My first comment on this blog and it’s because it’s a fantastic article with the right balance and a long term view which:
1. Comes from the fact that you’ve witnessed many decades supporting the club so can put 3 years into the short term context it is in any business scenario
2. Acknowledged that the rose tinted glasses we now view the last years of Roman’s tenure are probably just fantasy
3. Rides against the very reactionary and short termist views of most of the fanbase, who are just used to the past 2 decades of success
I am looking forward to a second season of Maresca and a more mature team and hopefully, a more sustainable club over the next few years. The football can be boring but the structure is getting more evident and the excitement is usually the last to show up
Nick, the lack of patience in society as a whole is one of the biggest changes I’ve seen in my life, both personally and in the workplace. Social media has probably been one of the biggest changes to that society alongside how technology has changed our world. I guess it’s evolution and people said the same at the time of the industrial revolution.
Yes there has been a technological revolution which the human race is struggling to deal with and I was led to believe it was going to free us not enslave us. The real Ai revolution is next and if we don't put checks and balances in place (Governments aren't going to) for that one its going to be interesting to say the least. Evolution not revolution please.
Great read Craige! I often find myself agreeing with a lot of what you say, and it’s always great to hear from someone who has been supporting the club for so long!
A big thank you Craige!!! A very accurate summary of the progress we have made since the acquisition 3 years back!!! Realistic, mindful of the inevitable ups and downs, but clearly pointing to the progress we are making. An accurate view of the rightfully hopeful steps forward... thanks again Craige
"The time it must have taken you to craft just one article really makes you appreciate the incredible work Simon and his team must put into delivering this amazing newsletter for merely a penny a day. It's a massive undertaking!" Much appreciated
Great article Craige. Agree completely on keeping a bit of perspective. This is the youngest team EPL history, of course there will be inconsistent spells. Although as your data shows, a lot less at the back end of the season, when the pressure was on.
And all this achieved with just one striker for most of the season.
Craige if I were to put my thoughts in writing ( I couldn’t match this) they would mirror yours…. Maybe it’s an age thing but anyone who has supported through the 60s/70s and up to now can appreciate all the success we have had without taking it for granted and then if you have worked in or with a team in any aspect of life, you learn patience and that success is aligned very closely with failure….. it’s how you deal with failures predicts your chances of success….. think how you learned to drive, and how many times you failed while learning but never gave up🤔😄 excellent article and I look forward to many more …. No pressure😂😂👍👍
Again, I appreciate your comments and feedback. It makes the time preparing this article so worthwhile. It also made me understand how much work assignment does on a daily basis to give us the series of articles that he provides us to read each and every day, not to mention the groundwork.
The one problem I have with your feedback is how you found out that I failed my driving test first time around! Do you have access to information that I don’t think I should be sharing 🤣🤣🤣. Cheers again.
Craige, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with you in the comments section here for several years. Patience with any project is key, short term thinking leads to short term results and long term catastrophes. I desperately want the club to back the manager but to be smart in doing so. Finding that balance, as with all things in life, is key. While we often agree, I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts in long form with us it is deeply appreciated. If you ever find yourself in Northern California, I’d love to share a pint and talk Chelsea.
Noah thank you very much for your kind words and I’m glad that you appreciated the format. This and other positive comments makes me believe that there is a place for the other articles I had in mind with Simon’s agreement. I don’t want to be controversial at any stage and I’m glad that enjoyed the interaction as much as I have. You can be sure I will be in Northern California as I have been travelling to the US for over 30 years and I will take you up on your offer
nice one Craige
My first comment on this blog and it’s because it’s a fantastic article with the right balance and a long term view which:
1. Comes from the fact that you’ve witnessed many decades supporting the club so can put 3 years into the short term context it is in any business scenario
2. Acknowledged that the rose tinted glasses we now view the last years of Roman’s tenure are probably just fantasy
3. Rides against the very reactionary and short termist views of most of the fanbase, who are just used to the past 2 decades of success
I am looking forward to a second season of Maresca and a more mature team and hopefully, a more sustainable club over the next few years. The football can be boring but the structure is getting more evident and the excitement is usually the last to show up
Wow you have so simply put my longer article into three key points! Thanks for the compliments
A very informed and balanced article thank you. Patience is in short supply at the moment and not just in football.
