it's eating us up as a club to have this hanging over us every game.

That is a very astute observation, especially in his first half season here. The media described our losses in such a way that made it Torres' fault and this went on for months. Being singled out for every single mistake he made on the field surely crushed his confidence into what we have today. We win as a team, we lose as a team.

i think Ray leaving was the beginning of the end for CA, ad after all that happened Ray never slagged the club off, great professional

Probably because he was paid for his silence in his severence pay.....just a thought.

The lose to Citeh was the first sign of it. We beat Arsenal but didn't look great. Losing to the murders was another sign. I also found it very weird that Essien got sent off vs Foolham & then within days had set up a charity event in Africa, seemed a bit odd to me.

That is a very astute observation, especially in his first half season here. The media described our losses in such a way that made it Torres' fault and this went on for months. Being singled out for every single mistake he made on the field surely crushed his confidence into what we have today. We win as a team, we lose as a team.

The last 10m of that games was a huge eye opener, you would have thought we would have put some pressure on but we were awful, almost like we couldn't be bothered.

Definitely seemed as though ray was running the club in the back ground. Very odd that it has been all down hill since he left

Edited March 8, 201214 yr by Wolv

We were fine before Wilkins, barring a few months under Scolari. So he wouldn't have made that much of a difference.

soon as ray went things looked like evryone was miffed almost looked like a protest on the pitch with the performance ...

Edited March 9, 201214 yr by jasonvoak

I think it did.

Completely idiotic decision.

The lack of stability at managerial/coaching staff level doesn't help.

We were fine before Wilkins, barring a few months under Scolari. So he wouldn't have made that much of a difference.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, please do not under estimate the value of a good assistant!

I'm sure SAF doesn't, and I would place a large bet that its why Pat Rice has been Whingers assistant for so long!

I think it did.

Completely idiotic decision.

The lack of stability at managerial/coaching staff level doesn't help.

Agree.

We made a great start to that season, give Butch the sack inexplicably and then went on a terrible run for 6 weeks in Nov/Dec. Sacking Ray massively destabilised us imo, as shedendpensioner says you should never underestimate the value of a good #2.

Unfortunately we did and its been costing us since, God I wish Clarkey or Butch were still in the fold, they are CFC through and through as well.

I think the decline started when Shevchenko and Ballack were brought into the club.

Ballack was an excellent player for Chelsea. He didn't do the flash stuff so he never got enough credit for the unglamorous work that contributed greatly to the team's success. I dare say Chelsea wouldn't have won the double without his canny play. One of the most underrated players of the last decade.

Ballack was an excellent player for Chelsea. He didn't do the flash stuff so he never got enough credit for the unglamorous work that contributed greatly to the team's success. I dare say Chelsea wouldn't have won the double without his canny play. One of the most underrated players of the last decade.

Finally something we can agree on. Well said.

As said earlier never under-estimate a good assistant. He loved the club and still does I'm sure. When the crab got offed it just made no sense , to the playing side of the club. If the rumours about why he went are true , then RA should have been ballsy enough to tell whoever was caught messing around to sort his own house out and not to f**k about with something that will upset the team (Carlo and the players) Ideal world and all that I know , but we took a definate dip in form after that and those clowns upstairs shaggy and scooby should , but never will be ashamed of what they are doing.