Wilkins sacking sparks Chelsea downfall

Chelsea won a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009/10 but Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti still lost his job last month after the Blues failed to win a trophy last season.

Club owner Roman Abramovich was unhappy with the team’s results last season as Chelsea again failed to give the Russian billionaire the prize he craves most... the Champions League.

Chelsea yesterday named Andre Villas-Boas, formerly of Porto, as their new coach but they could struggle to fill the void left by former assistant coach Ray Wilkins whose sacking in mid-season shook the squad to its very core.

Wilkins was Chelsea through and through, a never-say-die fan of the Blues.

The opening phase of the season augured well for Chelsea who won five straight matches and scored 21 goals in the process.

Then came the unexpected dismissal of Wilkins and his exit preceded a dismal patch for the Blues, the club’s worst run in the league for 14 years.

In the January transfer window, the Blues signed Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool for a British transfer record fee and defender David Luiz from Benfica.

Torres failed to impress but he didn’t have the support he had during his best years with Liverpool. On the contrary, Luiz became an instant hero with his passing and will to find the back of the net.

Captain John Terry and Frank Lampard chalked up 500 appearances for the club.

Everton fans described the 2010/11 campaign as yet another season in which their team failed to deliver a trophy or break into the top four.

A cup victory is a realistic target for the Merseyside Blues but to qualify for the Champions League, manager David Moyes needs more cash to bolster his squad.

Given their limited resources, Everton did well to finish seventh in the Premier League last season. Although Moyes failed to sign any big names, he did succeed in keeping the core of his squad intact.

Players like Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines and Mikel Arteta have agreed to stay with Everton next season. Yet, Moyes faces a tough task to keep the trio at Goodison Park in the long term.

The only consolation for Everton last season was their positive record against Merseyside rivals Liverpool. The Toffees won 2-0 at home and shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

In the qualifying phase of the Champions League, Chelsea attained the highest number of points among the five British clubs. They topped their group with 15 points after winning five games and losing one.

In the knock-out stage, Chelsea obtained an easy win over Danish side FC Copenhagen but went down to Premier League rivals Manchester United 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

In their defence of the FA Cup, the Londoners lost in round four to Everton in a penalty shoot-out (3-4). In the League Cup, they crashed 3-4 to Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

Everton were full of confidence after eliminating holders Chelsea. But Reading shocked the Blues with a 1-0 win at Goodison Park in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Their stay in the League Cup was very short as Everton bowed out to lowly Brentford away 3-4 in a penalty shoot-out in round three.

Premier League results

Chelsea
August − Home vs West Brom 6-0 (Malouda 2, Drogba 3, Lampard).
Away vs Wigan 6-0 (Malouda, Anelka 2, Kalou 2, Benayoun).
Home vs Stoke 2-0 (Malouda, Drogba pen).

September − Away vs West Ham 3-1 (Essien 2, Kalou).
Home vs Blackpool 4-0 (Kalou, Malouda 2, Drogba),
Away vs Manchester City 0-1.

October − Home vs Arsenal 2-0 (Drogba, Alex).
Away vs Aston Villa 0-0.
Home vs Wolves 2-0 (Malouda, Kalou).
Away vs Blackburn 2-1 (Anelka, Ivanovic).

November − Away vs Liverpool 0-2.
Home vs Fulham 1-0 (Essien).
Home vs Sunderland 0-3.
Away vs Birmingham 0-1.
Away vs Newcastle 1-1 (Kalou).

Decemeber − Home vs Everton 1-1 (Drogba pen).
Away vs Tottenham 1-1 (Drogba).
Away vs Arsenal 1-3 (Ivanovic).
Home vs Bolton 1-0 (Malouda).

January − Home vs Aston Villa 3-3 (Lampard pen, Drogba, Terry).
Away vs Wolves 0-1.
Home vs Blackburn 2-0 (Ivanovic, Anelka).
Home vs Bolton 4-0 (Drogba, Malouda, Anelka, Ramirez).

February − Away vs Sunderland 4-2 (Lampard pen, Kalou, Terry, Anelka).
Home vs Liverpool 0-1.
Away vs Fulham 0-0.

March − Home vs Manchester United 2-1 (Luiz, Lampard pen).
Away vs Blackpool 3-1 (Terry, Lampard 2, 1 pen).
Home vs Man. City 2-0 (Luiz, Ramirez).

April − Away vs Stoke 1-1 (Drogba).
Home vs Wigan 1-0 (Malouda).
Away vs West Brom 3-1 (Drogba, Kalou, Lampard).
Home vs Birmingham 3-1 (Malouda 2, Kalou).
Home vs West Ham 3-0 (Lampard, Torres, Malouda).
Home vs Tottenham 2-1 (Lampard, Kalou).

May − Away vs Man. Utd 1-2 (Lampard).
Home vs Newcastle 2-2 (Ivanovic, Alex).
Away vs Everton 0-1.

Everton
August − Away vs Blackburn 0-1.
Home vs Wolves 1-1 (Cahill).
Away vs Aston Villa 0-1.

September − Home vs Manchester United 3-3 (Pienaar, Cahill, Arteta).
Home vs Newcastle 0-1.
Away vs Fulham 0-0.

October − Away vs Birmingham 2-0 (Johnson og, Cahill).
Home vs Liverpool 2-0 (Cahill, Arteta).
Away vs Tottenham 1-1 (Baines).
Home vs Stoke 1-0 (Yakubu).

November − Away vs Blackpool 2-2 (Cahill, Coleman).
Home vs Bolton 1-1 (Beckford).
Home vs Arsenal 1-2 (Cahill).
Away vs Sunderland 2-2 (Cahill, Arteta).
Home vs West Brom 1-4 (Cahill).

December − Away vs Chelsea 1-1 (Beckford).
Home vs Wigan 0-0.
Away vs Manchester City 2-1 (Cahill, Baines).
Away vs West Ham 1-1 (Coleman).

January − Away vs Stoke 0-2.
Home vs Tottenham 2-1 (Saha, Coleman).
Away vs Liverpool 2-2 (Distin, Beckford).
Home vs West Ham 2-2 (Bilyaletdinov, Fellaini).

February − Away vs Arsenal 1-2 (Saha).
Home vs Blackpool 5-3 (Saha 4, Beckford).
Away vs Bolton 0-2.
Home vs Sunderland 2-0 (Beckford 2).

March − Away vs Newcastle 2-1 (Osman, Jagielka).
Home vs Birmingham 1-1 (Heitinga).
Home vs Fulham 2-1 (Coleman, Saha).

April − Home vs Aston Villa 2-2 (Osman, Baines pen).
Away vs Wolves 3-0 (Beckford, Neville, Bilyaletdinov).
Home vs Blackburn 2-0 (Osman, Baines pen).
Away vs Manchester United 0-1.
Away vs Wigan 1-1 (Baines pen).

May − Home vs Manchester City 2-1 (Distin, Osman).
Away vs West Brom 0-1.
Home vs Chelsea 1-0 (Beckford).