Todd Boehly, a US business magnate worth $1 billion, addressed Chelsea supporters upon joining the team in May 2022, “We’re all in – 100%.
It is safe to say that the American has kept his word after over a year, albeit at considerable expense.
The 49-year-old stated that his group would be “acquiring the best talent” and “investing in the club for the long-term.”
Boehly achieved exactly that with the help of Clearlake Capital, the investment fund involved in the buyout, funding almost $600 million in transfers. However, as a businessman, you’d probably want some return on your investment.
But as a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Sparks, Boehly is discovering that the soccer industry is challenging to grasp.
Chelsea has had four managers this year, during a campaign that has occasionally veered from tragedy to farce, and the club has nothing to show for it in terms of on-field accomplishments.
As a result of Chelsea’s 4-0 overall loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals, the Blues are eliminated from all cup competitions and, as they now occupy the middle of the Premier League standings, they have no hope of participating in the very lucrative European soccer leagues next season.
Frank Lampard, the club’s interim head coach, promised after Real’s loss that he “won’t let anyone off the hook in terms of seeing this season out,” but club supporters might already be focused on the upcoming campaign.”We must stop now.”
Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early March 2022, Chelsea was owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, who put the club up for sale, claiming it was “in the best interest of the Club.”
As part of its efforts to “isolate” Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UK government added Abramovich to its list of sanctioned individuals in May.
Spend, spend, spend has been Chelsea’s guiding principle under the present administration. While this may demonstrate Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali’s financial dedication to the cause, the enormous expenditure hasn’t yielded instant rewards and has instead led to a variety of immediate and perhaps long-term issues.
Chelsea’s team has grown significantly over the previous year, which has not only caused the successive managers unwelcome selection difficulties but also necessitated adjustments at the club to make room for the excess of quality.
Chelsea defied all rules and spent a lot of money during the January transfer window, a month where it is notoriously difficult to get major deals approved.
The team also acquired Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos, and David Datro Fofana, with Joo Félix also joining on loan, in a deal worth a British record $132 million.
Thiago Silva, the captain of Chelsea, was open with media after the team’s defeat to Real Madrid about the problems that come with this level of expenditure.
“I think the first step has been made, an incorrect step, but it has been made,” the seasoned defender added. If we don’t take responsibility for our actions, we can’t blame the managers. For the club, this is a challenging time marked by much uncertainty.
We had to expand the changing room since it was too small for the squad due to a change in ownership and the arrival of new players.Social media users have been making ongoing jokes about Chelsea’s small roster all season, and the fact that a player is speaking so candidly about the issues suggests that the jokes aren’t entirely off-base.
The Brazilian then talked about how the enlarged roster has affected the players’ mindset.
“The squad has some amazing players, which is a plus, but on the flip side, there will always be players that are dissatisfied. Because not everyone can play, there will always be someone who is upset. It’s difficult when the manager has a squad of 30 or more players and can only choose 11.
“Some can’t make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a plan in place, or we risk repeating the same mistakes next season,” the coach said.
When contacted, Chelsea declined to comment on this. The fact that many of the recent additions were given long-term deals could be a problem for Chelsea.
According to Kieran Maguire, a financial football analyst, “It’s a very high risk strategy because what happens if those players turn out to be duds?” The wages of the players during those six, seven, or eight years are then your responsibility.
Chelsea often has one of the top three or top four wage commitments among Premier League clubs, according to Maguire.
Chelsea must find a method to redistribute these salaries in light of the ongoing issues on the field, but Maguire warned that doing so may not be easy.
Finding an other club that will take the player off of Chelsea’s hands and offer them a salary that the player is comfortable with is going to be difficult.
comings and goings of managers
Thomas Tuchel was Boehly’s first manager, followed by Graham Potter’s brief tenure, a game under Bruno Saltor, and Lampard’s temporary return to the team. Chelsea has played four games under Lampard and lost each one, which is nothing short of a catastrophe.
With the exception of Saltor’s one game in charge, each manager had obviously different philosophies and values they wanted to apply, but Boehly’s patience often seemed to wear thin when things didn’t go as planned.
The next manager Boehly hires will be crucial in determining how his tenure at Chelsea will be remembered, and another unsuccessful run could increase fan unrest. After Chelsea’s 2-1 home loss to Brighton, Boehly had been approached by supporters.
difficulties in the field
A dizzying lack of consistency on the field has accompanied the managerial merry-go-round.
With the exception of Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella, no Chelsea outfielder has started more than 20 Premier League games this year.
Five newcomers, including top players Raheem Sterling and Joo Félix as well as high-profile signing Mudryk, were warming the bench for the crucial match against Real Madrid. Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, and Mason Mount all joined the new signings.
Chelsea’s next manager needs to find a method to keep star players happy while they are on the bench and find some consistency in team selections if the club is to regain any of its former form.When football is reduced to its most basic component, whoever scores the most goals wins, which may help to explain Chelsea’s difficulties.
With 30 goals so far this season, the Blues are on pace to score the fewest goals ever in a Premier League season. With time running out, Lampard’s team will find it difficult to match the club’s all-time 46-goal low for a single season.
Because Kai Havertz is currently serving as a temporary center forward and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Datro Fofana are not currently in the team’s plans, Chelsea’s investment becomes even more perplexing.
Boehly and Eghbali may have to keep shouting encouragement in the Chelsea locker room until performances improve because goals are hard to come by and outcomes don’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.
