Here we go again...

The same cycle keeps repeating. Will we ever learn?

Supporting Chelsea is enough to drive you crazy. The recent results and performances, and the predictable, and in some cases understandable reaction, definitely got to me too much in a way I didn’t like.

I’m fully admit, really frustrated, and also confused. These players, and head coach Enzo Maresca have shown how good they are and what they’re capable of, last season and even two weeks ago. I refuse to believe we’ve suddenly become a bad team, or Maresca a bad manager.

I’m still convinced a long season last year plus a short pre-season has resulted in fatigue and injuries to key players.

To add to this, two key players, Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill, have been unavailable most of the season, who were fit last season. Wesley Fofana has only been available for a few weeks - one game per week. Our midfield depth has been injured, meaning Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are running on fumes, and look like it. Jarrol Hato hasn’t been trusted at LB, meaning Cucurella too is exhausted. Liam Delap, our only pure 9, has only played 5 games and will have missed over 3 months of the season by Jan 1st.

We clearly needed a starting CB but two windows in a row Maresca has been ignored. He’s been given a lot of raw young talent, not much established talent.

Finally, unlike last season, when we could change all 11 for midweek games and still win, this year we have the Champions League so rotation is way more complex and players often have to play two games a week.

I would feel for any manager having to deal with this situation. You could give me any name, they would struggle with these circumstances.

Attack wise we’re still scoring around 2 goals per game, but our defence has suffered this season. One of the reasons being Levi Colwill being missing, and Wes Fofana being limited in his appearances.

But those in charge of recruitment seem to think its all fine and we don’t need another established CB. Absolute insanity.

The Sporting Directors, from where I look seem happy to scapegoat the manager for their failures, and yet again, many of our fans are lapping it up, and falling straight into their trap. Again.

It seems the great performances against some top teams and managers, and two trophies, have earned no support - which to me is ridiculously unfair.

In 10 days some have gone from hailing Maresca as a genius to calling for his head. Its absolutely absurd to me. What’s even more absurd is the fact some Chelsea fans never learn. Changing the manager every 18 months, or every time we lose a few games, isn’t the magic formula to achieve success. In fact it’s the opposite. It will cause us to stagnate. At some point, you need to stick with a manager in few bad runs for long term gain. Mikel Arteta - who has won less than Maresca as a coach - was backed through a lot worse by Arsenal, for example.

Let’s be clear, Enzo Maresca definitely messed up against Atalanta. His substitutions were strange and didn’t work, it looked like he overthought it. He got it wrong and it cost us the game. He deserves criticism for that game.

Does that mean he should be sacked? No, of course not. And he shouldn’t be sacked on the basis of 10 days of poor form, or a couple of defeats with 10 men earlier this season, despite what many seem to think. I respect that some people disagree with this, but I just don’t think a managerial change is the answer.

Any new manager would still have to deal with Cole Palmer only just coming back, Levi out all season, Fernandez, Caicedo and Cucurella on fumes without much backup, not having a 9 and not being backed at CB.

There’s no magic formula to solve those issues. You could change managers 10 times, those issues would remain.

In fact the thing which solves them most directly is proper recruitment, and its clear, yet again, the Sporting Directors are incapable of building a squad capable of challenging.

Friendly reminder, their biggest CB signing is Axel Disasi (they weren’t at the club when we signed Wes Fofana). Of £1.6b spent, only £198m has been on CBs. That’s absolutely shambolic.

They claim credit for anything and everything, and are nowhere to be seen when criticism comes and we have a few bad results. Cowardly and incompetent, never taking responsibility. Maresca fronted up last week after Leeds and said it wasn’t good enough, including himself in that. But, he should have fronted up last night too, and didn’t. Both he and SDs need to do this and rectify their mistakes.

I also don’t think the magic solution is signing “experience”. Our three best CBs - Fofana, Colwill and Josh Acheampong - are our youngest. We have experience and leader in the squad. Reece, Trev, Enzo, Cucurella, Sanchez, all have experience, all are established players, most are regular starters. That’s half a first team.

Our most experienced player, Tosin, is also one of the worst. Liverpool have shown this season signing proven established players is no guarantee of them being successful, and we’ve seen it in our own recent history too.

I think its more about signing players who aren’t raw young talents. Young, but established - Marc Guehi, Murillo are examples of this. Both under 25, both proven, established PL players.

I absolutely believe a proven, established CB within the clubs age profile WOULD help us, and so would another midfielder. But going out and signing someone just for experience sake, again, isn’t the magic solution in my view.

I’m tired of the same rollercoaster every season, honestly. I’m tired of me and others calling out the same issues and the club continually ignoring it. They never learn, they think they know best, and dismiss any criticism.

I don’t think its just down to the manager - although he HAS made mistakes which he needs to rectify. But I don’t believe a managerial change is the magic fix many others do. It wears me down seeing people always scapegoat the manager and never look beyond that to the wider issues which are staring us all in the face. To me those need to be solved before any change in manager.

Knowing how our club operates, Maresca will eventually be the one who pays the price, either mid-season or in the summer. And then the whole cycle begins again until we end up here again, with the same issues and same people STILL blaming the manager, whoever it is then.

In my view, we’ll never get back to the top unless we break this cycle and solve the real issues at the club, which go way beyond the manager. We need some proper recruitment in key areas and accountability by those at the very top of the club. I and others are sick and tired of seeing the same issues with no accountability or changes.

Wake up and sort this out Chelsea. Its not good enough.

The Score