GWT: English Premier League: 11/6 - 11/7/2015

[HajdukSplit]

I looked at Chelsea's fixtures and minus Spurs away in late November there's a lot of relegation candidates coming to Stamford Bridge (Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford all before New Year's). At this point top 4 is unlikely but sacking Mou would make little sense at this point, wait until mid-season, see what happens in the league and CL

If Mou goes they will hire a RDM/Zola interim type which won't do much difference anyway

 

[Evilo]

Again, it does make a difference if they feel Mourinho can't qualify them for the next CL round.
And it does look very hard for Chelsea to get out of that weak group.

 

[Edo]

Surprised nobody has brought up the fact that Leicester City are in a 3 way tie for first at the moment. It's incredible.

 

[Live in the Now]

Surprised nobody has brought up the fact that Leicester City are in a 3 way tie for first at the moment. It's incredible.

Because they won't be at the end. Last year Southampton and West Ham were in the top four at this stage. It never holds up. Squad depth always makes a huge impact by the end of the season.

 

[Ceremony]

I looked at Chelsea's fixtures and minus Spurs away in late November there's a lot of relegation candidates coming to Stamford Bridge (Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford all before New Year's). At this point top 4 is unlikely but sacking Mou would make little sense at this point, wait until mid-season, see what happens in the league and CL

If Mou goes they will hire a RDM/Zola interim type which won't do much difference anyway

Lots of six pointers incoming

 

[Plato]

If you asked me after 12 games if Newcastle would be one place behind Chelsea.....

I think this may be a situation where a Newcastle fan made some deal with the devil. They gave up their soul for Newcastle to be only 3 behind Chelsea 12 games in, and "technically" the devil delivered.
Makes for a good Brendan Fraser flick.

 

[les Habs]

Chelsea won't be finishing in the top four, not that it needed stating again. The math is just...it's impossible.

The math isn't at all impossible. Back in early January 2004 Barça were in twelfth place some 18 points off of Madrid, who were in first, in La Liga and finished second that season while Madrid finished fourth. That said it would take a major turnaround of epic proportions and I don't see that happening right now, at least not under Mourinho. Maybe I shouldn't be, but surprised they lost yet again today.

I looked at Chelsea's fixtures and minus Spurs away in late November there's a lot of relegation candidates coming to Stamford Bridge (Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford all before New Year's). At this point top 4 is unlikely but sacking Mou would make little sense at this point, wait until mid-season, see what happens in the league and CL

If Mou goes they will hire a RDM/Zola interim type which won't do much difference anyway

I looked at the same thing a week ago and you're missing United. United was the cut-off I felt. If they can win all those matches and draw one of Spurs or United while beating the other sides along the way they'd be in a much better spot. However today's result factored into that and it sounds like Mourinho might not even have that much time. On top of that they're simply not getting much by way of results at the moment and like I said I would think they pretty much need to win the majority of those upcoming fixtures if he's going to keep his job.

What about an Ancelotti though? I think he'd make a difference.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Would Ancelotti come mid-season?

This is pretty much a lost season, might as well keep Mou until the New Year and see how things progress, as I said bringing an interim manager won't help much imo and will save Chelsea some money from the severance payment. They still have the CL and while they are far from favorites you never know...they can fluke their way like in 2012

Hindsight is 20/20 but extending Mou to a 4-year contract extension looks foolish now, if its a club he "loves" so much I'm sure he would have been content with less years

 

[les Habs]

Would Ancelotti come mid-season?

This is pretty much a lost season, might as well keep Mou until the New Year and see how things progress, as I said bringing an interim manager won't help much imo and will save Chelsea some money from the severance payment. They still have the CL and while they are far from favorites you never know...they can fluke their way like in 2012

Hindsight is 20/20 but extending Mou to a 4-year contract extension looks foolish now, if its a club he "loves" so much I'm sure he would have been content with less years

Reports I read said that Ancelotti would come if it was a long term appointment and not as an interim manager.

I think that if Mourinho goes that they'll come to some sort of agreement on what the severance will be and they won't have to pay him everything he'd otherwise be owed.

I personally don't consider the season lost. I thought Ancelotti did well at Madrid and he knows the club. I think if they told him to be on standby and start watching tape he could go in somewhat prepared. What I thought Ancelotti did well at Madrid was that he had them playing attacking football and they scored goals. Chelsea don't have Madrid's firepower, but they do indeed have firepower of their own and I think Ancelotti could get more of the team in that regard. I also think the players would respect him as he comes with a solid track record of his own and he isn't as divisive as Mourinho.

 

[Chimaera]

They have to do something like 2.28+ points a match. Not impossible, but improbable unless Terry turns back the clock and they sort out the mess of the midfield. Jose should take a sabbatical. He's not the guy for this type of fight. Mind games work when you're the bully and you have better players. He doesn't. Squad looks thin, some old players look dead and some quality ones look lost. Hazard looks stifled and Costa isn't doing it with no real service. At some point the waste time and hold back bit would run stale. It has. Fast.

Either way, for most the tale of the tape is the rough Christmas period. Leicester is a great story, but their depth will show whether or not they can hang around.

 

[Savant]

Liverpool is going to make their run after thanksgiving. I would love the head start though.

 

[njdevsfn95]

I think this may be a situation where a Newcastle fan made some deal with the devil. They gave up their soul for Newcastle to be only 3 behind Chelsea 12 games in, and "technically" the devil delivered.
Makes for a good Brendan Fraser flick.

Well that isnt the deal I made. THIS is the deal I made. All in one year:

1) Newcastle 10 Sunderland 0 League Cup Final
2) USA Hockey (men) win Gold
3) Devils win President's Trophy
4) Newcastle United win FA Cup
5) Newcastle United win Premier League
6) Newcastle United win Champions League
7) New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cup
8) USMNT win World Cup

 

[Timeless Winter]

City can't score vs a crappy Villa team, although Aston villa is playing for a scoreless draw.
England is just so weak this year at the top it feels like any team in the top 12-13 has a chance at a CL spot.

 

[Cassano]

Lol Villa fans holding plastic snakes

 

[Finnish your Czech]

City funnel way too much of their offence from the wings when Aguero and especially Silva are out

It doesn't work when your striker is ****ing Raheem Sterling

 

[Cassano]

Erikssen on Debuchy. Yikes.

 

[Halladay]

Bolasie just kills Liverpool.

 

[Power Man]

ROFL Danny Rose

He really thought he could score like that?

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Campbell looks lost on the right.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Well ****

 

[spintheblackcircle]

England's 'arry Kane!!!!

all he does is score goals….

 

[Power Man]

Kane!

 

[Scandale du Jour]

How can you leave Kane that open?

 

[Cassano]

Mertesacker lol

 

[Power Man]

Maerteslowker
or
Maertesucker