Chelsea fans will no doubt want to forget what has been a dismal year for the club.
Following the acquisition by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital Consortium in 2022, fans didn’t know what to expect, but they couldn’t have foreseen the current treacherous situation at the club.
Despite spending aggressively in two subsequent transfer windows, Chelsea finished the 2022/23 campaign as mid-table fodder and failed to qualify for any European competitions.
Its terrible underlying metrics were enough to fill a book. The Blues finished their Premier League campaign in 12th place with 44 points, scoring 1.16 points per game. Last season they scored only 28 goals, only four clubs scored less.
Chelsea sacked manager Thomas Tuchel at the start of the season and spent a record fee to take Graham Potter from Brighton & Hove Albion. It lasted seven months.
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The less remembered about Potter’s ordinary performance the better, but he looked terribly out of his depth in a dugout where greats such as Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti sat.
Comically, Chelsea decided to follow a failed line and brought back Frank Lampard, but his tenure only added to their misery as they managed just one win in 11 games.
Aside from the managerial changes, there was too much upheaval in the club as Boehly tried to bring in more people to get out of the old regime.
They also tried to change players, spending absurd sums to get “promising talent” from around the world even though these players were barely prepared to play for a club of Chelsea’s stature.
Potter and Lampard complained of a bloated squad that was too unwieldy, a problem executives created with their incessant signings.
During the 2023 summer window, Chelsea appointed Mauricio Pochettino as coach, but continued its policy of betting on young talents. As expected, Chelsea have problems again.
What should Chelsea do in 2024?
Chelsea must add more goals to their squad. Although it would be expensive, a move for Brighton & Hove Albion star Evan Ferguson would be a good starting point.
The Republic of Ireland star played a pivotal role in Brighton’s qualification for the Europa League and top clubs are taking notice of his talent. While the odds favor Ferguson staying at Brighton, he could still walk away from the Seagulls for the right price.
Ferguson’s arrival could be the catalyst for an improvement in Chelsea’s fortunes. Top betting apps would reduce their chances of winning major silverware if they signed the Irish international striker, who has scored 16 goals in 50 games for the Seagulls.
Irish bookmakers would be preparing for a betting frenzy if Ferguson signed for Chelsea – Guinness sales in pubs would probably eclipse all-time records!
You can bet that Brighton owner Tony Bloom will play hardball on Ferguson, particularly given the fearsome reputation he built while playing in professional poker tournaments.
Ferguson has incredible skill for his age and is ice cold in front of goal, a trait that several attackers in this Chelsea team lack. Aside from Ferguson, Chelsea need to be smarter in the transfer market.
Spending £12m on the unproven Cesare Casadei is the kind of difficult decision-making that has left Chelsea struggling to reach the top half of the table.
They have spent ridiculous sums on numerous flops, including Lesley Ugochukwu, Angelo Gabriel, Kendry Paez, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Carney Chukwuemeka, Diego Moreira and Omari Hutchinson.
Chelsea have broken multiple transfer records in different categories by signing Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo. Fernandez has shown promising signs, but the other two have not lived up to expectations.
There needs to be a more cohesive workforce training strategy that focuses more on the present than the future. They need to focus on strategic investments that can make an immediate difference to their fortunes.
This year exposed the cracks in Chelsea’s foundation. The club needs to correct its course or it will remain a shadow of its former self. Reckless spending and short-term solutions will not be enough.
