It's a slow week, so I figured it was the perfect time to talk about the not-so-nouveau riche, Chelsea.When talking about Chelsea, there is the pre-Abramovich and the pos-Abramovich era. When Abramovich purchased the club for a then record £140 million(or less than half what Mike Ashley is asking for Newcastle) from Ken Bates(who had bought the club for £1), they had just finished in 4th place. They had played in Europe, and won the FA Cup in 2000, so this wasn't a club without any history. However it would be hard to argue that they have accomplished more in the five years since Abramovich bought the team than they did in the previous fifty. Two Premiership titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and runners-up in the Champions League. They also have the highest points total in Premiership history and their 86 game home winning streak crushed Liverpool's 63 game streak. But the last year has been rough on the club: Mourinho's resignation, losing the Prem and Champions League in dramatic fashion to Manchester United, Grant's firing and Scolari's recent stumbles have shown that there are cracks in the armor.
When Abramovich bought the club in 2003, Claudio Ranieri was at the helm. Ranieri had done a lot with little money, and helped Chelsea qualify for Champions League. That summer saw the start of the spending boom; Joe Cole, Veron, Hernan Crespo, Claude Makelele, Mutu and Damien Duff all joined the club. Ranieri guided the club to second place in the Premiership, their best finish in 49 years, during Arsenal's undefeated season. He also led the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they blew a two goal lead and were dumped out by AS Monaco. There had been lots of speculation about Ranieri's future at the club, and Abramovich had met with Sven-Goran Eriksson during the season. Billionaires are not usually good with patience, and at the end of the season Ranieri was let go for Jose Mourinho.
Abramovich brought Mourinho to the club because he knew how to win. The man who started off as Bobby Robson's interpreter won the UEFA Cup and Champions League in successive years with FC Porto. In his first Chelsea press conference he referred to himself as "The Special One" and with the help of Abramovich's money, he showed how right he was when he guided Chelsea to Premiership title in 2005, their first in 50 years. They also won the League Cup, but Liverpool's "non-goal" in the semi-finals knocked them out of the Champions League. They repeated in the Prem, but lost in the first knockout round of the Champions League to eventual winners Barcelona. Rumors circulated of a rift between Mourinho and Abramovich in 2006, and Mourinho's own dealings with the press didn't help things. In 2006-07 Chelsea won the FA and League Cups, second in the Prem, and were defeated by Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final on pk's. Mourinho was angered when Abramovich refused to buy another keeper after Cech and Cudicini both suffered head injuries, but did buy his friend Shevchenko before the season began. Things further deteriorated when Avram Grant was named Director of Football. Chelsea's first win of the 2007-08 season broke the record for consecutive league matches unbeaten at home. Some slipups followed and after a 1-1 home draw to Rosenborg in front of half-empty stadium Mourinho left by 'mutual consent'. Mourinho had always been derided for "ugly football(soccer)." While it led to many trophies, as a Russian it was European glory that Abramovich wanted most.
Enter Avram Grant. He was seen as Abramovich's stooge, and there was unrest in the dressing room, with a number of players feeling a loyalty to Mourinho. Grant had a big task on his hands, and it wasn't helped that Cristiano Ronaldo decided that the 2007-08 season would be his breakout year. Chelsea lost to Tottenham in the Carling Cup Final, and were beaten by Championship side Barnsley in the FA Cup. Ronaldo's 31 goals in the Prem helped United win their second straight title by the ultra-thin margin of two points. One way in which Grant bettered Mourinho was by leading the club to the Champions League Final in Moscow. Ronaldo scored United's only goal, and just when it looked like Abramovich would be able to celebrate European glory in his home country John Terry's pk went wide. The rest is history, and so was Grant.
In the summer of 2008, Chelsea were linked with every big name in the business, both player and coach. With Mourinho signing for Inter, it was thought a number of Chelsea players might follow him to Italy and without a coach Chelsea lacked stability. The soap opera that is Chelsea was ramped up when they announced, during Euro Cup, that Portugal coach Phil Scolari would join them after the tournament was over. They were immediately linked with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and anyone who had ever played or said hello to Scolari. Bosingwa and Deco joined, but it was Middle East dinars instead of Russian rubles that got Robinho. Scolari not only promised wins, but he also promised a more pleasing style. He quickly changed the 4-5-1 of Mourinho into a more attacking, winger based 4-3-3. The problem is Scolari seems like a workman without the right tools.Chelsea's defense has always been their strong point, and this season is no different having conceded the fewest goals in the Prem. The only real change has been Bosingwa's addition on the right, and he and Ashley Cole have done a great job pushing forward. The only problem is this leaves the defense exposed, and Terry, Carvalho and Alex have all dealt with injuries this season. The loss of Michael Essien to injury cannot be overstated, and while John Obi Mikel has stepped up admirably it's not the same. Makelele had always provided great defensive cover, but his passing and stamina had been slipping. Essien had the defensive skills, but was known as 'the Bison' for his ability to charge upfield and start a counter attack. While Mikel is a great tackler, he doesn't have the same passing or offensive abilities of Essien. In midfield there seem to bee a number of square pegs in round holes. Deco, Lampard and Ballack are all central midfielders. They each bring something different to the game, but it's difficult to accomodate all of them and they aren't used to warming the bench. Chelsea have been most disappointing in attack, and you can see why Scolari badly wanted Robinho. This might seem unfair given they lead the league in goals scored and Anelka is the top scorer, but anyone who watches them can see the number of missed opportunities. Joe Cole is starting to look like the player he was under Mourinho, and is very comfortable playing wide, leading the line and tracking back. On the left Florent Malouda has been less convincing, with only 2 goals from 47 shots. He has never gotten settled at Chelsea, and seems more comfortable sending in crosses than cutting inside. Salomon Kalou has looked good, but is a right sided player who rarely tracks back. Anelka's 12 goals lead the Prem, but they are more a result of luck than skill. He is more of a poacher, knocking in rebounds and picking up on defenders mistakes. Drogba's injury and suspension have seen him only start one game, but it would be interesting if he could fit into the system. He excelled in the 4-5-1 with his back to the goal, and his recent meeting with Inter show he may not stay long.
It might be premature to judge Scolari, but Peter Kenyon's vote of confidence shows that questions are already being asked. Their loss to Liverpool was their first at home since February of 2004, and Arsenal added a second only a month later. Liverpool now lead them by a point, and United is only five points back with a game in hand. Their loss at home on pk's to Championship side Burnley dumped them out of the Carling Cup. They have yet to qualify for the next round of the Champions League, and need a result from their home match against Cluj to assure themselves a place. They are definitely paying a price for their instability. While four managers in five years may not be a lot(Newcastle has had 237 in that time), it changes the way people view a club. Teams no longer come to Stamford Bridge ready to be annihilated, now they think they can get a result. While it's too soon to start ripping out hair, it may be time for Abramovich and Kenyon to take a step back. If too many cooks can spoil something as simple as the broth, imagine what they can do to a football(soccer) club.
