We have now been in poor form for quite a lot of this season. Saturday was all a bit desperate, outplayed by a team who I think will struggle to stay up.
Since we won the title in May 2012, I cannot think of a new signing or incoming player who has improved our team.
Sinclair - No
Rodwell - No
Garcia - No
Nastasic - Overall no
Negredo - good for 1/2 a season
Fernandinho - never fully convinced by him even last year - significantly better than Barry ?
Navas - patchy form
Jovetic - Not so far
Mangala - not so far (not yet looked better than Lescott or Nastasic)
Fernando - not so far and looking very poor at this point - no better than De Jong
Sagna - No - no better than Richards, we may as well have kept Richards as backup to Zabaleta
Caballero - no where near to Harts' level
Lampard - done OK but only a short term fix
Thus at best we have stood still, hence the poor showing in Europe.
Domestically Chelsea have significantly improved and one or 2 other teams have got better (Southampton and West Ham this season) and although agreed 1 or 2 have also got worse i.e. Spurs, Liverpool and hopefully Utd, we are now off the title pace domestically also compared to the early part of the 2011 - 2012 season.
Should Southampton and West Ham keep up their good form and Liverpool, Spurs, Everton or Utd find much better form we will\may have a fight also to finish in the top 4. Arsenal despite some issues will finish in the top 4 with Chelsea looking likely champions.
We have 5 very good\outstanding players
Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Silva and Aguero
and also Toure when he wants to.
We as yet have been unable to add as good or better than any of these to the team sine 2012, until we do so the aim of more domestic success and better performances in Europe will elude us.
Since we won the title in May 2012, I cannot think of a new signing or incoming player who has improved our team.
Sinclair - No
Rodwell - No
Garcia - No
Nastasic - Overall no
Negredo - good for 1/2 a season
Fernandinho - never fully convinced by him even last year - significantly better than Barry ?
Navas - patchy form
Jovetic - Not so far
Mangala - not so far (not yet looked better than Lescott or Nastasic)
Fernando - not so far and looking very poor at this point - no better than De Jong
Sagna - No - no better than Richards, we may as well have kept Richards as backup to Zabaleta
Caballero - no where near to Harts' level
Lampard - done OK but only a short term fix
Thus at best we have stood still, hence the poor showing in Europe.
Domestically Chelsea have significantly improved and one or 2 other teams have got better (Southampton and West Ham this season) and although agreed 1 or 2 have also got worse i.e. Spurs, Liverpool and hopefully Utd, we are now off the title pace domestically also compared to the early part of the 2011 - 2012 season.
Should Southampton and West Ham keep up their good form and Liverpool, Spurs, Everton or Utd find much better form we will\may have a fight also to finish in the top 4. Arsenal despite some issues will finish in the top 4 with Chelsea looking likely champions.
We have 5 very good\outstanding players
Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Silva and Aguero
and also Toure when he wants to.
We as yet have been unable to add as good or better than any of these to the team sine 2012, until we do so the aim of more domestic success and better performances in Europe will elude us.