I don't reckon Chelsea would have got 3rd with RDM in charge. No matter how you look at it, 3rd place, Europa final win possibly I'm sure will have pleased Roman. They looked like they'd finish behind Spurs, Arsenal and Everton not long ago.
RDM's worst result was drawing away at QPR, Rafa's was losing at home to the same team... etc, etc. Rafa has played just over double the number of games, and won exactly double the number of games, he's lost just over double the number of games, this is a worse record.
Almost all teams with smaller and cheaper squads drop off, the smaller and cheaper, generally the worse and earlier their form collapses. West brom first, then Everton, then Spurs..... its the same every single season basically.
Chelsea haven't actually been outside the top 4 this season, at any stage, they started the "poor" form under RDM in 1st, and ended it in 3rd, and have been between 3-4 all season since then.
There has been no indication at any stage this year they'd finish outside the top 4, they've been third more than Arsenal or Spurs and its been Arsenal/Spurs fighting for the 4th place spot for quite some time. Of the 4 games RDM lost/drew in the poor run, not one of them was an unbelievable or shocking result, Swansea away, Liverpool home, West Brom(in their first half season form) and Utd aren't easy games at all. Play the same 4 games after Swansea are safe and won a cup, Liverpool, utd with the title all but sewn up, and West brom in diabolical form... they become far far easier games.
Chelsea gave up on the league last year to win a CL final, and still came higher up the table than any other team doing the same could. Arsenal were 7th without much of the season to go and the smaller teams fell apart, even Spurs fell apart... 143mil wage bill and squad size vs 90mil will do that.
Chelsea never looked in any trouble at any stage, except Rafa's first 3 games, where he got just 2 points. after 7 games without a win, read that carefully, having played only 8 games before, after 7 further games without a win they were...... 3rd. People are acting like it was Chelsea of last year, struggling under AVB, and then focusing entirely on the one cup they haven't won and struggling to 6th in the league, not a single second of this season has resembled that at all.
Put another way, AVB was fired las tyear after a record of 3 losses, 3 wins and 6 draws in the previous 12 games. RDM was fired after a record of 7 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws in the previous 11 games.... joke. That record would have them exactly where they are now over the course of 38 games. They were 3rd and some bad luck(and some cheating.. Suarez shove) when RDM got fired, they were in ridiculously worse form and 5th when AVB got fired.
RDM got far far more points in the final 11 games he had last year, than the previous 12 under AVB, this year Rafa hasn't improved on RDM's record at all, which was also improved compared to the 11 games he had last year.
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