A footballing tragedy that rivalled Shakespeare saw a collapse of the reigning Premier League champions, headlined by the failings of their once ‘special’ manager.
If the newly crowned Leicester City were 2015-16’s fairytale, then Chelsea was the corresponding nightmare in a season of unpredictability and irony – illustrated by the fact that Claudio Ranieri guided the Foxes to the title 12 years after Roman Abramovic sacked him for supposedly not having the ability to win the English top-flight.
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The story
Chelsea’s 2015-16 was a dramatic narrative that could hardly have been better written. Critics expected further dominance from a squad that had stayed intact after dominating their way to the title the campaign prior, yet a historic downfall began on the opening weekend with Jose Mourinho’s ultimate sacking of long-time club doctor Eva Carneiro for treating Eden Hazard on the field in a 2-2 draw with Swansea.
The rest of 2015 was a disaster in nearly every aspect, with the Blues only collecting 15 points from the first 16 games of the season where Mourinho was in charge. Plagued by a squad of high profile names which was playing insipid football each week, defeats to the likes of Bournemouth and Stoke saw the then reigning champions knocking on the door of the relegation zone, with all hopes of a title defence having gone out the window.
A managerial switch to Guus Hiddink made sure total disaster was averted, but enough damage had already been done that even a top-six finish looked unlikely in January. They crashed out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain for the second straight year, with a 10th placed domestic finish ensured the Londoners would not feature in Europe at all next season.
The manager
The downfall of Jose Mourinho went in exactly the manner that one would expect of the infamous manager, all happening in a bizarre blur of on field events and post-match rants. His firing of Carneiro appeared to lose him the faith of the dressing room, and although the fans stuck by their ‘Special One’, he almost taunted Roman Abramovich with his statements until a 2-1 loss to Leicester proved to be the final straw. Midfielder Cesc Fabregas recently cited Mourinho’s relaxed approach to the latest preseason as a major reason behind the team’s poor campaign.
Taking over at the New Year period, Guus Hiddink’s appointment as caretaker was meant to re-stabilise the team. In his second stint in this role the Dutchman continued what was unbeaten Premier League run with the Blues, this time spanning 14 games from late December until April. Had the earlier season not gone so poorly this achievement probably would have garnered more praise, yet even with only three losses in the League since 2016 began Chelsea only just scrapped into the top-half of the table come May and failed to make any meaningful impact in Europe.
Key player – Willian
Maybe the only member of the team who came into the season ready to defend the title, Willian clearly stole the spotlight among a near-invisible team. The Brazilian’s tireless charging down the wing was often the only real source of threat for Chelsea and his 11 goals and seven assists for the season saved much more embarrassment for the club. It is a true shame that his efforts so often went to waste due to the underwhelming showings of those around him.
Offseason recruitment
With incoming manager Antonio Conte still to focus on Euro 2016, the names he will target when arriving at Stamford Bridge could change. However, there have been continuous links to Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, who could be offered a big money deal to come to South London, while AS Roma’s Radja Nainggolan is also said to be a favourite of the Italian coach.
Grade
Chelsea players, staff and fans alike will all be happy to see the close of 2015-16, finishing outside of the top six for the first time in 20 years and in the lowest spot of any title-holding team in the Premier League era. Giving up the English title with a whimper and failing to make any impact in Europe has left the Blues at their lowest point in recent memory and an agonising wait lies ahead before the process of rebuilding can begin under Conte.
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