Nick, the lack of patience in society as a whole is one of the biggest changes I’ve seen in my life, both personally and in the workplace. Social media has probably been one of the biggest changes to that society alongside how technology has changed our world. I guess it’s evolution and people said the same at the time of the industrial revolution.
Yes there has been a technological revolution which the human race is struggling to deal with and I was led to believe it was going to free us not enslave us. The real Ai revolution is next and if we don't put checks and balances in place (Governments aren't going to) for that one its going to be interesting to say the least. Evolution not revolution please.
Good words of advice. You’re 100% it needs to be evolution and not revolution.
Great read Craige! I often find myself agreeing with a lot of what you say, and it’s always great to hear from someone who has been supporting the club for so long!
A big thank you Craige!!! A very accurate summary of the progress we have made since the acquisition 3 years back!!! Realistic, mindful of the inevitable ups and downs, but clearly pointing to the progress we are making. An accurate view of the rightfully hopeful steps forward... thanks again Craige
Once again, it’s like this make it a pleasure. It was an enjoyable exercise and I’ve got a couple of other similar ideas which I’m going to work on
"The time it must have taken you to craft just one article really makes you appreciate the incredible work Simon and his team must put into delivering this amazing newsletter for merely a penny a day. It's a massive undertaking!" Much appreciated
Totally agree and it made me think about that when I was doing it.
Having supported the club for 65 years I 100% agree with most of your very well written article. This represents a lot of my views too
Thank you, Shirley good to have a fellow long termer alongside.
Great read mate👍🏼
Great article Craige. Agree completely on keeping a bit of perspective. This is the youngest team EPL history, of course there will be inconsistent spells. Although as your data shows, a lot less at the back end of the season, when the pressure was on.
And all this achieved with just one striker for most of the season.
Brilliant article Craige really insightful and interesting an excellent read thank you
Thank you, Helen, much appreciate the feedback, glad you enjoyed it
Look forward to your next one 😁
Enjoyable read Craige
Craige if I were to put my thoughts in writing ( I couldn’t match this) they would mirror yours…. Maybe it’s an age thing but anyone who has supported through the 60s/70s and up to now can appreciate all the success we have had without taking it for granted and then if you have worked in or with a team in any aspect of life, you learn patience and that success is aligned very closely with failure….. it’s how you deal with failures predicts your chances of success….. think how you learned to drive, and how many times you failed while learning but never gave up🤔😄 excellent article and I look forward to many more …. No pressure😂😂👍👍
Again, I appreciate your comments and feedback. It makes the time preparing this article so worthwhile. It also made me understand how much work assignment does on a daily basis to give us the series of articles that he provides us to read each and every day, not to mention the groundwork.
The one problem I have with your feedback is how you found out that I failed my driving test first time around! Do you have access to information that I don’t think I should be sharing 🤣🤣🤣. Cheers again.
😂😂😂😂
A great read Craige.
Always calm & measured in how you write, whether we win or lose.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.👍
Darren a lessor known fact / supposition is that when Chelsea lose Craige's Cat hides!
Craige, I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with you in the comments section here for several years. Patience with any project is key, short term thinking leads to short term results and long term catastrophes. I desperately want the club to back the manager but to be smart in doing so. Finding that balance, as with all things in life, is key. While we often agree, I wanted to thank you for sharing your thoughts in long form with us it is deeply appreciated. If you ever find yourself in Northern California, I’d love to share a pint and talk Chelsea.
Noah thank you very much for your kind words and I’m glad that you appreciated the format. This and other positive comments makes me believe that there is a place for the other articles I had in mind with Simon’s agreement. I don’t want to be controversial at any stage and I’m glad that enjoyed the interaction as much as I have. You can be sure I will be in Northern California as I have been travelling to the US for over 30 years and I will take you up on your offer
Looking forward to reading more of your work and sharing a pint in the future!
Great read Craige - completely agree with everything
Very well done Craige! Always appreciate your thoughts on the site