Matt Law’s piece about the collapse of standards at Chelsea this season makes for horrifying reading. The way he illustrates the problems demonstrates just what has gone wrong:
“In training, it has become easier for too many players to allow themselves to disappear within the crowd instead of being vocal and challenging each other – let alone standing up to opponents in matches,” Law wrote.
“The data has been damning for Chelsea this season, with the squad regularly being outrun by their opposition and the eye-test has been just as bad for those around the club’s Cobham base.
“Players simply would not have been allowed to get away with trudging on to the training pitch with their laces undone in Chelsea teams of the past and it is hard to imagine it being accepted within the Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool squads.
“Nobody at City would find it funny if a player arrived late for the team bus because they had nipped home for a nap after training. That has happened on at least one occasion at Chelsea this season without it causing much more than a few smirks and the odd shake of the head among the majority of players.”
As awful as it all is, it also explains so much about the madness around Chelsea this season. How can a group of players with this much talent perform this badly? Well, because they don’t care, it seems.
These examples are chilling, but they are also just a small sample of the bigger picture which has gradually sapped the winning spirit of a team which dominated Europe. Things haven’t collapsed since the departure of leaders like Frank Lampard and John Terry – as recently as 18 months ago we were a focused and intense winning machine.
Instead, it’s the direct result of an injection of immature and overpaid youth, combined with mature players knowing they have no future at the club. Utterly predictable – unless you’re the owners, who apparently thought this was all a video game.
Chelsea’s main problem is lack of cohesion!! Too many players who dont look like gelling up any soon! Worst of all, there is a number of overpaid and underperforming, don’t caring players! How the hell is poor fofana getting 200k weekly. Boehly needs to slash this misused salaries!!!!