Success Derailed by Turbulence
BBC
Things were supposed to be different weren’t they. A proposed new era of change, demonstrated via a progressive business model that would see development sustained over a long-term project. Oh how wrong we were.
Graham Potter’s sacking just a few weeks ago, followed by the shock re-appointment of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard on an interim basis, marks the third managerial change of this troubled and anxiety inducing campaign; a statistic more reminiscent of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s ruthless yet hugely successful reign at the top of London’s biggest club, despite any claims to the otherwise emitted by our rivals in the north of the city.
In truth, a staggering £323m of January spending opened the door for comparative lines to be drawn with the previous ownership, and, for my own part, I quickly became nostalgic of Abramovich’s early years at the club, when memorable players like Joe Cole, Claude Makelele, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho were signed across 2 seasons on the way to an unprecedented era of success that began with the ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho at the helm. An influx of Europe’s best young talent bestowed a strong twinge of excitement as our prospects for the rest of the season were suddenly much more desirable.
A few months later and the picture couldn’t be more bleak. Like Mourinho, Potter was dispatched, though, this was for reasons that were more categorical with a consistent failure to deliver results. In truth, the writing was on the wall, and vividly so too. Hindsight is a funny thing. Sacking one of the best coaches in the game for an unproven commodity was always enveloped with high-risk, no matter how much we wanted the humble, likeable Potter to succeed. Therein, however, lied the issue. He was more akin to that of an insightful yet jovial Sunday league manager, when most of us diehard Blues fans want someone with fire in their belly. Potter was never going to be that man.
After becoming familiar with the sight of trophies, success and the elation that brings, I, alongside Chelsea supporters far and wide, find ourselves in a pit of unfamiliarity. Arguably, this is our club's most troubling time.
Football has changed from those early days of glory. Money and talent mostly remain the pillars of success but they no longer encourage a fast track to results in the same manner they did when Abramovich emerged to prosper and transform our club. While he, alongside Marina Granovoskaia, certainly held their own methods, a pragmatic and cohesive business model, effective recruitment and the nurturing of young talent both homegrown and offshore is now deemed to be just as desirable and more importantly, crucial. Just ask Brighton Football Club.
It’s worth noting that there are strong indicators that Chelsea remain on the right course, with the appointment of both Christopher Vivell as Technical Director and Paul Winstanley as Director of Global Talent and Transfers, coupled with the reportedly imminent announcement of Mauricio Pochettino as our new head coach, suggesting cause for optimism. The Argentine is renowned for his magnetic demeanour and man-management skills, and could very well be the ideal solution to steady this rocking ship and coax the best out of Chelsea’s undoubtedly talented yet misguided squad.
There’s often very little stability in football at this level, and a few weeks can change the entire landscape to something incomprehensible for what came before. The margins between success and failure are miniscule. A single goal can lift a team from despair to a path of sustained elation, while a single poor decision against you can bring it all crashing down. Looking past the financial (state-funded) capital behind his club, the kind of continual success the maverick-like Pep Guardiola has achieved with Manchester City is down to his ability to adapt and evolve his squad and tactics, coupled with his inate understanding that standing still is fatal, and ruthlessness is simply a necessary aspect of finding success as a top-level coach in the beautiful game.
The generally hyperbolic and readily critical nature of football culture must also be taken into account in the context of Chelsea’s recent fall from grace. Our beloved sport is very much enveloped by a “here and now” consensus. When you’re falling, it’s deep and full of despair. On the rise, it’s bountiful and the sky’s the limit. After 3 wins on the bounce, there was already talk of Potter turning things around. Yet, it was premature and fanciful, and, here we are now, with widespread chatter of “look how far they’ve fallen” mostly justified by the imminent failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League. It’s impossible to escape the way in which fans, journalists and pundits alike have chastised the manner that the ownership and the squad have managed this troubling period. Admittedly, I include myself in this accusation.
After the whole transfer embargo of the 19-20 season, followed by the devastating impact of the pandemic and the wholly surreal season and a half that followed, and, finally, the sanctions placed on Roman Abramovich that enforced his decision to sell our club to Todd Boehly and his consortium, I undoubtedly expected and hoped for more from the 22-23 season. Yet, within weeks, turbulence once more bred chaos. Tuchel was giving his marching orders and, 7 months of disdain later, the season now staggers towards its conclusion. With now only pride to play for, I find myself wishing for the 12th August, and the start of the 23/24 season.
Ultimately, Chelsea are a club very much in transition, with owners who have made 2, perhaps even 3, significant mistakes in a short span of time. Then, again, no one ever said it would be easy, did they?
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