Chelsea - Midseason report
Thursday, 17 Jan 2008 12:44
A look back over the first half of the 2007/08 season, and a look forward to what is still to come.
The season so far
Chelsea began the season in unfamiliar territory as second favourites to Manchester United, and the likelihood of the team regaining their Premier League title faded further with the shock news in September that Jose Mourinho had left the club.
One too many disagreements with Roman Abramovich and his entourage spelled the end for the talented Portuguese, who had brought a winning mentality and the accompanying trophies to west London during his three years at the club.
But the Special One's exit from Stamford Bridge was anything but. A tepid 1-1 draw with Champions League minnows Rosenborg in front of a half-capacity crowd suggested the unqualified recent successes at Chelsea were about to become a thing of the past.
The defensive injury jinx was also back, depriving Mourinho's unanticipated successor Avram Grant of Petr Cech, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Lengthy lay-offs to main goal-threats Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard also worsened the mood.
Against all expectations, however, Chelsea emerged in 2008 hot on the heels of United and Arsenal after Grant restored the team's confidence and got them back to winning ways.
Home games against their rivals in the business end of the season reinforce the impression that Chelsea are realistic title contenders, while an easy-looking Champions League draw means the Israeli is on track to succeed where Mourinho failed and bring the prize most coveted by Abramovich to the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet.
The new signings
Of the final wave of Mourinho-era signings, Brazilian defenders Alex and Juliano Belletti have emerged with the most credit.
While his concentration and positioning can be suspect, Alex has stepped up to the plate admirably in the face of injuries to Terry and Carvalho. His natural goalscoring abilities have reinforced the impressive start to his Chelsea career.
And Belletti, a low-key purchase from Barcelona made in exasperation over Sevilla's unreasonable transfer demands for Daniel Alves, has adjusted well to the English game and chipped in with a couple of important goals.
But Florent Malouda, the club's big signing of the summer, has disappointed since his move from Lyon and has found his opportunities limited by the form of Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Tal Ben Haim, Steve Sidwell and Claudio Pizarro meanwhile have done little to prove they will ever be anything other than nearly men at Stamford Bridge.
Star man
Chelsea's injury-ravaged season has restricted stalwarts such as Cech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba to bit-part roles, with the team displaying its strength in depth in keeping pace with the leaders.
So it has fallen to other players to deliver, and one who has done just that more than most is Wright-Phillips.
The winger, a £21 million signing from Manchester City three years ago, has enjoyed his best season yet at the Bridge, and while he still struggles to get on the scoresheet regularly, his renewed confidence on the ball has provided a genuine threat on the right-wing.
Salomon Kalou has also impressed in a season where he has been asked to play across the front three, and Wright-Phillips faces a stern test to hold onto his place in the first XI when the Ivorian returns from the African Cup of Nations.
Manager approval rating
Avram Grant: 8/10
The appointment of Grant as Mourinho's replacement had the inklings of a horror story to most pundits and fans, but the Israeli has proven all his doubters wrong by steadying what was at the time a rapidly-sinking ship.
While his critics claim his Chelsea team plays exactly like the one inherited from Mourinho, a key difference this season has been that the Israeli's XI has been winning games regularly.
The Blues have lost just twice (to Manchester United and Arsenal) since Grant took over from Mourinho in September but, more impressively, he has somehow retained the team spirit so lovingly-cultivated by his predecessor.
While he is unlikely to ever compete with Mourinho in the charisma stakes, the softly-spoken coach could match his achievements if he ends the season with a major trophy.
January wish-list
The acquisitions of Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic add depth to an already impressive squad but neither represents the star names craved at Stamford Bridge.
Kaka and Ronaldinho both meet the criteria of a high-profile creative midfielder, but the chances of AC Milan or Barcelona releasing their talismans in January are wafer-thin to say the least. Luka Modric of Dinamo Zagreb looks a much more realistic bet.
And if Didier Drogba is indeed to leave at the end of the season, then there is no harm in bringing in Dimitar Berbatov as his replacement now.
Matthew Champion
Club history, honours and statistics
Return to club news