Curtains For Premier League | Chelsea Annual Awards

Another premier league season comes to a close. It’s a shame that we haven’t really played our part in this exciting league season. We dropped out the of title race long back. And we even dropped out of the top four race weeks back. We are sitting comfortably in the europa league spots. Elsewhere, the league title is not decided yet. The third and fourth places are not decided yet. So is third relegation spot. There’s no doubt that this has been a throroughly exciting season. It’s a pity that we dropped out of all the exciting last laps in this league.

Nevertheless, this is the last home game of the season. No matter how much RDM says that we want to finish on a high, you can expect him to field a lot of youngsters and protect his final prospects. They do need much deserved rest and preparation for the final. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, are playing in the DFB Pokal final against newly crowned Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund. That’s a very important game where Bayern can’t afford to rest their players. RDM will take advantage of this and allow that extra bit of rest and preparation for his players ahead of the champions league final.

You can expect to see a lot of youngsters play in this game. By the way, our youth team has won the FA Cup too. In fact, our youth team has been fairly successful in the recent times. Despite that, it needs a dead, pointless match for some youngsters to play. So now even if they were to produce a good or a bad performance, you can’t really conclude on them. In a season as long as we’ve had, given how aged our players are, you’d expect to see a lot of youngsters chipping in over the period of a season. But this season has never allowed us to do that. We had turned every game into a final and just couldn’t afford take some very necessary risks.

Earlier this week, the Chelsea end of season awards were announced. Juan Mata was the Chelsea player of the season. Totally deserved. I think he’s been the single biggest influence in the Chelsea results this season. He had scored or assisted nearly half of the goals we had scored this season. I was expecting him to have a better european season than a premier league season. I think it turned out to be the opposite for him.

Ramires and Ivanovic were the other close contenders. To be fair, it had to be Mata, Ramires and Ivanovic – in that order. Ramires did get the players’ player of the year which is a big compliment for him from his colleagues in Chelsea. Also Ramires bagged the Chelsea goal of the year for the second time in succession. After winning it last season for that beautiful goal against Man City, this season, his lovely chip over Vicotr Valdes has rightfully been chosen as the goal of the year. In the context of our european adventure this season, you can say that was the most important goal of the season too.

Isn’t it strange that the top three players shortlisted for the awards of the club that won the FA Cup and are in the champions league final, are not even in the shortlist for the PFA team of the year?

Lucas Piazon won the young player of the season award. Juan Mata, in his interview later,
had mentioned that the 18-year old Brazilian will break into the first team next season. That will one exciting moment. I’ve had several false promises at Chelsea – Di Santo, Sinclair, Sahar, Kakuta, Matic, McEachran, Lukaku and the list goes on. Young players look like they have made the break through and then slowly fade and disappear – mostly not their fault.

Probably they have not faded away. Probably they are our future. Despite the fact that we are buying players in their similar positions from the transfer market, I’d continue to believe that they are our future and some time soon, we would see a Chelsea team whose attack is led by Lukaku and Piazon and supported by Kevin de Bruyne and Marko Marin with the creative engine from Mata and McEachran with midfield generals in Ramires and Mikel ably supported by the defence that contains Bertrand and Chalobah and to find Courtois in goal. I know this doesn’t add up to eleven but you get the point.

Though ours is a meaningless game, the premier league is still live and vibrant even on the last day. I really hope that Man City bottle it and Man Utd win it. I don’t like either of them to win it but I don’t want a new entrant to the elite club of premier league champions. Just as people hated to see the emergence of Chelsea as a key challenger and champion, I hate to see Man City winning the league. But if they win it, it would be thoroughly deserved anyway. Man City have been the best team in the premier league this season. There’s no tie here. They had left Man Utd behind long back. Man City are a cut above the rest and they look to get stronger and stronger. For premier league football, it’s a great thing. For a long time, we were talking about premier league being a two-horse race (it still is, some might argue) but if Chelsea get their act together and Tottenham manages to get champions league football, the next season could be the best ever in premier league.

The third relegation place could belong to Bolton or QPR. I want QPR to give a hard game to Man City (I know it’s at Etihad) and nick a point off them which will move them to safety and hand the title to Man Utd, I think.

The battle for the champions league spot is not over yet. Everyone’s vying for the third spot, thanks to Chelsea. No one’s going to celebrate or feel relieved after getting the fourth spot, thanks to Chelsea. I’m hoping that Newcastle do make it to the champions league. They’ve had a great season and it will be shame for them to miss out having come this close. If Arsenal finishing fifth will be such a remarkable end to this season. It’s a must-win game for Arsenal. I’d love to see the live tables as we watch the games tomorrow. News will be travelling to the stands, thanks to twitter and stuff. It’s going to be a great finish to the season. I only hope that all these places are decided only in the last 5 mins of the games. I’m not wishing heartattacks for the fans of those clubs but that’s what I’d ask for as a neutral.

Meanwhile, Roberto di Matteo has travelled to Germany to watch Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in their DFB Pokal final. Confirms our expectations on the final home game. Honestly, all that we need to do is to show up against a relegated side who played with no belief and passion even when they were fighting to stay up. So just show up, play youngsters, notch a good win, say thanks and good bye to the home fans, start focusing on the champions league final. That’s all there is.

Don’t forget! Exactly at the 11th minute of the Chelsea vs Blackburn game , Chelsea fans all over the world and particularly the ones there at Stamford Bridge will pay tribute to the Chelsea Didier Drogba as this could probably his last game at Stamford Bridge. How can we pay tribute? Stand up, applaud, sing a song, chant, tweet or just go mad. KTBFFH!