It's a dark Christmas for them at Chelsea and United

Premier League Christmas struggles: Analysis of Chelsea, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest's woes amid managerial changes.

Life is tough for them at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge this festive season, extend some love to their fans to ease their pains. (Photo credit: GOAL)

Merry Christmas, everyone. The celebration is well and truly on across many teams in the English Premier League, but Manchester United and Chelsea fans must be seeking some distractions from the league table.

On Christmas Eve, the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against Wolves, adding to Mauricio Pochettino's woes and solidifying their position as the Premier League team with the highest number of losses this year. This is a stark contrast to their previous status as perennial winners.

In a year, they spent hundreds of millions on player signings and replaced managers, and nothing has changed. Chelsea spent the Christmas day of 2022 in tenth position and maintained the same energy for 2023, not the type of consistency their fans want.

It’s not different for Manchester United. Erik Ten Hag has unlocked the lowest of lows with records, and the handwriting on the wall for the Dutchman could be ominous. Another loss over the weekend to West Ham compounded their woes, and for the second time in three years, they’re out of the top six on Christmas Day.

Can it get worse for Ten Hag? Absolutely! With Sir Jim Ratcliff taking over a 25% stake in the club, wholesome changes are expected, and heads have started rolling already, and it’s just day one. Is Ten Hag walking too?

You might want to dig deeper to figure out what the problem at Old Trafford is. Coaches have come and gone, all with the same testimonies of poor management, poor facilities, and a weak attitude from overrated and overpaid players.

Cristiano Ronaldo went public with his disgust for the style of play, training facilities, and club culture. While his approach may have been wrong, his points have come out to be valid. Will things change with the arrival of Sir Ratcliff?

Another team that needs help at this time is Nottingham Forest. They showed Steve Cooper the exit door and hired a pragmatic manager in Nuno Espirito Santo. They gave it everything at home against Bournemouth, even with ten men, but they ended up with nothing.

The red card that ultimately ruined their script against the Cherries was an unfortunate one, but you cannot appeal a second yellow card. Up next for them is a trip to Newcastle United. Life has been indifferent for Eddie Howe as well, and he and his lads might just enjoy Forest for Christmas.