Very often during football, there is an opinion that seems to be mutually accepted regardless of how valid it is. The view Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard can’t play together for England is one example and the view that the Serie A is boring is another.
Stretching this to beyond football, in this year’s X Factor it was mentioned once that contestant Danyl Johnson wasn’t likeable and suddenly everyone believed it. Word spreads as they say.
Why is this relevant to Chelsea this season I hear you ask?! Well, for one reason or another everyone seems to have decided that this is ‘Chelsea’s year’ to win the Champions League. Everyone has been tipping The Blues for success in Europe and this includes Wolves boss Mick McCarthy – and he should know after the battering they took this weekend. McCarthy was talking up the impact of Carlo Ancelotti and claims that the playing squad look as good as they did ‘under Jose Mourinho’. He describes the Chelsea team as a ‘happy bunch’ who are clearly high on confidence right now.
How valid is this opinion that it is Chelsea’s year for the Champions League then? Well, they certainly have a superb chance. A lot of the talk may be because they have come so close before. It must only be a matter of time before they go all of the way?
Another reason for this view could be the slight decline of Manchester United. They haven’t been at their best this season and have missed Cristiano Ronaldo a great deal. As for England’s other teams, Liverpool might not even qualify for the knock-out stages and question marks still remain over Arsenal’s credentials to go all the way.
So, in theory, that leaves Chelsea as the English team with the best odds to win the Champions League. Considering the Premier League is arguably the best league in the world, Chelsea are the front-runners for Champions League success, right?
Ancelotti certainly knows how to win the competition and several Chelsea players are at the peak of their career. The likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Nicolas Anelka will be determined to win a Champions League medal for Chelsea and this year may well be the time to do it.
Overall, there are many reasons why Chelsea are being hotly tipped for conquering Europe this season. Fans of the club will just be hoping that they manage to live up to their favourites tag and are celebrating in Madrid next May.