Premier League Run home: In brief

7 Rounds to go and the deep end of the season now begins, but there's still enough intrigue at the top and as always the bottom of the table to keep fans interested, here we sum up very briefly each premier league teams chances

1.Manchester United (76pts)

Sir Alex has done it again, 5 points ahead of the Manchester neighbours, everything has came together nicely.  Just need to keep doing what they've done so far, winning against every team that comes up against them, the defence even minus Vidic is holding up well and De Gea is looking better by the week.  Besides Man City the only teams that could cause trouble for Man United are Sunderland away and possibly Everton. The title looks all but assured now however.

2. Manchester City (71)

Need to rely on Manchester United dropping games, and not just the blockbuster at the Etihad.  That's also assuming all the remaining games are won which is no foregone conclusion with the on-fire Arsenal at the Emirates.  Going to really regret the dropped points against Stoke city, Sunderland and Swansea the three big 'S''s.  Need Aguero back and Silva to rediscover his old form because City are in a lull which will more than likely cost them the title.

3.Arsenal (58)

Need to shore up 3rd place to once again travel to Europe.  As much as people rave about Ferguson from less resources what Wenger does with his team is just as incredible. Champions league football will keep on Van Persie and next season who knows?  Should be able to finish top 4.

4.Tottenham (58)

Still playing cracking football, with class such as Bale, Modric and Adebayor and the magnificent management of 'Arry will stave off Chelsea and Newcastle to return to Champions League football.

5.Chelsea (53)

Undergone a resurgence under Di Matteo of all people but won't be enough for him to keep his job or enough for Chelsea to make Champions League football in all likelihood.  The treasured competition Europa beckons...

6.Newcastle (53)

Have pulled many surprises this season, excellently managed by Pardew, finishing 6th a great result to set up a real play for next season.

7.Everton (43)

Surely David Moyes has got to be headhunted by Tottenham or Chelsea for their next manager?  Just does it week-in, week out, probably won't hold off Liverpool but who knows?

8.Liverpool (42)

Been a disappointing premiership, but Kenny Daglish should do enough to put them above rivals Everton, with a FA Cup and Carling Cup a consolation.

9.Sunderland (41)

Have played better than they're results have shown, will stay at 9th.

10.Fulham (39)

Difficult run home, will drop down the table

11. Swansea (39)

Playing beautiful football, will run home their impressive season by finishing in the top10

12. Norwich (39)

Must be cursing their run home, but enough to stay up though will drop a bit down the ladder

13. Stoke City (38)

Whatever you say about the way they play it's effective and will rise to 11th-12th in all likelihood.

14. West Bromwich (36)

Will snatch enough points to just about stay where they are

15. Aston Villa (33)

The luck has not been on Mcleish's mens side but will be worried with a horrible run home

16. Bolton (29)

Will get enough enough points to avoid relegation.

17. Queens Park Rangers (28)

Horrible horrible run home.  Hughe's men will be cursing their luck.  Hard to pick but expect them just to scrape through.

18. Blackburn (28)

Might be leaving it too late, if can beat West Brom, Norwich and Wigan will survive.

19. Wigan (28)

Have been great to watch, will be sad to see them go down

20. Wolverhampton Wolves (22)

Are gone.

Chelsea manager rollcall during Roman Abromovich's reign

Chelsea managers June 2003-March 2012

Claudio Ranieri

Games: 200
Games won: 107


Jose Mourhino

Games: 185
Games won: 124

Trophies: 2005-2006 Premier League champions, 2007 FA Cup

Avram Grant

 Games:54
Games won: 36

Trophies: (although Champions League final)

Luiz Felipe Scholari

Games: 36
Games won: 20


Ray Wilkins

 Games: 1
Games won: 1


Guus Hiddink

Games: 22
Games won: 16

Trophies: 2009 FA Cup

Carlo Ancelotti

Games: 109
Games won: 67

Trophies: 2010 Premier League Champions, 2010 FA Cup

Andre Villas-Boas

Games: 38
Games won: 19


Roberto di Matteo 

???

