Will Chelsea crumble under pressure this season?

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14th, August 2006

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Ballack_1So, an uninspired Chelsea got beaten by a lively looking Liverpool outfit yesterday. What does that tell us? Well, not a great deal as a season shouldn’t be judged in pre-season, but a niggling thought in my head came to the fore again. Will Chelsea crack under the immense pressure of the upcoming season? We all know hoe Mourinho’s expectations are sky high, as are Mr Abramovic’s… but with some super big signings, and no doubt a clutch of new fair weather Chelsea fans, all eyes are on them, and they are expected to win… and win with class… and win every single game.

What is apparent is that, a Chelski without Makalele look weak across the middle. Lampard looks to be lacking in confidence and has certainly left his shooting boots somewhere in Baden Baden. Sheva took his goal well, and at times showed phenomenal strength in holding off the opposition… but will he be enough to win a title? Looking at the embarrassment in riches at Stamford Bridge, it is easy to forget how Tinkerman Ranieri failed to land a title. Of course, the ‘special one’ managed two on the bounce, but will he be able to bag a hat-trick?

There seems to be something missing at Chelsea at the moment. Team spirit maybe? Has complacency set in? Riise’s wonder-goal yesterday exposed huge holes in the Chelsea side. Since when has a player been able to run 60 yards with the ball against the reigning Champions? Let’s not even talk about the woeful goalkeeping that let the goal sneak in. The Chelsea side seemed unable to deal with any kind of pace. Craig Bellamy ran the blues ragged. That’s something I haven’t seen against Chelsea for what seems like years.

Of course, it would be unwise to judge the current Chelsea team after seeing them in one game, and I have no doubt they’ll be incredibly strong contenders to the crown… but are we about to see the demise of Chelsea as the side tipped to win the league by Christmas?

Mof Gimmers

technorati tags Chelsea Premier League

Posted in Chelsea

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2 Comments

  1. Joe says:

    It didn’t look good. But, there are probably a lot WC hangovers in the Blues ranks. Chelsea have always started the season a bit slow, I recall them squeaking by Wigan 1-0 last term in a match they deserved to lose. But a little rest and a little more time together and I think they’ll win the title again. Don’t forget also that Liverpool have made significant improvements and are a solid side. I disagree with Mourinho on this I think ‘pool are a side to worry about with Manchester and Arsenal not really shelling out for many quality players (just Rosicky and Carrick??) while letting a few big names go RVN, Campbell, etc.

  2. Mike says:

    I agree with Joe that Liverpool pose the most significant threat to Chelsea this season. They definitely have the Blues number and with their offseason additions they should be able to stay close for the entire season.
    Chelsea will pick it up in the next couple weeks. They have looked very fatigued this offseason from the WC. Bellamy won’t be running them ragged come Spring. The goalkeeping will get much better once Cech comes back from injury. I really think that Sheva is the final piece Chelsea needs to win the Champion’s Leauge. Should be an interesting season…