What should we expect of Chelsea this season?

n the past three years, we have won two FA Cups and the Carling Cup, whilst finishing second in the league and reaching the final of the Champions League. Now, some fans would be relatively satisfied with that, but I have no idea why. It is now not just desirable to win the Premier League or the Champions League, it is now almost essential to win at least one of them, if not both this season.

Under Carlo, it seems like the Champions League is the priority and rightfully so as we have had too many moments of heartbreak and despair throughout our recent history in Europe and it is about time our luck changed. Just think of how many times we have been screwed out of advancing to the final or actually winning the trophy. Liverpool 2005, a goal allowed that replays clearly showed shouldn’t have been allowed. Liverpool 2007, penalties and of course the final in 2008. Finally we have the worst referee in the world in Thomas Ovrebo costing us the final in a game where we completely shut down Barca’s wonderful football.

With this amount of bad luck, one can either say that we have had our fair share of hardship –and then some and it is almost inevitable that we will win it this season. Or, that we forever doomed to be the bridesmaid, the nearly team, the team that comes so close and yet so far. I am sorry but the “we are forever doomed” is complete garbage as a team like us will win the title some day.

Yet, we must not be too over confident with regards to Europe this season. Yes, we have looked reasonably impressive against Porto and Athletico Madrid, but so did Scolari in his first three games and then looked what happened to us, a humiliating defeat against Roma and then a real struggle to actually qualify for the second round. I am not saying that Carlo will do the same but we must not be arrogant and think we are qualified already.

The advantage that our European campaign has over the league is that we don’t have to worry about Didier, Kalou and Essien being away for the games during the African Cup of Nations. This is going to be a pivotal time in our season and with this farce of a transfer embargo still being enforced, Anelka and Cole need to step up and lead the line during the month that they are away. But when the big guns return, they will be fresh and rearing to go for the return of the Champions League.

To make things look even more promising it seems that the rest of Europe is struggling to maintain a real title challenge.  We have already shown how to beat Barcelona and hopefully, the luck that deserted us at the bridge will return to us if we have to face them again. Real Madrid has the attack but not the defence. Man Utd have lost their star man and do not look the team they were against the big clubs. Italy aren’t going to mount a serious challenge – even with the special one in charge of Inter and Liverpool are in serious trouble of one of the two men team is injured-plus we’ve already beaten them.

In my opinion the most important game will be against Arsenal. They are a big unknown this year and if we can put in the performance that we are capable of doing, we will beat them and make a massive statement to the rest of Europe that this could and should be our year.

We have tasted every trophy the domestic game has to offer and now the only thing that eludes us is th emost coveted prize in club football. At this stage of the season we can be relatively certain that will challenge again but I must say again, we must be careful not to be too assured in our potential success this year. If we can do it this year it will surpass everything in our club’s great history. 1955, 1970, 1997 and 2005 will pale in comparison to this and so our potential victory will taste a whole lot sweeter.

By Daniel Welling

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