The Chelsea Problem: It's Not What You Think

Despite the fact that Chelsea have spent over $600 million on new signings, the club still struggles to climb the ladder in the 2022-23 season of the Premier League.

Even though the Blues struck gold this transfer window and welcomed rising stars like João Félix, Mykhailo Mudryk, and World Cup winner Enzo Fernández amongst others, the team had to face a brutal loss against Brentford on Wednesday.

Frank Lampard - as manager
Is Lampard feeling overwhelmed by the growing number of players, or is there something else at play? Let's delve into the depths of what's truly behind the struggles of one of England's most storied and successful clubs in West London.

The Transfer Window Splurge

After getting appointed as the replacement for Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter feared that Chelsea's spending on a huge number of players could result in poor outcomes. Since Todd Boehly's club takeover, the Blues have invested in 17 new players.

Potter was involved in the decision-making process for all eight players signed during the winter transfer window but believed that having a large squad would hinder his plans. This proved to be the case when Frank Lampard took over as interim manager in April and was unable to achieve success.

The Backstage Drama

The club's sale process has been quite eventful. In the latter part of the previous season, the club's accounts were frozen, which caused a significant distraction for both the players and backroom staff.

They were unable to focus on the game, as they were understandably worried about the implications of the accounts being frozen. This dramatic turn of events had a considerable impact on the entire selling process.

Even with the ownership change to American billionaire Todd Boehly, the club still faced challenges. Reports emerged of conflicts between the owner and then-manager Thomas Tuchel regarding player acquisitions, with the most notable disagreement centered around bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo.

In addition to the disagreements over player signings, there appeared to be different views between the owner and the manager regarding the future direction of the club. This difference in vision was reportedly a significant factor in Tuchel's dismissal after a lackluster start to the season.

Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel

Unprecedented Move: The Sacking of Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel's future at Chelsea was decided after just seven games into the 2022-23 season, which included three wins, a draw, and three defeats. Chelsea suffered losses against Leeds and Southampton in the Premier League, putting them behind in the league standings. Despite being just marginally behind in sixth place after six games, Tuchel's inability to lead the team to more convincing performances ultimately sealed his fate at the club.

It's no secret that Chelsea's decision to part ways with Thomas Tuchel wasn't solely based on a string of bad results. While the team's performance on the pitch was certainly a factor, it seems there were other underlying issues that contributed to Tuchel's demise.

According to reports out of the UK, tension had been building between the German manager and Chelsea's new owner, Todd Boehly. The two allegedly had a strained relationship that had been festering behind the scenes, and it seems it ultimately proved to be a contributing factor to Tuchel's departure.

However, that wasn't the only issue. It's also been suggested that there were problems between Tuchel and several players on the squad, which only added to the club's decision to show him the door. With so many factors at play, it's clear that Tuchel's sacking wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction to a few bad games. Rather, it was the culmination of a number of issues that had been brewing for some time.

Conclusion

These aren't the only factors that contributed to the poor performance of Chelsea, a once consistently good side. However, it wouldn't be wrong to say that all these elements imperatively accumulated to the sluggish performance of the Blues this season.
Peter Norman is from the green island of Ireland, loves football and Manchester United in particular, where also the great idol Roy Keane had his career. Peter is a trained journalist and likes to write articles and analyses of football.