Chelsea Can Still Get Top Four, Hiddink Think So!

It has not been the season the Chelsea fans would have expected after romping to the Premier League title last season. From the very first game there were signs of trouble at Stamford Bridge with things going wrong both on and off the pitch. The public berating Eva Carneiro, then Chelsea doctor, was the start of the end for Jose Mourinho.


On December 17th of last year, Mourinho was removed from the helm (at great cost to Chelsea), and a bounce back of sorts began. Interim Manager, Guus Hiddink has most recently guided Chelsea to a 3-0 victory away to Crystal Palace and hinted that a top four finish is still possible for the Champions. Is that a realistic target though, or is the boss playing to the crowd, trying to rally them as the second half of the season begins?

Historically eighth is the highest position a side with Chelsea’s current tally has managed, but Chelsea are not like most other sides, with their financial muscle giving them the ability to target, and get, a player they feel they’d need. But it still needs to gel on the pitch, and that’s the key.

In the last five seasons the lowest points tally of the team in fourth position was Arsenal back in the 2010/11 season who finished on 68 points. That means that Chelsea need 45 points from the remaining eighteen games of the season, that means only dropping nine points from now until the May. With games at home to Spurs and both Manchester clubs along with away ties to Liverpool and Arsenal, that does seem like a tall order.

Distractions along the way makes a very difficult task virtually impossible with the weekend FA Cup tie at home to Scunthorpe would have an expectant Chelsea crowd looking at a comfortable win. Anything else would make the game in three days later much more nervy and then you have the Champions League. PSG are next for Chelsea and, although there would be no shame in heading out of the competition to the Parisians, it does represent a very good opportunity to rally the fans and players.

The talk coming from Hiddink must be great to hear for the Chelsea fans but I wouldn’t be surprised if the second half of the season priorities would be to focus primarily on the Champions League and FA Cup while surviving and recovering in the League. Let’s face it, finishing eighth in the Premier League would be much more palatable with trophy being raised at Wembley in May or even a trip to the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza two weeks after the disappointing domestic season has finished.


Jason is a Freelance Soccer Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @PACityboy and www.facebook.com/jasonbardwell1979