It has definitely been a November to forget for Carlo Ancelotti, his players and the Chelsea faithful. The defeats against Liverpool, Birmingham and Sunderland have hurt us a great deal and our recent draw against Newcastle has seen us usurped from top spot in the Premier League for the first time this season.
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But what are the five things we have learned from this month?
1. Didier Drogba is not a captain: on his day the Ivorian forward can strike fear into the hearts of even the most hardened centre backs, but he has been struggling for form (and goals) of late and his lack of leadership qualities are represented by his outward showing of frustration and moody demeanour.
I’m not really a fan of having a centre forward as a captain anyway and would much rather Florent Malouda or Petr Cech had the armband during the absences of John Terry and Frank Lampard. I can forgive him for his poor form as he’s only recently been suffering with malaria, but I think the captaincy is an added pressure that he could do without and I do not think he has the right character for the role.
2. The squad may need investment: if the past month has proved anything then it’s that Chelsea’s current squad lacks the depth that it used to pride itself upon. Injuries and suspensions have caused a number of key players to miss out and one win in five Premier League matches represents how much we overly rely on those players.
Sure, we have made steps to cut costs, have some promising young players rising through the ranks and Ancelotti says he is happy with his squad and doesn’t need to buy in the transfer window, but the truth is that he is not calling the shots regarding transfers and probably knows full well this squad is in constant danger of being stretched over the course of the season as it is now.
Abramovich has to decide which direction he wants to go in as it is either invest to ensure immediate and continued success, or if he does not want to spend he has to back his manager and give him time to produce the youth into proper first team players…the latter could take a while and I doubt our owner has that much patience. We can’t do both at the same time.
3. John Terry, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard could not come back sooner: the trio have been sorely missed through much of this month, and in Lampard’s case it has been even longer. Without them Chelsea are lacking the leadership and fight that are required at a difficult time for the club and Ancelotti will be desperate to get them back in December, a month where we will face up to the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal.
The three of them help make up the spine, fabric, heart and soul of the team. Their fitness over the next month and beyond could make or break our season. Fortunately for us Essien’s suspension has come to an end, it has also been reported that JT and Lampard will be fit for the game against Everton at home at the weekend.