To be honest, Villas-boas should have been given more time, but then again he shouldn't be there because Ancelotti is management royalty and after bagging Chelsea their first double his lack of success in the Champions League told. Though like Mourinho he's already won a Champions League.

ps-I promise this is my last post on Chelsea for awhile
pps-I don't want to seem like I'm out and out bagging the guy, I don't agree with his decisions on Managers but he has brought a lot of success to the club, financial stability, memories that will stay with Chelsea supporters forever and also stopped Manchester United winning more and more trophies, because their financial dominance for too long was overbearing.

Roman's Chelsea claims another victim

So obviously the news is everywhere that Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea has fired yet another coach.  Unmercilessly the "next big thing" Andre Villas-Boas wasn't even given the opportunity to see out the season, even though Chelsea (albeit probably not much longer) are still alive in the Champions League and can still make the top 4 in the premier league.

The season has been a shambles, but not as much as the coaching merry go round.  AVB should've been given more time, but also so should have Ancelotti and really so should have Mourinho.  Even before then.  Barcelona won't win La Liga this season but Guardiola's job isn't in any trouble, in fact is being allegedly chased by Chelsea! When will this coaching merry go round end?  Sure the money is good but who would take the position when even one bad run will see you fired?  Maybe Roman needs to look at the real cause of the problem.

Why Chelsea (and Roman) should persist with André Villas-Boas

Chelsea around 18 months ago were on top of the world.  Or at least England.  The recent Double winners (the first time in their history) were being coached by one of the best managers in England in Ancelotti, the team was playing entertaining, high scoring and attacking football with scores showing their dominance in competition.  Then it all fell away.  They had a horrible run near the end of 2010 till 2011, didn't progress in the Champions League and spent a 50 million pound transfer fee (a record in English football for Torres) on one of the world's brightest stars who could not the find the net in a better squad.

Meanwhile a new manager at Porto, ironically enough Mourinho's start in top line management was also starting to make a mark, Andre-villas Boas (or AVB). But enough about the Mourinho comparisons and the fact he worked under him in a fair bit of his success. In his first season as manager of Porto they won 4 titles, the Portuguese Supercup, the Portugues Premiera Liga, the Portugues Cup and most importantly of all the UEFA Europa Cup the second biggest European competition outside the Champions League.  It was this that really brought him to everyones attention on the world stage. 


Porto played an entertaining brand of football also with exceptional defence that allowed them to remain undefeated throughout the season.  It was no surprise that notoriously restless Abramovich moved Ancelotti on and then splurged out the highest transfer fee for a manger in history to lure AVB down to Stamford Bridge.

When signed he seemed a breath of fresh air, combative, emotional highly studios and intelligent, but since the start of the season things haven't gone the way they promised.  Chelsea is in 5th position, unable to compete with the top 3 clubs in the league and dropping points against teams from eminently winnable positions. There are rifts within the squad and rumours of disenchantment with the manager, publicly from the likes of Chelsea legends such as Lampard and Anelka, the free-flowing style does not seem to be netting results and dammit Torres just cant seem to fire.

But despite the fact that firing AVB now will be the most expensive 1 season by a manager for a very long time,  the fact is that Chelsea is a team in transition.  Ultimately this is a team still slowly shedding the shells of mourinho's powerful consecutive Premier League winning team.  Some of the young players brought in such as Mata and Sturridge do genuinely look the future of the club and up to it.  Drogba, Lampard and Terry are still excellent players some of the best in England but eventually they will have to be moved on and results will suffer, because you can't lose quality such as that and expect a dip.   And it seems AVB is aware of this hence why the controversial benching of Drogba and Lampard which don't seem to help results but are a statement to the future.  A game one day hoped to be melded on the lovely Barcelona passing game. Lampard and Terry since being English are club legends so to keep them around would be a good idea but perhaps if Drogba wants good game time perhaps moving him on while his currency is still good could be an option.  What a player though.  AVB is slowly learning on the jobs, more about how to treat personalities in addition to tactics but if he lasts till next season the fruits of his labour might begin to ripen.