Wow, from champions to cannon fodder in a matter of months. I'm starting to believe it, we're real relegation candidates.

Getting pretty worried.

I discussed this with a CFC fan over the weekend (after Newcastle beat us) and, unless CFC begin to win games now, they are in a relegation battle. That's a comment that's in the 'duh' category but that's what it comes down to.

CFC seemed to find something in the second half but it's going to be too late, sometimes, if that positivity comes when you're behind.

JM's post-match comments are going to stir up a ruckas as well.

I very, very much hope it turns around but it needs to begin soon.

I can see us struggling to get 30 points. We look like a shambles.

We absolutely are. We are so, so easy to play against at the moment. Watford and Sunderland at home next- usually you'd think 6 points in the bag. Watford are flying high and have Deeney and Ighalo, Allardyce will set up to stifle and get a result. We need some points, and fast.

Just been glancing over a few of the other older threads and how the general consensus back in September / October was how it was a blip and how we had faith that Jose would turns things round. Now we are mid-December and only Chippy remains (kinda) positive!!!

 

I can't believe just how bad things have got. From Champions to relegation possibilities in such a short space of time. If it were City or Arsenal or Utd in our posisition right now we would be pissing ourselves at their plight so it's no wonder we are the laughing stock. As I posted elsewhere, I do wonder as to how many of our so called star players fancy a relegation battle - we'll soon find out against Sunderland. But even players who usually are up for a scrap and in the past have rolled their sleeves up and dug in when required are out of form - the likes of JT, Ivan, Dave & Costa.

 

Players who I wouldn't want to see lining up against Sunderland:

 

Costa - woeful last night. Made Robert Huth look like Beckenbaur.. Doen't resemble the player of last season and always likely to reduce us to 10 men which we can ill afford.

 

Oscar - I like Oscar but he is too lighweight. He starts games, disappoints and gets subbed. That seems to be the pattern with the odd 1 game in 10 proving the exception.

 

Hazard - love the guy. Won us the title last season, at times almost single handedly. But for whatever reason he currently isn't that player. Was he injured last night? Anyone's guess but not worth starting players in crunch games who you have a question mark over their attitude.

 

Pedro - Bad signing. Often seems to be running the wrong way. Doesn't look like scoring and just doesn't look like doing much at all quite honestly - another bad signing.

 

Matic - Again, NOT the player of last season. Looks to have been found out. Playing with a mask can't help but right now he looks a poor man's DM.

 

Ramires - He tries and he has loads of energy. But That's about it and he gives the ball away more than any Brazilian I have ever seen. Is he actually Brazilian?

 

 

I would also mention Willian. Most supporters and pundits pick of the season and possibly rightly so. But bar the great free-kicks and all the running - what else? Last night he was as poor as anyone and his corners were inexcusably sh*t. 

 

Not sure about back 4. Dave had a shocker last night but is allowed one bad game when he is usually Mr consistent, so I would probably stick with. Just hope we see Remy start and we introduce some or all of RLC, Traore and Kenedy. Something HAS to change.

A relegation dogfight is looming for us, I question how well equipped we are to avoid the drop if we are in a similar position going into January. We lack the experienced battlers that the perennial relegation candidates have at their disposal. Our manager has no experience of the pressures at the wrong end of the table. Do we invest in players who can help us avoid the drop but who then wouldn't be of the quality to get us back up on the top table. Interesting times at the Bridge, which would also be up for question if we were to do the unthinkable.... not much use for an expanded stadium then. Not to mention the negotiations tha are taking place at present to temporary use Wembley. The games over Christmas are now huge, can we turn the corner?

what kind of handicap that we start with when we're in this so called 'dog fight'? I can not get around my head that there are still people who think dog fight is some sort of special league games..

Be that dog fight or title fight, top 4 fight or whatever fight, it's still the same thing and that is winning game.. If pressure is the one being questioned here, well having led the table last season from the start and ended it that way suggest we can cope with pressure and pressure is cheap excuse anyway, shouldn't be in questioned..

what kind of handicap that we start with when we're in this so called 'dog fight'? I can not get around my head that there are still people who think dog fight is some sort of special league games..

Be that dog fight or title fight, top 4 fight or whatever fight, it's still the same thing and that is winning game.. If pressure is the one being questioned here, well having led the table last season from the start and ended it that way suggest we can cope with pressure and pressure is cheap excuse anyway, shouldn't be in questioned..

Too many, repeated, mixed metaphors; golf and WW2, I'm confused.

I discussed this with a CFC fan over the weekend (after Newcastle beat us) and, unless CFC begin to win games now, they are in a relegation battle. That's a comment that's in the 'duh' category but that's what it comes down to.

CFC seemed to find something in the second half but it's going to be too late, sometimes, if that positivity comes when you're behind.

JM's post-match comments are going to stir up a ruckas as well.

I very, very much hope it turns around but it needs to begin soon.

If you hope imagine how we feel lol

If you hope imagine how we feel lol

I can imagine and I take no pleasure in it Graham. I'd rather you were up there than Arsenal, Leicester, etc.

I've tried to avoid talking up CFC's problems this season and I've genuinely thought that "next game, things'll turn around". But the next game keeps becoming the next instead and it stands out a mile that something's wrong with the team, manager or both.

Why I think that JM may (very sadly) be about to go is that, no matter what we think, RA hasn't invested in Chelsea to see them fight to stay in the league. If that begins to happen and RA doesn't dismiss Jose then my impressions of the man are way off.

Do you have a theory about what's wrong Gra?

I'm bumping this thread because, after the moans about the Watford draw and a mid table finish, I feel we need a reminder of how things were in mid-December.

 

In mid-December, being able to complain about a mid-table finish would have been a luxury. At that point, the longest unbeaten streak was 4, and the longest league unbeaten streak was TWO. Within the league, we had 15 points from 16 games (4 wins, 3 draws, 9 losses). Since then, we have 14 points from 8 games (3 wins, 5 draws, 0 losses). In other words, we've achieved almost the same number of points in HALF the number of matches. 

 

In the games since the last reply to this thread, we are 5th. Arsenal is 7th, Manchester United is 10th, and Liverpool is 12th. Before the last reply to this thread, we were 16th, Arsenal was 1st, Manchester United was 4th, and Liverpool was 9th. 

 

Other teams' fans no longer tune in every week for the anticipated schadenfreude. Chelsea relegation party plans are on hold. 

 

A mid-table finish will be disappointing, but that's all it will be--disappointing. In five years, it'll be largely forgotten. It won't become the subject of sports history shows. It won't be mentioned as a disclaimer every pre-season when predicting league tables ("If I were you, I wouldn't be so confident that they'll win again in the 2027-28 season. Anything can happen. Just look at Chelsea in 2015-16.")

 

Perspective people, perspective. 

If we don't beat Newcastle at the weekend then it becomes a real possibility.

 

The thing that worries me though is that no-one at the club seems to think it is. This month, when you'd have thought we'd need all the bodies we could get, we've let Ramires and maybe even Remy leave. Now in the long-term they may be good sales because of the money and their age, but we need fight and we need goals. 

 

It's weird to think at a time when you're in trouble you'd actively weaken the squad.

On the plus side, if we beat Newcastle, we will almost over the line as far as staying up. The last thing we want is to play safe in this game. Ramires wasn't getting game time, and that offer was too good to be turned down. The spending by Chinese clubs could stop anytime, just like the share market over there. I think it's a wise decision to cash in. Remy, judged by his injury history and recent performances, I'd let him go for 20M. We are running a huge risk with Costa the only proven striker, but it's not like Remy/Falcao have helped the team this season.