Regardless of the result, Chelsea’s trip to Leicester on Monday always promised to be a turning point.
Most neutrals who have developed an affection for Claudio Ranieri’s team this season are waiting eagerly for the unthinkable to happen, while tempering those expectations with the belief that their dream run will inevitably come to an end.
Likewise with Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.
The Blues are now one point off the drop, but they won’t get relegated. We wait for Leicester’s fall like we wait for Chelsea’s rise. Neither looks like happening anytime soon if the latest result is any indication.
With only the FA Cup for a distraction for the remainder of the season, we may have to wait a little longer for Leicester to slip to what seems their rightful place. But having matched it with the big guns and done a job on all other teams they’re more fancied to beat – the key to winning titles – they have every right to be atop the Premier League.
The same goes for Chelsea. They’ve had numerous chances to spark a revival, but have faltered every time. Mourinho’s side are yet to win back-to-back matches in the Premier League, failing to capitalise on a consistent Champions League run.
Europe has been Mourinho’s saving grace and perhaps Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea board are hedging all their bets on the Portuguese’s pedigree on the big stage to lift the Blues out of this slump.
Elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 will likely be the final straw if he’s not been booted beforehand.
Mourinho remains adamant he is committed to the club, but his attitude this campaign has the subtle working of a man begging to be pushed so he doesn’t have to jump.
As many professionals have attested to, the most divisive action a manager can perform is a public shaming of his players.
We saw it with former Newcastle United manager John Carver last season when he accused Mike Williamson of intentionally being sent off in a 3-0 defeat to Leicester.
Williamson staunchly defended himself and Carver later confessed his embarrassment at the comments, but the damage had been done. The defender’s commitment was brought into question. After all, the most irksome trait of a footballer from a fan’s point of view is a lack of effort.
Mourinho distanced himself further from Chelsea players in similar fashion. Instead, though, he called out the whole squad.
After the Leicester match, he told Sky Sports: “These two goals, the movement of [Jamie] Vardy between the two centre-backs, the cross with the left foot, where we have one-against-one that I want one-against two, because I want a midfielder to come and help, are two goals very difficult to accept, a big frustration to accept because I feel like my work was betrayed.”
I’m a firm believer that players need to accept more accountability for poor results, but if Chelsea’s squad of stars isn’t performing, maybe Mourinho needs to realise he’s played a part in this.
It’s clear some players have no desire to play for him, and for that he must shoulder the blame.
The situation has shades of Brendan Rodgers’ sacking at Liverpool. It wasn’t purely results that saw him off, but rather a realisation of the misdirection the team had taken under his leadership during the latter stages of last season and the early stages of this one.
Liverpool needed a culture change, and that’s certainly what they got with Jürgen Klopp. While I didn’t see the post-game celebrations after the draw with West Brom as necessary, it was evidence of the paradigm shift under the German.
As he said in his first press conference, he wanted the fans to believe. Even when things are going poorly he wants them to believe, just like the players do.
He’s brought Aussie Brad Smith in from the rain and resurrected his hopes of becoming a regular Premier League first-teamer.
And although Liverpool were poor for much of the match – Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana the exceptions – they had the determination to claw their way back, something that was missing under Rodgers.
A 2-2 draw at home to West Brom isn’t a good result, but the Klopp effect certainly took hold.
It’s just what Chelsea needs as Mourinho continues to drive them further into the mire. He’s a brilliant coach with a great mind, but things clearly aren’t working with him in charge.
Chelsea fans may defend all he has done for the club, but losing to PSG may not be a bad thing.
Diego Costa typified the atmosphere at the club right now when he appeared to suggest his teammates had fallen asleep on the job. He’s certainly been no shining light for Chelsea this season, either, but it was hard to argue with his gesture.
There seems to be no unity at Stamford Bridge, a squad littered with world-class talent simply not performing like a world-class team.
Pedro was a quality signing at the time, but has fallen well short of expectation since his impressive debut, Eden Hazard has failed to replicate his incredible last season and Costa has been left wanting when Chelsea need a man of his ilk to step up.
It’s nice to have some honesty from Mourinho if he really feels he’s flawless. Though one look at the Premier League table should help him realise he’s a guilty party.
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