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Chelsea Blip-O-Meter Reading

86-8 = 78 points

And falling like a lead zeppelin.

Chelsea Blip-O-Meter reading: 9.5

And rising like a rocket.

Europa League beckons.

Well, only if we can manage to beat the team that is bottom of the league….like Wolverhampton Wanderers. One of the Top Four could win the FA Cup and/or League Cup, I suppose and let in sixth….

The fact is the rot had set in well before Wilkins departed. We weren’t actually playing all that well for much of our first few games. We were enjoying <i>“Old Trafforditis”</i> where sides hoped merely to limit the damage against us. Combine that with the most lopsided of fixture schedules and a lazy media (still describing us as<i> “freescoring”</i> long after we weren’t) we flattered and deceived even ourselves.

Major surgery required.

In the short-term what is needed is a Ranieri-style selection policy

Ortega: big name – no effort – out.

Mendieta: no name – big effort – in.

Pick a side based on the present rather than the past.

For example:

Essien out = McEachran in

Anelka out = Sturridge in

Kalou out = Kakuta in

Bosingwa out = Bruma in

Cole out = Van Aanholt in

Who would keep their places on current form?

At the moment probably only

Cech, Terry, Ivanovic, Ramires.

We don’t really have immediate replacements for Drogba and Lampard (or that I am aware of), Malouda? Hmnnnnnn.

As for the longer-term (in this case quite possibly only slightly longer-term) I suggest that negotiations have been ongoing with, say, Frank Rijkaard (who coincidentally parted company with Galatasaray in October); initially to replace Ancelotti at the end of his contract (ie June 2011) and now to take over when fourth place (and with it UCL football) is in serious jeopardy (ie now).

But would the preferred candidate want to take the job now?

Match Available 10/11 GF GA GD 09/10 GF GA GD Par PtsYTD GFYTD GAYTD GDYTD
WBA (Hull) (h)   6-0 6 0 +6 2-1 2 1 +1 = = +4 -1 +5
Wigan (a)          3 6-0 12 0 +12 1-3 3 4 -1 +3 +3 +9 -4 +14
Stoke (h)   2-0 14 0 +14 7-0 10 4 +6 = +3 +4 -4 +8
West Ham (a) 2 3-1 17 1 +16 1-1 11 5 +6 +2 +5 +6 -4 +10
Blackpool (Portsmouth) (h)   4-0 21 1 +20 2-1 13 6 +7 = +5 +8 -5 +13
Man City (a) 3 0-1 21 2 +19 1-2 14 8 +6 = +5 +7 -6 +13
Arsenal (h)   2-0 23 2 +21 2-0 16 8 +8 = +5 +7 -6 +13
Aston Villa (a) 3 0-0 23 2 +21 1-2 17 10 +7 +1 +6 +6 -8 +14
Wolves (h)   2-0 25 2 +23 4-0 21 10 +11 = +6 +4 -8 +12
Blackburn (a) 2 2-1 27 3 +24 1-1 22 11 +11 +2 +8 +5 -8 +13
Liverpool (a)   0-2 27 5 +22 2-0 24 11 +13 -3 +5 +3 -6 +9
Fulham (h)   1-0 28 5 +23 2-1 26 12 +14 = +5 +2 -7 +9
Sunderland (h)   0-3 28 8 +20 7-2 33 14 +19 -3 +2 -5 -6 +1
Birmingham (a) 2 0-1 28 9 +19 0-0 33 14 +19 -1 +1 -5 -5 =
Newcastle (Burnley) (a)   1-1 29 10 +19 2-1 35 15 +20 -2 -1 -6 -5 -1
Everton (h) 2 1-1 30 11 +19 3-3 38 18 +20 = -1 -8 -7 -1
Tottenham (a) 3 1-1 31 12 +19 1-2 39 20 +19 +1 = -8 -8 =
Arsenal (a)   1-3 32 15 +17 3-0 41 20 +21 -3 -3 -9 -5 -4
Bolton (h)   1-0 33 15 +18 1-0 42 20 +22 = -3 -9 -5 -4
Aston Villa (h)   3-3 36 18 +18 7-1 49 21 +28 -2 -5 -13 -3 -10
Wolves (a)   0-1 36 19 +17 2-0 51 21 +30 -3 -8 -15 -2 -13
Blackburn (h)               5-0                
Bolton (a)                    4-0                
Sunderland (a)           3-1                
Liverpool (h)           2-0                
Fulham (a)           2-0                
Birmingham (h)            3-0                
Man Utd (h)           1-0                
Blackpool (Portsmouth) (a)           5-0                
Man City (h) 3         2-4                
Stoke (a)                     2-1                
Wigan (h)           8-0                
WBA (Hull) (a) 2         1-1                
West Ham (h)           4-1                
Tottenham (h)           3-0                
Man Utd (a)           2-1                
Newcastle (Burnley) (h)           3-0                
Everton (a) 3         1-2                
                             
                             
                             
                             

 Posted by Steve S