Malouda 10-11 (h)

This comes from the first batch of repaints since I stopped over the winter which partly explains why there are a couple of inaccuracies!

To my surprise my standard blue paint (which I use for most Chelsea home kits) seems to have become darker over the winter, no matter how much I stir it! As a result of this, the kit colour is a tad darker than it was in reality. The second problem is that the transfer with Malouda's name on it is too small!

The 2010-11 season started with such promise for Chelsea. Having finished the back end of the previous year winning the double, and scoring the most number of goals in a Premier League season, it looked as if 10-11 would be equally as fruitful and exciting. In fact, after 10 games, it looked like we would be utterly dominant in the league. The season begun with consecutive 6-0 wins, and by November Chelsea were top having gained 26 from a possible 30 points.

Unfortunately it began to unravel very quickly! Many Chelsea fans will point to one decision being the start of the downfall, and whilst I partly agreed with them, I hadn't realised the dates of the decision being made, and our implosion, were so close to one another! The decision was, of course, to sack Carlo Ancelotti's assistant, and smashing young man, Ray Wilkins!

Wilkins left on the 11th November and Michael Emenalo moved into his position a week later. This action started a run of just two wins in eleven games including defeats against Sunderland, Birmingham and Wolves. The two wins came at home against Zilina and Bolton, both of which were won by goals from Florent Malouda.

In the space of two months Chelsea had gone from being five points clear at the top to being seven points behind in 5th place having played a game more than leaders Man Utd. Despite a late resurgence through the spring, closing the gap to three points, we lost the top of the table clash with United in May and eventually finished nine points behind.

The performances of Malouda often coincided with the performance of the team. For the last 6 months of 2008-09, all of 2009-10 and the beginning of 2010-11, Malouda had been at the top of his game. This matched the club's performance, winning the FA Cup in 2009; the double in 2010; and comfortably leading the league at the start of 2010-11.

However, in the space of a few months Malouda went from being one of the first names on the teamsheet to being berated by significant sections of the support. He would never regain the sort of form he showed for that two year spell, spanning three seasons, and left on a free in 2013 having been banished to the U21 side by Andre Villas-Boas.

Despite this, Malouda is remembered fondly as a very effective wide midfielder and a crucial member of the double winning side scoring and creating 30 goals that season (15 each). He combined skill and strength, forming a great partnership with Ashley Cole on the left hand side. A further 14 goals followed in the 2010-11 season, though he only created five for his teammates. It is a shame that Malouda's time at Chelsea is somewhat soured by his slow start and, more significantly, his bemusing loss of form and enthusiasm from 2011 onwards.