Chelsea FC: 5 Reasons They Should Not Be Considered Title Race Underdogs

When you speak to fans of the English Premier League nowadays, most wax lyrical about the free-flowing football of Manchester United and the host of stars in the Manchester City squad.

No one except for me, it seems, believes Chelsea are even within a shout of winning the Barclays Premier League this year.

That could be a signal. Am I crazy? Well, crazy people don't know they're going crazy, so I can't be crazy. But let me give you a few reasons as to why I think you'd be crazy to rule Chelsea out of the title race.

1. Andre Villas-Boas

In my opinion, Abramovich will be declared officially mad if he doesn't stick it out with this one.

To pay a £13.3m release clause for a manager shows an incredible sign of faith. It also brings with it an incredible sense of pressure.

He is the youngest manager ever to win the UEFA Europa League and third youngest man to win the Portuguese top division. If that's not raw potential, I don't know what is. 

The football he encourages is attractive, and having been a Jose Mourinho understudy, you can bet his management skills are up to scratch—something he will need with Chelsea's star-studded squad.

2. New Signings Look to Be Good Purchases

By Chelsea's standards, it was not the craziest summer in recent years, but it was still a very effective one in my opinion. The core of the squad remains together and untouched and some new additions have been made.

The marquee addition of the summer was Juan Manuel Mata from Valencia. He made the perfect start to ease his high transfer fee pressure with a goal in his debut. It is more or less common knowledge that the guy is a super player.

Raul Meireles joined in the closing stages of the window and will do well for Chelsea. The Portuguese connections will help him to prosper, and that long range shot in his locker will excite the fans. 

3. Youth Influx Is Promising

Chelsea's contingent of promising young stars is growing all the time; this summer, Andre Villas-Boas made two quality additions.

Never mind the fact that the Blues already have Daniel Sturridge, Josh McEachran and Ryan Bertrand progressing nicely, they've just bought Oriol Romeu and Romelu Lukaku as well.

Not too much is known about Romeu, but fans must not believe him to be a Barcelona outcast. There is a buy-back clause in his contract if he happens to excel. To be fair, Barcelona's central midfield just could not accomodate any more stars.

Lukaku, by the looks of things, is a one-off human being. At just 18, he's taller and more muscular than almost every Premier League footballer and has the attributes to be a world beater. Congratulations Chelsea for landing this one.

4. First-Team Squad Is Still Brilliant

With all the new signings at Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, Chelsea's current first-team squad has slipped under the radar a bit. But don't forget that the first team still possesses huge quality.

Petr Cech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba et al are all still world class players. Some criticise the age of the squad, but they are not too old; they are seasoned professionals.

Andre Villas-Boas has brought in some very good youth prospects to complement the experience in the squad, and it looks to be incredibly well-balanced. 

5. The Hunger Is There

The most important aspect of a team is its desire to win. The quality is there, the setup is present. All it needs is for the players to want it more than anything.

The likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard are as professional as it gets, and they carry the team through the rough spots. Their desire to regain the Premier League trophy is infectious and will rub off on the new boys, the young boys and the old boys too.

Chelsea are in with a very good shot at winning the title this year, an outcome that may come as a surprise to many, but certainly not to me.