Chelsea came into this season with the knowledge that their side finished second last term but that their side was also aging, but with a huge shift in managerial guidance the club look to have lost their killer instinct since they won the Premier League title themselves two seasons ago.

Bringing in a relatively new manager following only one appointment in his career, Andre Villas Boas was tipped to become the new Jose Mourinho after spending time under his guidance, many even going as far as saying that his analytical mindset would enable him to surpass the love for Mourinho at the club.

High hopes have clearly been turned into low expectation as the club fail to keep pace with Tottenham in third place this season and with a seven point gap seperating them from their London rivals and both Manchester clubs even further ahead, you have to see that Chelsea are fighting for little more than a Champions League finishing position thanks to their tired looking squad and they lack of quality at the times that the club need it most.

Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard are just a few of the aging stars that helped to secure the Premier League crown for the Stamford Bridge outfit two seasons ago but even their best efforts this term have failed to give the Blues anything to shout about.

£50 million man Fernando Torres has again failed to prove his price tag and the fans are becoming quickly tired of his lackluster performances that continue to see the former Liverpool hitman find scoring form, so you can assume that the club will be looking to recoup what they can for the Spaniard once they finish this season.

Manager Villas Boas was knowingly in the market for a new forward during the transfer window but no deal was struck and the Portuguese boss will be forced to continue to utilise his OAP side for the remainder of season, something that will be sure to add even more strain on his position as Chelsea boss following previous form that has shown that owner Roman Abramovich is not one to settle for anything less than silverware.

With a clear need to spend during the summer, players that are well known within the club are thought to be set for the axe as the club battles to keep the pace with free spending counterparts that are already investing within their youth and therefore their future.

The London based side look to be playing for little more than pride for the rest of this season with limited opportunity to be able to make a name for themselves within the silverware stakes but does Villas Boas have a magic analytical plan that could prove us all wrong?

The Blues meet reigning champions Manchester United in a match that could well result in their failings to compete on the larger scale, so Villas Boas will be looking to prevent any loss of points but their recent run of form seems to side with Manchester United for this one.