The Only Way Is… Jose?

Another weekend gone, another loss for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Eleven games in to the season and the blues are currently holding the unfortunate record of the worst Premier League title defense since the league started under its current guise over 20 years ago. While even at this point you can’t see it happening, rumblings of “has anyone ever won the title and been relegated the next season?” have been brewing. Well, there is an answer: It’s only ever happened once, when Manchester City won their first ever league title in 1937 – they were then relegated the following season, despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division!

The shock is quite simply how a team who (with exclusion to a 6th place in 2011/12) haven’t been outside the top three of the Premier League in the past eleven years, winning three of those (and being current defending champions), now suddenly finds itself in the bottom half of the league table, only 4 points clear of the relegation zone. They’ve only taken three wins; against bottom of the table Aston Villa, mid-table West Brom and – to prove that somewhere there is still the ability to take it to the best – title-fighting Arsenal.

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But they’ve also lost to the likes of Crystal Palace, Southampton and West Ham – teams that may prove troublesome at times but should’ve been three pointers. They sit 10 points off even a Champions League place (4th), and 9 off a Europa League position. This is far from where the team would expect to find themselves and yet… the board still gives Jose Mourinho their full support. Is this right?

Results have to come fast, and the games coming up should deliver those presuming the crisis doesn’t continue: Stoke (one place above Chelsea), Norwich (one place below) and Bournemouth (two places below, and in their first ever top league season) make up three of the next four games with a visit to Tottenham also in the mix to cause some issues – then it’s off to the surprise of the season, Leicester City, currently 3rd in the league. The opportunity to swing the momentum back in their favour is there… but will they take it? The team will be without Jose for the game against Stoke following a one match stadium ban, and rumours circulate that the players would rather lose than win for Jose. Are things that bad?

It’s a critical point in the season now. Either the Only Way Is Jose… or the door.

Ashley Redman
School Football Team Manager for 1 game, won