As if one Chelsea trophy was not good enough, as if a double was rubbish, as if a treble were dirt on a shoe, if you were to search their hearts, you are likely to find Blues supporters quietly clamouring for a quadruple this season.
It is patented madness.
The Blues won the Champions League in 2011/12, likewise the FA Cup; the League Cup was last in John Terry’s hands in 2006/07 and Chelsea’s last Premier League title was captured in 2009/10.
One can find five doubles in Stamford Bridge’s trophy cabinet, yet terrific performances this season have many asking if the 2014/15 Blues can better those feats.
Not to kill dreams, but Chelsea winning one trophy would be a vast improvement on last season’s paradeless wander. Falling short at every hurdle, 2013/14 was an exercise in maturity for Jose Mourinho’s squad. Five points from the Premier League crown, one win away from the Champions League final, yesteryear’s season was character-building.
Finding weak points, Mourinho’s additions of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis, Thibaut Courtois, Loic Remy and Didier Drogba have strengthened Chelsea on the pitch and in their resolve to return silverware to west London.
Football, however, is not played with pounds, it is played on the pitch. For the nearly £85 million spent on new transfers this summer—and their quick acclimation to life at Stamford Bridge—the Blues are not the only club invested into lifting shiny pieces of metal.
Each competition has its own idiosyncratic barriers, and should the Blues wish to avoid stumbling once again, they must take note of each.
Now semi-finalists in the Football League Cup, Chelsea are in a two-leg tie with eight-time champions Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers’ team has struggled of late, failing to reach the lofty heights found last year, but in a semi-final anything is possible.
To advance, Chelsea must neutralise Anfield, find moments of calm through Fabregas and Eden Hazard, then be clinical in front of goal. A Wembley final vs. Tottenham or Sheffield United is the reward for beating Liverpool; as one must outplay the Reds twice, Liverpool represent the biggest competition to Chelsea in the Capital One Cup.
Drawing Watford in the FA Cup third round, there is no telling what can happen in 2015. The biggest competition in the FA Cup are replays and the draw itself. Already having a mammoth fixture list, Mourinho will not be wanting to replay matches.
By the same token, rematches happen when the draw dishes out difficult fixtures. Wanting to coast for as long as possible, avoiding the other sharks proves as vital as playing well.
The Champions League was Chelsea’s holy grail in many respects. Depressingly close in 2007/08 and bereaved in 2008/09, one thought the cup was a bridge too far in many respects for the old guard—spearheaded by Frank Lampard, Petr Cech, Terry and Drogba. Then 2011/12 arrived and in their last title charge, the warhorses got the job done.
Now three years later, Mourinho has his own grail of sorts. Watching many of the players he crafted win football’s biggest club trophy without him must have stung. Now back in London to win one for himself, the opponents in the offing have little regard for sentimentality.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and others have commensurate, if not greater incentive to win as the Blues; Chelsea should hope to reach the quarter-finals. With eight teams left, the Champions League becomes a glorified lottery—Mourinho will just want his club to have a ticket.
Chelsea’s most important trophy this season is the Premier League: Five seasons since their last EPL triumph, if every other trophy is lost, this one cannot evade Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have played England’s best football over the season’s first half. Currently eight points clear of fourth place—with one game in hand—and top of the table at Christmas, allowing the title to slip from here would be disastrous.
There seems one legitimate rival to Chelsea’s domestic quest: reigning champions Manchester City.
Not letting his team relinquish their crown easily, Manuel Pellegrini—after a slow start—has rallied the Citizens. His major disadvantage moving forward, however, is the schedule.
Having already visited the Etihad, Old Trafford, Goodison Park, Anfield and the north, Chelsea’s 2015 slate has far more home games vs. difficult competition than Manchester City’s. The holders travel to Everton, Stoke City,Manchester United, Tottenham,Crystal Palace, Swansea City and enjoy a trip to Stamford Bridge on 31 January.
By comparison, Chelsea’s two hardest away fixtures are both in London—to Tottenham and Arsenal. Not known to lose home games, Mourinho’s team should have an advantage moving forward, as their schedule is kinder.
All that said, the same way games are not played with pounds, they are not played with schedules either. Chelsea must keep the holders at bay with their performances on the pitch.
Is a quadruple possible?
Yes.
Is a quadruple going to happen?
No.
Chelsea are a terrific side, but expecting them to sweep every trophy is nonsensical. What is possible, though, is the Blues being competitive in every game they play; if multiple trophies arrive from their diligence on a weekly basis, then so be it.