Chelsea are poorly run, but the doomsday scenarios don't bear up to the facts

Despite how badly we're run, its not close to worst case scenarios

Like everyone right now, I’m angry at co-owner Behdad Eghbali and the Sporting Directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, at the way they’re running Chelsea right now. That anger isn’t gonna change.

They all need to go, regardless of what happens on the pitch. I’ve gone on forever and a day about those guys, and how they need to be out of Chelsea. I’m kinda tired of wasting my energy on people who’ve done nothing to deserve it. They need to go, they aren’t good enough, and nothing will change till that happens.

So this article is about something else. The people who’ve done nothing wrong and need out support, the players and the new manager. One thing I’ve seen all over socials since Enzo Maresca left the club on Thursday, and it became clear Liam Rosenior would be his replacement, is constant doomsday scenarios and wildly negative assumptions about the clubs future and players future. According to some the squad who beat Barcelona, PSG, Liverpool and outplayed Arsenal are finished, its not worth supporting Chelsea anymore, everyone is going to leave and we’re going to get relegated.

Now I totally get why people are angry. I’m furious about the state of the club and those running it, as I said above. I don’t think we’re going to challenge for the league under Behdad and the two Sporting Directors.

But people are bringing out this “end of the club”, “we’re finished”, “they only care about flipping players” stuff again. I just reject this all completely. To me, its just wild hyperbole fuelled by anger at how the club is being run. People who wanted Maresca out now piping up about the next manager just makes me laugh, because as much as I didn’t think it would be Rosenior, him joining was always a possibility.

In terms of the ambition and the profitability of the club, I’ve said so many times I’ve lost count, the profits made from player sales are genuinely peanuts compared to the financial benefits of regular Champions League football and competing to the last stages in the major competitions.

I’m pretty sure Clearlake investors want the big profits and exposure the Champions League brings. Not only in prize money, but in the commerical deals it can attract. Prize money can be £80m a year, and it allows you to get bigger commercial deals which can add another £100-150m at least. The most you’d ever make in profits from players is around £50-100m per year. The big bucks come from success on the pitch.

Its not that Behdad doesn’t want to win. It’s that he and the Sporting Directors don’t have a clue how to do it. They have their pre-determined way of doing things and won’t listen to anyone else. They think they have this secret to winning, and their egos refuse to accept there’s another way or that they can be flexible with that.

I’d also add the model itself isn’t the problem. PSG have implemented a very similar model - they’ve just had the best Sporting Director in the world overseeing it, and have tweaked it to sign established players who fit the age profile. Antonine Semenyo and Marc Guehi both fit the club’s model in terms of player age, but they’re also established players who can deliver immediately. All we have to do is switch to that, and this model would be working a lot better.

As I’ve said, it’s the people implementing the strategy and the execution which isn’t good enough, and that’s why the people in charge need to be replaced.

In terms of Liam Rosenior, people are acting like he’s this complete rookie, when he has more managerial and European managerial experience than either Maresca or Lampard when they took the Chelsea job. He’s managed over twice the number of games they had when they took over, and he’s also managed in European competition (and done very well). He’s already beaten PSG as a manager too.

Liam Rosenior is by no means my top choice for the job, but he’s not a Graham Potter either. If you’ve watched Strasbourg and him on the touchline, and seen any interviews or dressing room talks, his temperament is nothing like Potter’s. He’s much more aggressive and passionate than Potter, and not just a soft, nice guy.

The other thing the doomsday scenarios seem to skip over, is we have a talented squad which won two trophies and has outplayed some of the best teams in Europe, even just a month ago we beat Barcelona 3-0. And although Enzo Maresca played a part, it wasn’t all down to him. You still need talented players to execute the tactical plan.

Not to mention, we’re still in a good position in the PL to claim a top 4 place. 19 games is a LONG time and given how close it is, a good run will land you in the top 4. Finally, we’re in a domestic semi final against a team we could have beaten with 10 men a month ago. There’s absolutely no reason why we can’t win a trophy and get Champions League football this season.

Then we have some big talents joining in the summer already. Two of them, Mike Penders and Emanuel Emegha, Liam Rosenior already knows and the other, Geovany Quenda, is becoming an established top young player with international and Champions League experience.

As skeptical as I am about our ability in the market, the players we’re being linked with in the summer right now are better than the ones from last year. Samu, Adam Wharton, Kobbie Mainoo, Kees Smit and Jeremy Jacquet have all been strongly linked, including on this site. All are talented players in positions we need to upgrade. Finally, next year many of our current players will have another years experience, and Levi Colwill will be back from injury.

Some of you are probably laughing or adopting a cynical or wry smile and thinking I’m deluding myself, this is all copium, we’re screwed or whatever. But I’m not kidding myself, I know how much of a mess our club is.

However, everything I’ve just said is true. Taking the anger at the current situation and raw emotion out of it, there’s plenty of reasons this still can be a good season and we can improve next season.

I’m not saying it’s all happy and roses, it’s absolutely not.

If you’ve read my recent articles you’ll know how furious I am right now about how our club is being run. We’re run by idiots and incompetents, with no clue how to build a winning squad, no idea how to run an elite club, who disrespect fans, players and staff, and who all need to go. Its still all shambolic and chaotic, we’re still an absolute joke of a club. We’re not going to progress to be title contenders until there’s some serious change at the club.

I just refuse to believe these doomsday scenarios, because despite everything we’re not remotely close to that. The players and new manager need our support, they’ve just been caught in the crossfire of the inept people in charge of our club.

The Score