Relaxing November

Just sitting contemplating the changes that have taken place at our club and came over
all calm and philosophical,

This time last season was just a few days before one of my favourite ever Chelsea related people
was discarded in the usual undignified manner and the embarresment of being a fan of a club with
such a low tolerence of anything that could be impeding failure could not (I thought) have got any
worse.

My own words that I'd typed on this forum prior to numerous managerial casulties last few games
in the past were starting to ring around my head again "careful what you wish for" an expression
I'd used in many debates on our Managers since Chelsea and Mourinho first parted company.

The worst (for me) and my prophecy came to pass and effectively the season that should have been
a safe one where our Champions League winning manager took the squad that he brought back to
life after everything for AVB had gone wrong and started to stamp his mark on the future of the squad
was over.

I really couldn't think of anything but the end of the season and who would come in after the Interim,
I watched the games, I cheered the goals and I kept abreast of what was happening but I felt as if I
was an English fan and I was watching Scotland in the World Cup, I wanted them to do well but any
success felt diluted and flat compared to previous success.

We all feel different when a Manager gets sacked and I'm usually sorry for them when they don't get
enough time or the players don't look like they are giving their all for them but with Robbie it felt his
hands where tied in the striker department and he needed to keep up his good start to the season as
the Owner had his eye on Pep and like when he wanted Carlo, he would likely get his man.

I felt we'd lost more than a Manager but part of the soul of the club, there just were not many out there
that felt proper Chelsea, obvious ex Chelsea candidates looked promising, the Petrescus, Zolas Poyets etc but they also looked likely to go the same way as Robbie, If a Champions league trophy doesn't earn you a season then what would they need to do to prove themselves?

I'd have taken anyone at that stage, anyone.

I didn't believe for a second it would be a return for Mourinho, I thought he was cleverly dropping hints
to keep his profile high in the game and any rumour of his return was either deigned for newspaper sales or by Chelsea fans lving in the past and ever hopeful.

I never compared Jose to our other managers, I even put down his achievements hoping for more patience for the new man in charge but inside me I knew he was the best we'd had and very likely the best around.

Well now looking back on last december, looking up the table from four points behind the leaders and looking at our CL group I feel relaxed and excited, I have no fears or qualms about what hes up to as I didn't think we'd have a top manager in charge and when we got him back I didn't expect us to be challenging for much in his first season.

For the first time in years I feel we'll have a manager who will get the time that he and Abramovich must have reasoned into his reappointment, the time to bring the best out of the players we have and the backing when he needs it to bring in who he thinks will add quality to the mix.

Its again good to be a Chelsae fan.

 

 

And he has won you a few bob in the process.   I agree Chippy the waters seem much calmer despite the fact that we haven't hit full stride yet, but there again I didn't expect to be running away with the league either, despite being the early favourites of many bookies.  I think JM has his work cut out though, apart from the old guard this is a different generation of young players that he is dealing with and I think this time around it just might be a bit more of a challenge. The league has got tougher and there is not a lot dividing mid table to the top four.  Calmer, most certainly and let's hope the water doesn't start getting a bit choppy when we have a couple of bad results or God forbid we miss out for a CL spot. Steer the course, stay focused and work hard and even though we might take a couple of waves over the bow the owner should remain steadfast and not throw the crew overboard…….not for a few years anyway.

it's going to be hard work this season, for sure, but whenever we have a bad result i just think back to last season and smile that its all over, and we've got our Jose back, and our Chelsea back.

                            I don't buy into the November so called curse. If we win our next game against West Ham we will finish November with a 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss.

 

                            We start December against Southampton a tough nut to crack and then we play three of the bottom clubs. Roll on December. 

 

                            I believe by the end of December we should be close to the top of the league.

Big if. If we fail to beat West Ham it will have been a terrible month

Big if. If we fail to beat West Ham it will have been a terrible month

 

 

Can I carry on relaxing now?

Southampton will be a sterner test this weekend that's for sure.

Southampton will be a sterner test this weekend that's for sure.

 

Sunday will be December the 1st... not that it matters much. November hasn't been bad at all, we're nicely placed in the league and have all but qualified for the next round of the CL. 

 

There's no doubt that Southampton will put up more of a fight than West Ham did, which is why I'm looking forward to it.

We're at home against Southampton right? Boruc has made a couple of mistakes now and Southampton have dropped points because of it.

A good time to play them.