11 Chelsea Fans On What's Gone Wrong This Season And How To Fix It

Should he stay or should he go?

1. Chelsea Chadder, Chelsea blogger: "Mourinho must drop out-of-form players and give youth a chance."

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The problem:

The preparation during preseason may have gone to plan for Mourinho, but not for the players. Some came back looking overweight and out of practice.

I think Chelsea's poor start is mainly down to individual errors by a number of players due to a lack of concentration. Loyalty is rare in football but Mourinho has shown his trust in his players. However, a lack of competition outside the first XI doesn't give players a lot of extra incentive to "wake up".

The solution:

It is important that the club stick with Mourinho but Jose must start (and continue) to drop players out of form. We have some exciting young prospects who a lot of CFC fans would love to see given a run of games. This puts needed pressure on established players who have won so many honours in their careers. Now it is time to build hunger, just like in 2004.

(Follow Chelsea Chadder on Twitter)

2. Kristian Sturt, UK football writer and Chelsea fan: "We regressed over the summer."

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The problem:

If we, as Chelsea fans, can take one positive from this dire run of form, it's that we now have an answer to the chant, "Where were you when you were shit?"

As one of those "rare" specimens that actually existed pre-Abramovich, I'm not going anywhere. More importantly neither are the other vocal contingent whose support of Chelsea and the manager during this tough time has been sensational.

I think the one key area many have overlooked when it comes to the failures this season is that Chelsea arguably regressed in the summer transfer market.

Remember when Mourinho identified the two key positions he required in 2014/15 and he signed Costa and Fabregas without too many issues? This summer, Chelsea signed Falcao, a striker so out of form one could argue we'd be better with 10, and to sum it all up, Papy Djilobodji, who apparently now only has two wishes left in his magic lamp.

The solution:

The way to fix it, for me, is upheaval from within:

* Sack technical director Michael Emenalo

* Bring through youth players PROPERLY to give first-team underperformers a scare

* Warn Mourinho that continued media controversies could cost him his job

Make these changes and we'll be top in no time. Simple, right? Where do I sign…?

(Follow Kristian on Twitter)

3. Mark Treadwell, writer for "PrideOfLondon": "The warning signs of the end of last season weren't heeded."

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The problem:

There is no doubt in my mind that last season's Premier League triumph took its toll. Chelsea laboured to the title, the warning signs weren't heeded.

We also really needed to strengthen the first team in the summer, to ensure that complacency didn't settle in. Willian has clearly prospered on the back of Pedro's addition, but players such as Terry, Ivanovic, Hazard, Matic, Fabregas, and Costa have appeared to rest on their laurels, with no obvious competition in sight.

Mourinho must also share in the blame, however. It is the manager's responsibility to identify and correct instances of poor form.

The solution:

It's a very easy and obvious solution to say that signing new players is the answer, but given that Mourinho relied so heavily on a select few last year and no competition for places has been added this year, it is clear that this would give the current squad that much needed impetus.

I also think that we have some fantastic youth products coming through and I firmly believe that the added confidence that they would bring would re-energise the first team.

(Follow Mark on Twitter)

4. "ChelseaDaft", longrunning Chelsea blogger: "It's a culmination of many factors."

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The problem:

It's a culmination of many factors.

From being unfit at the start of the season, Eva-gate, key players suffering a drawn-out hangover from last season resulting in a drop in form, confidence, mistakes that are punished in almost every single game, and a manager under fire with what seems like one situation after the next, Chelsea have literally unravelled in front of our eyes from the celebrated champions they were last season!

The solution:

How do you fix it? Well, of late our performances are getting better and that's because some of our key players are getting back to where they need to be (Hazard and Matic). The others now need to do the same.

However, in times such as these where we are looking to inject some inspiration into a side languishing in the Premier League, Jose Mourinho has to consider Ruben Loftus-Cheek now more than ever.

Chelsea are in trouble but have the quality to turn things around. The thing is, we've been saying that for a while now, haven't we!

(Follow ChelseaDaft on Twitter)

5. Joe Krishnan, journalist and Chelsea fan: "Mourinho should go back to basics."

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The problem:

It's difficult to understand the fall from grace Chelsea have experienced this season. After all, this is almost the same squad – with the exception of stalwarts Petr Cech and Didier Drogba – which breezed comfortably to their fourth Premier League title.

Jose Mourinho is as much to blame as the players. Complacency crept in as early as pre-season when the players were given an extra week off, with players such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa appearing unfit.

Mourinho's off-field antics have certainly not helped, but the players should know by now that Chelsea is no ordinary club and get on with their own jobs. It's hard enough to perform well when one or two of your top players are struggling, but Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic, and John Terry have all been off-colour this season.

The solution:

Performances of late have improved, but results should be the only important thing to Chelsea right now. Mourinho should go back to basics, ditch the high line, and motivate his players to perform once again.

(Follow Joe on Twitter)

6. Rowanne Westhenry, freelance football writer and Chelsea fan: "Oscar should drop deep, and Fabregas should play the No.10 role."

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The problem:

Several players had a slow start to the season for one reason or another (Cesc Fabregas has a new baby being one example), but the impact that their not turning up for the first few games had on the results has shaken the confidence of the whole squad.

Losing the multilingual Petr Cech from the dressing room has also had a detrimental effect. Jose laying into the referees has definitely played a part, as decisions have gone against us that might not have before. Ultimately, the squad is still in transition while Jose is building his second dynasty on a considerably smaller budget, but things should not be as bad as they are right now.

The solution:

There isn't really an instant fix for these problems, but there are some plasters that could be applied. Jose should keep absolutely schtum and refuse to comment on any refereeing performances until another manager sticks their head above the parapet and takes some heat off him.

