Chelsea's woes this season have been well
documented. The champions are on a free fall and are digging deep at the bottom
of the league like an oil & gas firm speculating for crude oil.
Analysts have tried to place a finger on the reason
for the Stamford Bridge's sudden decay with the focus on Mourinho's
mismanagement, Eva Carneiro's sack, and even players' revolt.
Mourinho has always been known has the manager who
could inspire average players to greatness, cause his players to willingly go
through fire for him, and band under-performing individuals into an
over-achieving collective!
However, there have been claims of a divided
dressing room and players' unrest. Something Jose denies strongly while begging
for his players to be respected.
Yet the rumours floating around have it that
there's a certain Chelsea star who has vowed to continue to play to lose under
Mourinho.
I've been longing to know who this mystery player
is.
There are a bunch of first-teamers with the right
motive. Any of Fabregas, Pedro, Hazard or Matic could be the culprit.
Why
?
Because it couldn't have been Begovic.
Asmir is not world class but he's a solid second
choice and he's done his best since coming in for the injured Courtois. By the
way, Jose brought him in, so he owes the gaffer his loyalty.
It's criminal to even list the names of
Azpilicueta, Remy or Willian among the rebels. The trio, the chief reasons why
Chelsea is not at the root of the league table, have given sweat and blood.
Ivanovic can also be excluded on face value. Only
fans who don't know Montero, Poyet, and Saido will believe Ivanovic
intentionally gave those games away.
Cahill has been way off colour, yet even he has not
plunged to the ignoble depths that Terry now proudly occupy.
But the Chelsea
skipper can be forgiven for any wrongdoing due to his fading class and rising
age.
Who else?
Mikel Obi is a Jose loyalist. Oscar doesn't have
that much influence on the team. While Falcao and Costa have more personal
demons to worry about than gang up against their boss.
Leaving Pedro, Fabregas, Hazard and Matic in the
suspect's dock.
Each of them has a motive.
Take Hazard. The Belgian star has fallen from being
Mou's favourite and Ronaldo's equal to a squad player on the sub bench.
Hazard
aims to be the world's best. No one becomes that on the bench. It's
understandable therefore if he's hurt and wants out. A out for either himself
or the manager.
Let's move on to Fabregas. It's undeniable that
Cesc was the crucial piece in last season's title-winning campaign. Now, fans
are struggling to identify the Number 4 in every game. His assists have dried
up and his forward plays are dead.
Arsenal fans seem to know why. Maybe Cesc was
planted as a mole afterall. You know as they say, once a Gunner always a
Gunner.
Which brings me to Matic.
No player has been as humiliated as the Serbian
this season. We all saw the real Matic last term and he was a delight to watch,
imposing play in midfield while shielding the back four with authority.
He's not been up to that level this year but he
deserves the manager's trust. Rather Mou has openly criticised the midfielder
and even hauled him out of a game a few minutes after bringing him on!
If Matic vows never to 'play to win' under Mourinho
again, few can blame him. I won't either.
Then there’s Pedro.
Pedro finds himself in an unusual situation. Having
grown at Barca to hate Mourinho while playing against Chelsea, Inter and Real
Madrid, the Spaniard now finds himself playing under the Portuguese. He’s not
guaranteed a first team shirt and has been benched in a few important games.
He’s obviously not happy with life in London. If anyone wants the Special One
out, it's Pedro.
Everyone can over-analyze the problematic issues
surrounding Chelsea's goliathic slump but one thing remains clear: games are
won and lost by players. And if the players are truly against the gaffer as
being muted, then Mourinho's days are numbered at the club.
Unless, of course, he can find this mystery player on time and cut off
or heal his sour limb.
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