It would be an understatement to say that Chelsea fans are not happy with how the club has been run by BlueCo. Four seasons in, they have taken several steps back and cannot even qualify for the Champions League on a consistent basis anymore. And what is even more worrying is that this has happened despite spending record sums of money.
That is just a reflection of poor strategy. Chelsea have constantly signed one wonderkid after another while overlooking the need for experience. In the process, they have proved that you cannot win at football like this. The intangibles still remain important.
One complaint that Chelsea fans have had is that the owners rarely speak publicly and provide clarity on things. Well, that has changed, with Behdad Egbahli coming out and speaking to the media openly.
Egbahli spoke at CAA’s World Congress of Sports conference on Thursday and admitted that they had to better at some areas. He even mentioned the need to add more ready-made players. He said (via talkSPORT):
“I think we’ve done a few things right, a lot of things right. We’ve got to be better on a few things, to add more ready-made players at this part of the project, to take it to the next level, to be consistent over time.”
What do Chelsea fans think about Egbahli’s comments?
It is no secret that Egbahli is not a popular figure among Chelsea fans. Understandably so, considering how badly things have been for the club since the BlueCo takeover. So, a lot of them seem to be taking a ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ approach.
One wrote: “This is because the strike is coming and the pressure is getting real. I will only believe this when I see it.”
Some, on the other hand, decided to point towards past mistakes: “You had a whole squad that’s full of champions league winner experience. Instead of you to retain some, you decided to offload all.”
That is a very interesting point that rarely gets brought up. BlueCo did come in and pretty much change the entire Chelsea squad, that had delivered the Champions League just a year back.
They seemed far too keen to start from scratch. Instead, if they had just adjusted that squad, the Blues might have been in a much better position now. Let’s not forget, they have never had a better season under BlueCo than the Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea delivered in 21/22 despite the uncertainty around the club at the time.
Fans’ scepticism is understandable
Despite Egbahli coming out openly and admitting that they need to sign ready-made players, Chelsea fans remain sceptical about the club’s transfer plans. And understandably so.
The important thing is, what does ‘ready-made’ mean to these Chelsea owners? To the fans, it means bringing in proven winners who will walk into the starting XI and help the club become contenders again.
On the other hand, it might mean a very different kind of profile to BlueCo. It might mean players like Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto, ones who have some Premier League experience under their belt but cannot be considered amongst the best by any means. Chelsea need to be aiming higher than that, if you ask me. But in their financial situation, do they have the capability?
