john terry may well hide his head as he tries to convince us and, probably, himself, that their woeful 1-0 win at home to bolton this week (with two penalties not given to the away side) is the stuff of champions

The conversation on Twitter this week – apart from the bloody election and a rather funny tweet bounced around the either about the Iceland eruption “Dear Iceland, Can’t you read? We said: ‘send CASH’!” – has been the fact that Chelsea probably deserve their title because they have beaten the rest of the top four comprehensively this season.

In fact, if they beat Liverpool before the end of the season that will make them 6-0 on Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal – and impressive feat indeed.

But it does not make them great champions. Last year, Liverpool were dominant over their nearest rivals, but failed to win the title, a title that they probably did not deserve. And Chelsea are no team of invincibles. Like the Mourinho team of the past they have looked ordinary and functional, certainly nothing like the Man Utd teams that have so dominated the Premier League since its inception, nor the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team that went the season unbeaten in 2004.

However, they win the title against a Man Utd side that is essentially a one-man side, and an Arsenal side that continues to suffer the curse of horrific injuries. If they get everyone on the pitch next season, it could finally be the Gunners’ year. Liverpool, on the other hand, can probably kiss goodbye to fourth place for a couple of years.

It is fair to say that the exit of all four English sides before the semi-final stage of the Champions League for the first time since 2003 is a good indication that the class of 2009/10 is not a good one. Perhaps, though, it is not their fault. As England manager Fabio Capello rather astutely summed up in a Times Online article this week, the lack of investment in the summer has hit clubs hard – particularly as they rely on bringing talent in, rather than nurturing it.

The fact that the English clubs have struggled to impress this season at home, but still managed to put three teams in the last eight, and still have two teams in the last four of the Europa Cup, suggests that all is not for English clubs just yet.

Already Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man Utd have said that they will be spending money in the close season, with Liverpool likely to once they have sorted out the ownership of the club. With Man City likely to break the bank once more in the summer, and even Spurs and Aston Villa outside candidates for the summer transfer market, England could once again be the place to watch football last season.

It won’t, however, afford us the pleasure of forgetting the fact that Chelsea will no doubt record their first-ever FA Cup and League double with the most flawed side ever to do so.