Article Series: Why any squad build needs balance AND experience, Rob Pratley goes in on the transfer window, Frank Lampard's words in 2020 resonates, Poll results: Damning for SDs and Eghbali, More..

The Chelsea FC Newsletter: Thursday 6th February 2025!

Morning all,

So today I have another mini series of articles on one subject, and some help from that man Rob Pratley too.

I have centred these articles around how a squad build should be done with balance, adding in leadership and experience.

But before we get into the bulk of those, Rob has reviewed the transfer window. Those who know Rob will know that he is just like our other guy, The Score, very measured and fair with his opinions. So for him to go in on the sporting directors/owners as he has done in here, tells us all we need to know about the feelings of the fans right now.

Staying with the feelings of the fans and what has set up this mini article series today, the poll results from yesterday. It is a damning read for the SDs and for Behdad Eghbali, but not for Todd Boehly. Fans want him as sole owner, they also want the SDs to be sacked/demoted right now, and there is zero confidence left in Behdad or the SDs. Many other results in this here as well that does not read well at all.

Something hit me yesterday and it’s mad really. This vision/project/transfer strategy could well come good very soon, because it’s taking so long that the players are actually maturing to a level of being experienced - or heading that way! We sign them in on like 10-30 senior league appearances, sometimes much less, but most of them are now around 100 senior league career appearances, which is a place of what I would call experienced, or at least heading there. You can sure as hell bet that if we finally challenge at the very top again next season or the season after, they will be crediting the ‘project’ when in reality, it is just that these young and raw players have played so many games by then that they will then be mature and experienced. So why not just balance it with experience in the first place and be give yourselves a much better chance of success right away, as in the last three years!? It’s mental! Read much more on all of that in my main focus article of this series here.

Frank Lampard was one of the best midfielders to ever play the game, so when he speaks about something that he feels any successful squad needs from his experience of playing and being in dressing rooms, some of the most successful dressing rooms ever, then that is an opinion I will hear and respect the most. Back in 2020, he said exactly what I have been saying for years now, and you can check in on that, as well as The London is Blue Podcast going in on our transfer window here.

And of course, you can round up all your latest Chelsea news in the same place from across the last 24 hours in here. This covers everything you need to know!

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