Sharethematch.com ambassador Andy Gray was talking exclusively to South West Londoner….
IF CHELSEA fans are sitting there thinking it is inconceivable to think they will not be without Champions League football next season, let me just say one word of warning – Liverpool.
When you look at a club like Chelsea, it’s stature and the success they have had in recent seasons you almost expect them to be in Europe’s top competition.
But then everyone thought that about Liverpool until a few seasons back, so that has taught us that you can’t take anything for granted.
The simple facts are if you don’t get enough points and you don’t win enough games in this league then you’re not going to be playing Champions League football and if Chelsea don’t play well enough then they will miss out.
If they do miss out then it will be because that’s all they deserve – they will have only themselves to blame.
Nobody has a divine right to Champions League football whoever you are – Liverpool taught us that.
But teams like Tottenham, Manchester City and Newcastle are putting pressure on the so-called big four and saying ‘OK, let’s see who’s still got it, we feel better and we feel that we can challenge’ and that’s what we’re going to do.
At this time of the year all you want if for your team to perform, and with Chelsea’s personnel, if they do that then they will have no problem.
The tricky thing is that they have obviously got their eye on the league, the F.A Cup and the Champions League which can be tricky.
Tottenham on the other hand, seemingly their biggest rivals, have got less to be worry about and you would think that they were better placed to finish with Champions League football.
However, I was a little surprised with Harry Redknapp’s team in the 2-1 defeat to Norwich though, resting one or two stars like Rafael Van Der Vaart who has been in great form of late.
Harry took a gamble and left a few out and I think they paid for that and it cost them. I would have thought the Champions League position was more important than the F.A Cup but maybe for Harry the F.A Cup’s more important.
Who knows, but all I would say is that with Newcastle having well and truly put themselves in the mix, Chelsea can certainly take nothing for granted in the last few weeks of the season.
Andy Gray is an official ambassador for Sharethematch.com – Football’s Social Network. Available now for FREE online or at the App Store; http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/share-the-match/id450784289?mt=8
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