Opinion
As controversial as former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was, he will always be remembered for delivering success and putting the club on the map, which was not too relevant in England and Europe.
Under the 56-year-old’s proprietorship, the Blues won 21 trophies, including two Champions League crowns and five domestic titles.
At the end of May last year, the UK government forced him to sell the club due to his close links with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In stepped American business Todd Boehly, acquiring Chelsea for £4.25 billion and officially beginning a new era.
One main criticism under Abramovich’s tenure was having no fear to sack managers in a short period without allowing them the necessary time required to build a sustainable and consistent project.
Both Abramovich and Boehly are billionaires and emphasise a lot of their focus on the monetary side, but the most significant difference between the pair is that Boehly does not possess the same football knowledge that Roman did.
After a shock 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening game of the Champions League, Boehly decided not to learn from those same mistakes made by the previous owner, insisting to instead stamp his authority and sacking popular manager Thomas Tuchel.
The signs were imminent when Tuchel was complaining in his press conferences about matters such as the lack of spending in the transfer window, bad pitches, and travel. It was obvious he was restless and under pressure.
(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Even so, this was a man who took over from an inept and inexperienced coach in club legend Frank Lampard and incredibly transformed the squad into European champions all while playing some of the best football that Chelsea had witnessed in quite some time.
Ultimately, that was not enough to delay the German’s departure, replaced by ex-Brighton and Swansea City coach Graham Potter.
The promising English tactician was making waves in the Premier League with his attacking philosophy, most notably giving his full-backs license to push forward and be more expansive on the flanks.
His most admirable aspect though was being able to adapt to different formations and successfully rotate his squad by not relying on the same personnel each week.
Unfortunately, that method has not worked out so far in his short stint at Chelsea. There is no consistency within the starting 11, with constant chopping and changing causing a nightmare for the players to grasp the identity that Potter envisions on the pitch.
A recent 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge against bottom-of-the-table Southampton has caused a new low point for the North London-based club, setting off more alarm bells.
That now equates to one win in the past 10 matches in all competitions, their worst stretch of form since 1995.
Potter spoke after the defeat to Southampton, insisting he’s still confident that he’s the right manager for the job.
“I’m sure there will be people out there that think I’m the problem. I don’t think they’re right but I’m not arrogant enough to say their opinion isn’t worth articulating,” he said.
“I’m here to help the team, keep working through a tough period.”
Part of the blame must be pointed at Potter and he deserves the criticism coming his way, but the main problem within the club is Todd Boehly.
Money in today’s game is utterly ridiculous now, with the American forking out over $600 million in the past two transfer markets combined.
Boehly’s lack of planning and ideas on the pitch has seen him revert to what he knows best – spend, spend, spend.
Regardless of whether the club can afford it or not, this is not the correct way to approach a rebuilding phase and putting down a mark.
It just feels as though the players bought in such as Enzo Fernandez, Mykailo Mudryk, and Joao Felix are great talents and have a lot of potential, but are they really what Chelsea need right at this current moment?
Now, they require stability and a sense of direction, which many would agree that Potter is wishing for the same. He has been put in an awkward position to try and fit all of these new pieces into a system that is going to take considerable time.
The only slight problem is that Chelsea is not a club based on patience. They need to win now, something that should be gravely concerning amongst supporters.
Look at Newcastle United, for example. They were purchased by wealthy owners last year, but they decided to stick to a plan which would not see them spend crazy amounts of money, instead building a solid foundation for coach Eddie Howe to work with and continually grow.
Todd Boehly is the same man who suggested that an all-star type game to copy the American sports model should be implemented in football around the top European leagues. That right there is already a sign that he is out of touch with the game.
Of course, having a rich owner can do wonders for a football club and can accelerate them to new historic heights.
On the flip side, is Boehly passionate enough to have Chelsea’s interests at heart on the field?
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The real concern comes down to football's growing trend of big corporations taking up slices of the world game at the expense of smaller teams.
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