It is quite shocking that Chaves got relegated when they managed to improve on the squad that earned the club an impressive 6th place in the previous season. Chaves' season is a clear example on how some details can be so determinant.
There was a key moment that may explain Chaves' failure. A series of three defeats in games Flavienses were hardly the weaker side was all it took. Marginal defeats against Santa Clara, Rio Ave and Aves were absolutely decisive.
That because Chaves had a very difficult start. 7 points in the first 6 rounds were seen as positive given they faced Porto, Benfica, Braga, and visited the usually hard venues of Barreiros and Bessa.
That triple defeat came right after and, all of a sudden, without playing a single bad game, Chaves was on the last place. It surely got into the players' heads as they kept collapsing from then on.
The appointment of Daniel Ramos in the beginning of the season proved disastrous, as the gaffer's style clearly collided with Luis Castro's from last season. The board brought a more attacking minded but highly inexperienced Tiago Fernandes, who left after 3 wins in 13 matches.
The more pragmatic and experienced José Mota managed to bring Flavienses out of the bottom three, but the two final rounds were catastrophic.
If Chaves were somehow able to keep their squad they were guaranteed to cruise control all Segunda Divisão and get back to top flight right away. However, that will surely not happen, as most players have higher pedigree.