Tactically, Oscar should move to a deep-lying playmaker role with Fabregas as the No. 10. Scoring more goals than whoever we're playing would also help.

(Follow Rowanne on Twitter)

7. Nick Thompson, Chelsea fan who runs the "OhDennisWise" blog: "I back Mourinho to prove his doubters wrong."

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The problem:

Chelsea were one of the most exciting, expansive teams for half of last season. That's why we're champions! We've been trying to recapture that form throughout 2015, though, culminating in a catastrophic start to this season.

Players who were untouchable, due to their performances at the beginning of last season, have been stuttering through 2015. Mourinho's trust is hard to earn. Ask Lukaku. Ask De Bruyne. Ask Schürrle. There's a lengthy list of top players who couldn't establish themselves. But when he trusts you, he protects you.

Considering how we cantered to the title last season, confidence is remarkably low and players aren't grasping responsibility. We're making so many mistakes and, despite an embarrassment of creative players, we're predictable and fail to create clear chances.

The solution:

Mourinho needs to ruthlessly cut inconsistent, underperforming players and allow others time to earn his trust. That might be academy stars, like Loftus-Cheek; players who impress on loan, like Kalas; or strengthening, when possible, with truly outstanding players like Varane or Verratti.

However, I back Mourinho, his track record, and his burning desire to prove his doubters wrong. I can live without trophies for a year as long as we come back stronger…

(Follow Nick on Twitter)

8. Richard Beech, BuzzFeed Sports Editor: "Fabregas's recent comments show the club is moving forward."

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The problem:

Watching from the point of view as a neutral this season, Chelsea's problems seemed to peak around the time they lost to Southampton. There have been plenty of promising signs after that, and I think the way (most) Chelsea fans have taken it on the chin has been pretty admirable.

That said, Chelsea's results haven't improved since they got dominated by Southampton, and that's the key thing...obviously. I don't think they've had an unfair share of refereeing decisions go against them, and I think Mourinho tried to publicly use that excuse to distract focus away from the problems in the dressing room.

And there were big problems in the dressing room: Clearly the players weren't motivated at all, which is unforgivable at Premier League and Champions League level. It's obviously the manager's job to motivate them, but the players need to understand that fans pay increasing sums of money to come and watch them every season, and that's why they, as players, are rewarded so handsomely.

The solution:

In terms of putting that right, I honestly think the wheels are already in motion. Fabregas coming out and saying that there isn't a dressing room revolt is an important step – it shows that there is some choreography behind the scenes and that the players, club, and manager see themselves as a unit once again.

Stick with Mourinho, and focus on getting up the table.

9. Adam Loew, US-born Chelsea fan based in Sweden: "Mourinho and Hazard are still the right men for the job."

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The problem:

I think the biggest reason for Chelsea's lack of success this season is because there have been no large changes in the Chelsea squad or tactics. At the beginning of last season, Chelsea made large signings in the form of Fabregas and Costa.

This season, Chelsea's signings have been only signed for cover and for the future.

Besides signings, tactics are another issue. Last year, Chelsea began the season with a new style of play. It was a fast, attacking brand of football that was very uncommon of a Mourinho side. The "park the bus" memes finally left for a little bit.

However, when Chelsea lost 5-3 to Tottenham on the New Year (or sometime around that), tactics went back to the usual: Sit back and defend, and then play on the counter.

The solution:

I believe Jose is the man to turn it all around, and if the team and especially Hazard step up like they did against Stoke (even though Chelsea lost), Chelsea can make a resurgence as one of the strongest teams in the Premier League and hopefully the world.

(Follow Adam on Twitter)

10. Alex Finnis, BuzzFeed writer and Chelsea fan: "We didn't make the right signings."

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The problem:

There is a whole list of things that have gone wrong this season that have kind of just been snowballing. It began with starting preseason too late and being underprepared, then we didn't make the signings we should have in the transfer market (Stones and Pogba would have made a huge difference).

The whole doctor thing was a massive fuck-up and Mourinho did make mistakes there, but key players have been massively underperforming and every time it looks like a bit of confidence might be coming back it gets shot down again.

The solution:

We've got a fairly nice run of games coming up now, so a couple of wins and I think we'll start to climb back up the table.

However badly this season has gone so far, the most important thing is that Jose Mourinho is still in charge next season. This season is basically a write-off in terms of trophies now, so the best thing we can do is try to scrape into the top four, make sure our best-ever manager is still leading us, and to address our problems properly and start again next year.

(Follow Alex on Twitter)

11. Alex Fenwick, Chelsea fan based in Bristol: "It's all about Jose, so let's get behind him and get him back to his best."

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The problem:

Forget poorly planned preseason, key players losing their legs, lack of transfer support from the board; I think the major impact on our season has been Jose.

He's unique and whenever he joins a club, you see the magnitude of the impact he has almost immediately. His reputation (and ego) demands that every player commits to him 100% and in return you're virtually guaranteed silverware.

As Jose demands so much attention from his players, those reactions translate across the whole squad. When he's at "Full Mourinho" you see them going into every game and dominating, but this season has seen the opposite and the negative aspects of his behaviour have been adopted on the pitch with players either erratically lashing out in the game or them having no invention at all.

The solution:

If we want to get out of this, we've got to continue vocally showing support for Jose like last week against Kiev. He is one of the best in the world and when we get through this, he'll have learnt a lot from the experience and we'll benefit from it. I know we lost against Stoke at the weekend but we started to play like the old Chelsea and I think it's only a matter of time before we're into full swing again.

(Follow Alex on Twitter)