Being a Chelsea fan can be pretty frustrating at times. Take Wednesday for example; beaten and humiliated 4-0 by Bournemouth, viewer discretion should have been advised.
It was a second consecutive league loss following defeat to Arsenal and Blues supporters are growing increasingly frustrated with how the team has been performing in recent months.
Despite this, there are reasons, if only a few, for Chelsea fans to be cheerful.
Don’t believe me, well talkSPORT.com has managed to put together five positives to keep the faith and the blue flag flying high.
1. League Cup final
Chelsea and silverware go hand in hand and the Blues have the chance to claim this trophy for the sixth time in their history.
It will not be easy, holders Manchester City await at Wembley on February 24 and a win here will go some way to restoring the belief in both the team and Maurizio Sarri.
While anything can happen in a final, Chelsea can take confidence from having already beaten City this season and knowing they are not quite the irrepressible force that powered towards the Premier League last campaign.
2. Home match with Spurs
Last season, Chelsea lost to their London rivals at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 28 years. And while Tottenham have enjoyed victories over the Blues in recent years, a trip to SW6 rarely ever ends with a win.
Chelsea only need to look back a week or so to relieve their last win over the Lillywhites, a penalty shoot-out triumph to send them through to the EFL Cup final.
However difficult a season may be for Chelsea and their fans, a win over Tottenham which at home is usually inevitable, is always guaranteed to put a smile on faces.
3. Still plenty to play for
Defeat in midweek meant Chelsea slipped out of the top four, falling into fifth below Arsenal on goal difference. While this is seen as a disaster to some, the situation is not entirely bleak.
Chelsea are level with the Gunners on 47 points and a good run of form at some point will see them re-stake their claim for the final Champions League spot and they have a number of favourable fixtures coming up.
As previously mentioned, there is the Carabao Cup to play for, while a FA Cup fifth-round clash with Manchester United is also on the cards, as is a two-legged Europa League tie with Malmo. Basically, it could be worse.
4. New signings
Some fickle fans have quickly bemoaned Gonzalo Higuain for looking ordinary in his first two matches since his loan move. This is unfair to say the least, the Argentine may very well prove his worth over time and deliver the form that once made him one of Europe’s top marksmen.
Exciting youngster Christian Pulisic joined at the beginning of the window for £58million, but was immediately loaned back to Borussia Dortmund, but Blues fans will get to see him when he arrives in the summer and he could add a new dimension and spark into Chelsea, who have been overly reliant on Eden Hazard for far too long.
While his spending may not be what it was when he first arrived, do not be surprised if Roman Abramovich goes all out to land at least one big name ahead of next season.
There is also plenty of talent on loan that could return, with the likes of Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori impressing under Frank Lampard at Derby.
5. Faith in young players
For the first time in the modern era, Chelsea seem to be giving youth a chance, with Sarri finally realising what the fans have long been craving.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has started in the Premier League several times and the club refused to sign a midfielder during the transfer window, instead deciding to place their trust in the academy.
The recent transfer saga with Callum Hudson-Odoi showed just how highly the club rate him, and there aren’t many 18-year-olds getting as much game time as him at one of Europe’s top clubs.
So it’s not all bad!