Chelsea – Turmoil, Trouble, and the Road Ahead!

In the 2022/23 season build-up, Chelsea has had more turmoil and changes than the last five years combined. New ownership, several managers, changes to the coaching staff, and record signings – all of this happened in the 2023/24 season. 

At the start of the 2022/23 season, it felt like Chelsea had everything under control. The takeover from Todd Boehly’s ownership consortium gave a ray of hope to the fans with Chelsea tickets that the club is heading in the right direction, building from the legacy that Roman Abramovich left and that the new owners will maintain the core values within the club.

Tuchel had made significant progress with the team, coming in as an interim manager in the earlier season, taking over from Frank Lampard, who had a disastrous start. He later went on to win the Champions League that year, with a goal from Kai Havertz, sealing the Blues’ much-deserved title.

However, things have taken a downhill curve since then. 

Chelsea brought in fresh talent with the new spending pocket, only to end up on the wrong side. The relationship between Tuchel and Todd Boehly worsened, which meant that he was sacked in September, two months into the new Premier League season. 

Tuchel was a fan favorite, and everyone with Chelsea tickets loved what Tuchel was doing with the team. He embraced the team’s culture, built the systems, and ensured the team was en-route to the top. But, this untimely exit brought confusion and trust issues among the fans, especially with those who already had Chelsea tickets for the new season, questioning the club’s intentions.

Enter Graham Potter 

With the exit of Tuchel, all eyes were on his successor, and everyone with Chelsea tickets looked at one person – Potter. Managing Brighton at the time, managing the club and taking them to new heights – something Brighton had not seen for many years. 

His highest feat was Brighton’s finish in the 2021/22 season, where the club finished 9th with an all-time high of 42 points. Success followed with him to the next season with remarkable wins with Manchester United and then scoring a 5-2 winner against Leicester City. 

Both feats were historic in their terms – the first Brighton team to have ever won in Old Trafford and the first time they scored five goals in a single Premier League fixture. 

This propelled Chelsea to get the services of Potter, signing him for a 5-year deal and paying a hefty release clause to Brighton. 

It was not smooth sailing at any given point, and Potter’s Chelsea side plummeted despite spending over £300 million+ in the January transfer window. A total of 8 new transfers were heading Chelsea’s way, with the big names of Enzo Fernandez and Mykahilo Mudryk being the highlight. 

Jamie Carragher – I fear for Potter

At the time of the appointment, football pundit and Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher was quite vocal about the position, stating he had doubts about Potter’s stay at Chelsea. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added,” It’s a very ruthless club, and I’m not sure [Potter] is the right fit – maybe Chelsea is saying they want to do things differently in the future in terms of having a coach in charge rather than a manager, or they do things behind the scenes differently.”

“It’s a huge step up in his managerial career, and Chelsea are still one of the top clubs. They are still world champions right now, but you fear for Graham Potter that he’ll be in the same boat as every other Chelsea manager has for the last ten years.

Carragher also hinted that if there were no results, he would be ousted in 12 months. 

The concerns were right, and Chelsea’s record didn’t improve, even with their massive spending.  And Potter got the axe. 

The continued losses and win-less Chelsea meant that Potter’s exit was inevitable. 

In a club statement, the management consortium added that they thanked Potter for his contribution to Chelsea. They also added that they have the highest respect for Potter as a coach and a person, and it was disappointing to see the stint come to an end.

The management statement also urged the fans to get behind the interim manager as they look to conclude the league and the Champions League stint and plan for the next season. 

What’s Next? 

Chelsea made the reverse move in bringing back Frank Lampard, the person they fired to bring in Tuchel as an interim coach in the previous coach as a temporary fix for the solution. 

Lampard has not been able to make any ground with Chelsea either, with the team still in the bottom half, desperately looking for 3 points to take home. 

The Stamford Bridge team is looking for a permanent option, with several notable names now available to fill the position.

Here are the top 3 prospects for the Chelsea job: 

1 – Julian Nagelsmann

After he departed from Bayern Munich, Julian Nagelsmann became an inevitable choice for the managerial position at Chelsea. Nagelsmann is highly regarded as one of the most promising coaches in the world, following his success at RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim. The 35-year-old saw his position taken by Thomas Tuchel at Bayern, the coach that Graham Potter succeeded at Chelsea in September. 

After Antonio Conte’s departure, Tottenham had also sent in their interests in Nagelsmann, but Chelsea may try to beat their London rivals to secure his services.

2 – Mauricio Pochettino

As soon as the rumors about Potter’s future at Chelsea started circulating, Mauricio Pochettino was among the first to be linked to the job, just as happened with Thomas Tuchel’s departure last year.

Pochettino has no club since he parted ways with Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and there is no doubt that Chelsea would be interested in him as a potential candidate.

However, the club may have reservations about his less-than-impressive time at PSG. They could also face strong competition from Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino’s former team, who are also searching for a replacement for Antonio Conte.

3 – Luis Enrique 

Luis Enrique may soon return to club management following his resignation as Spain’s head coach after their disappointing performance in the 2022 World Cup. 

He is known for his strong footballing philosophy, a trait that he excelled at FC Barcelona and could bring his vision to Chelsea’s squad. Still, this task may be challenging, given the constant player turnover in recent seasons. 

Despite his credentials, the 52-year-old still needs to manage in the competitive Premier League, which may put him at a disadvantage when landing a top job.

But he is a Chelsea fan and a ticket holder’s favorite. 

The question arises if any manager would want to take on the heat of the position with all that’s happening around the club. But, on the plus side, he has the signings to his benefit, whereas Chelsea has great squad dept and a talented list of players capable of making it work. 

While Lampard will see the team through to the end of the league, all with Chelsea tickets will anxiously wait to see who will take on the reigns as club manager in the next season.