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The New Year did not start well for Chelsea, with a last minute equaliser from Southend forcing a replay in the FA Cup third round tie, an extra fixture that an injury stretched squad and an under pressure manager could scarcely afford to concede.
Things went from bad to worse the following weekend when Chelsea was thoroughly embarrassed at Old Trafford. Manchester United's 3-0 victory was barely contested by Chelsea, whose frustration was evident to any spectator.
The cup replay was another poor game for Chelsea. They went behind on a goal which resulted from a Southend corner, one of about 14 conceded by Chelsea in the whole match.
Going in at half time 1-0 down may have been the final blow for the Blues but the intervention of Michael Ballack on the stroke of half time gave them an inch of breathing room.
Chelsea dominated the second half as the League One side failed to match their fitness levels, and went on to win the game 4-1. However, it was by no means an easy victory.
Chelsea's Premier League form was no better, with a 2-1 victory at home to Stoke made much more difficult that it needed to be. With numerous chances squandered by the home side, Stoke took the lead on the 60th minute and looked very much like getting the win.
The attitude towards the manager had been frosty at best, but that game turned it toward outright hostility as Scolari failed to make any changes to the failing tactics of the team.
Belletti's goal in the 88th minute to salvage what fans thought was a point, brought jubilation.
When Lampard's winner went in in the 94th minute it felt like we'd won a cup.
In the fourth round of the FA Cup, Chelsea were once again at home to lower league opposition, this time in the form of Championship side Ipswich Town. Once again the sides were level at 1-1 at half time.
Again, it was the fitness levels, as well as Frank Lampard and a Michael Ballack double, that saw the game end 3-1 to Chelsea.
It was looking as if there was no longer anything particularly special about a side which last season had competed in one of the best Champions League Finals in living memory, and had battled back to contest a league that had seemed all but lost.
A 2-0 home win against Middlesboro was followed by a 2-0 loss at Anfield, a result which saw even third place in the league looking doubtful, as Chelsea's performances continued their downhill slide.
Finally, a stalemate at home to Premiership newcomers Hull City broke the camel's back, and Luiz Felipe Scolari was relieved of his duties as first team coach. He became the third manager to part company with the club in two years.
One of his last actions as coach had been to sign Ricardo Quaresma on a half-season loan from Inter Milan. This seemed to me to be a work of genius, as he is an exciting player who would have brought an extra dimension to a side that looked flat at best.
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