Chelsea are a club in crisis right now, sitting on 11 points and closer to the bottom of the English Premier League table than its usual perch near the top. In fact, the club sits just three points clear of the relegation zone heading in to Sunday’s matches.
It has all added up to immense pressure on “the special one” Jose Mourinho, who is in his third year at the West London club. Many believe Mourinho isn’t long for his job, with the sack coming sooner than later from über-rich owner Roman Abramovich.
However, a report from ESPNFC indicates that Mourinho may have a few more chances to save his job. According to the report, Abramovich is likely to settle Mourinho’s fate at the coming November international break.
That means just two more matches in hand for the self-proclaimed best manager in the world. He’ll have to guide his side to victory in a mid-week Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev at Stamford Bridge and then take a trip to Stoke City on the weekend.
Chelsea currently sit third in Group G on just four points, one point behind its opponent this week in Champions League play. Last we saw the Blues, they were busy tying Kiev nil-nil in their third group stage match.
A similar result or a loss at home could really dent Chelsea’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage, and certainly would be a further blow to Mourinho’s fleeting hopes of keeping his job at the helm of Chelsea.
How have Chelsea gone from top of the world to struggling to survive in both the EPL and Champions League in a matter of months? One needs to look at the part of the team that won it the title last season — its defense.
What was once a strong defensive squad has turned in to a nightmare thanks to injuries, age and ineffective play. Chelsea have conceded 22 goals in league play, a mark that is third-worst in the EPL. It conceded an EPL-low 32 goals all of last season, while coming in second with 73 goals scored.
Chelsea have mustered up just 16 goals so far this season, owning a minus-6 goal differential. The combination of no scoring power and a sieve-like defense is exactly how Mourinho’s side is where it is at right now.
It appears managers the world over are already lining up to take on the task of getting Chelsea back towards the top of the table, but the ESPNFC report indicates that the likely name to take on the task could be Carlo Ancelotti. He has indicated a willingness to take on the job, even on a temporary basis should things turn sour for Mourinho.
To say this soap opera is over would be an understatement, but it certainly will be worth watching over the next week as Mourinho looks to avoid what feels like the inevitable sack come the international break.
(ESPNFC)
