“Well placed sources close to the players” – usually the players themselves or their agents – are already getting their excuses in early to friendly football reporters as the blame game swings into action.

Some of the older guard at the club are believed to be concerned that Villas Boas has never played professional football.

That old chestnut is often rolled out by players who seem to not be playing the game themselves as results wobble.

The brutal fact is that the new Chelsea manager inherited a team which was creaking a bit in key areas and isn’t up to matching other top sides at the attractive football the owner demands.

All this leaves Roman Abramovich with a few tough decisions to make

The next transfer window will see how keen he still is to dominate English football after a few barren years where the competition has not only caught up but left Chelsea in the rear view mirror.

But it should be business at usual at the Bridge this weekend with Wolves the visitors.

Chelsea are in a slump but things haven’t got that bad they have to worry about Mick McCarthy’s men.

We’ll have a look elsewhere for a decent punt this weekend and I fancy the form horses of Man City and Spurs to pull off away wins.

Man City are odds against away at Liverpool and  I’ll say this not very quietly – when Mancini’s boys are odds against lump on, because you won’t see it happen again.

Spurs are odds on to beat West Brom – but in my book that is buying money.

So let’s lump the two together with Paddy Power and the win double pays a shade over 7/2 which is a price no one can resist.

I’m getting bullish here – but that’s nearly 5x your money on a  banker bet and that’s got to be a worth a few bob of anyone’s cash.