A manager turning on his players, a team that doesn’t want to fight and a transfer committee that is far out of their depth. The taste at Stamford Bridge that was so sweet at the start of the season has turned sour, a resentment that has been echoed by Chelsea fans near and far.
On the pitch the Chelsea players look disillusioned by the tactics of “Professor Possession” Maurizio Sarri. Lacking any penetration up front the Blues seem lacklustre and devoid of ideas beyond giving it to Eden Hazard, or waiting for a David Luiz Hail Mary pass.
Sarri’s system is too predictable, in fact Sarri has substituted Mateo Kovacic for Ross Barkley 17 times this season, emphasising the predictable and pragmatic Chelsea.
Hazard, who despite scoring 10 this season clearly isn’t happy being shunted up top at striker. Should that continue expect the Belgian to continue to flutter his eyelashes at the onlooking Real Madrid.
Off the pitch the situation with the transfers is not much better. The problems of yesteryear where expected to be gone following the exit of longtime technical director Michael Emenalo, yet they have only seemed to get worse following his exit.
The signing of £70 million man Alvaro Morata has not paid off with the Spaniard looking likely to leave Stamford Bridge after just a year and a half in West London. Opinions are out whether it was the player’s ability that let him down or the club’s style of play that has seen Morata’s form deteriorate at Chelsea.
Most clubs you could forgive the odd dud in the transfer market. But how many have the Stamford Bridge faithful seen come and fail in Blue, it is simply unacceptable.
Over the last three years the Blues have spent £220 million on seven players that have failed to start in Chelsea’s recent games due to form, not of a high enough quality or being sent out on loan.
It seems whenever the West Londoners enter a period of uncertainty money is chucked at the problem, but with Roman Abramovich future at Chelsea up in the air, the Blues could be facing an uncertain future.
The hire and fire transfer policy at Chelsea has worked for almost 15 years, but it was never a sustainable programme. The only way to stop the slump is to find a manager for the next three years, not for seemingly three minutes.
Am I saying it is all bad for the Blues? No. At least Chelsea have realised the crux of the problem on the pitch and look likely to bring in Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus as a temporary measure.
But off the pitch the problem seems to be everything and anything. It is the manager, the recruitment, the youth policy, lack of heart from some players. It really does border beyond unbelievable.
Roman’s empire has stayed strong for 15 years with unprecedented success in that time, but you can’t build an empire on shaky foundations.
While the £1 billion or so invested in the club has helped paper over the cracks it is hard to see past the plain fact. The Blues are one dimensional and at current, seem doomed to finish outside the top four in their current state.
