I’m not in some kind of campaign against Carletto. Let me make it very clear that I want him to continue as the coach of Chelsea FC and lead us to more trophies including his third champions league title. Now, let’s get to the topic on hand. We have officially conceded the title. No, it’s not in the daily mail or in the weekly tripe. It’s in the official Chelsea FC website. Here is the quote:

It is difficult to think we can come back to fight for the title. It is better to think game by game in the Premier League. It is difficult to close the gap, we have to be honest, but the most important step now is to reach fourth place in the table and we have to fight with the other teams.

Well, I would call it pragmatic than defeatist but at least he could have put up a brave face to the press. See I’m terribly upset with our performances but it’s hard for me to accept that we’re out of the title race. We have said a few times now that we’re out of the title race but when you hear it from the manager of the club, it smacks you real hard. Carlo sounds like Rafa Benitez dammit!

In defence of Carlo (before WXWAX comes up with a counter-post :), the gap is too much. We’ve got only 12 games to go. We need to see too many things happening in our favour for us to retain our title. To say it’s not going to be easy is a massive understatement. To say that we will still win the title is delusional. While I know the reality, which is that we’re out of the title race, for some reason, I myself don’t want to believe in it.

Unless it’s mathematically impossible, the supporter’s mind just doesn’t give up. Call me crazy, even when it becomes mathematically impossible, I’ve even thought of ‘what if they’re punished for some irregularities and docked points’. I don’t think we’re such an impossible situation after all. If the last weekend had gone in our favour, we might have said that we’re back in the race.

This weekend, opportunity could knock our doors once more. If Man City beat Man Utd today and if we win our game against Fulham, we could be back in contention if we do the double on Man Utd. That’s a lot of ifs there but that’s how it is now. If Wolves can beat Man Utd, Liverpool can beat Chelsea, Man City can certainly beat Man Utd. If it does happen and after (not if) we beat Fulham, we’d have cut the gap to 7 points. And then a double on Man Utd, it’s down to 1 point. Then we’re expecting Man Utd to slip once in the 10 other games left. Certainly possible? Yes, if all IFs come together for us.

With Carlo saying that dreadful line on ‘reaching the fourth place’, I wonder how much effort will be offered by the players. Even when we were in the title race, I was doubting the efforts of some of our players and also our manager. With us officially targeting for the fourth place, I’m slightly worried.

Some might say, though he has said so, we’d still fight for the title. In that case, why tell the media this. Some of these things are psychological. The more you keep saying that you want to be champions, you’ll actually get closer to it. The moment you utter the ‘fourth place’ thing, you’re pschologically switched off. I wish he had said that we’re in the race until it’s mathematically impossible. I wish he’d said that with our new signings, we’ll have a go at the title. I wish he’d said that the champions league fixtures and results will have an impact on the title race and other teams could drop points. I wish he’d not said about the whole fourth place thing.

I’ve said enough. Now I’m going to pretend like he didn’t say a word about this. I want Man City to beat Man Utd today and I want us to thump Fulham and announce to the premier league ‘Don’t fuckin’ write us off’.