Seeking sense in Chelsea's transfer window
Thank goodness Chelsea's transfer window has slammed shut for another few months. One quick question though: what the hell was that all about?
If you’ve read anything I’ve written about the greatness that is Chelsea Football Club - and I doubt you have - you’ll know I’ve been around for a while, and sorry, kids, you’re not going to like this.
I won’t bombard you with the fees paid and the ages of the players that Chelsea recruited, we know they were (a) expensive, in the main, and (b) young and inexperienced. So I do worry that this squad is very much for the future. It’s early in the season of course, and although the style of play has been enjoyable at times, Saturday’s shambles at home to Nottingham Forest was a difficult watch. There are, however, extenuating circumstances. Three, in particular, come to mind.
Injuries continue to plague the football club like no other. This problem has been around for some time and continues to make the job of managing an elite football team very hard.
Mauricio Pochettino currently has nine players in the physio room. At least he’ll be able to discuss tactics and ideas with those while the rest are away on international duty. Five of those nine - Reece James, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku - are most likely in the starting XI. Given the second extenuating circumstance, a lack of strikers, there’s a definite argument that Armando Broja should also be included among the laid-up starters.
Why didn’t Chelsea buy a proven out-and-out striker? In fact, why haven’t we done so for nine years?
Don’t be throwing Romelu Lukaku back at me because I’m not counting him. I’m calling Diego - Ooohhh Diego - Costa our last decent striking centre forward. He signed at Stamford Bridge on 1 July 2014, and since then nothing, nada, nicht, zilch. Nicolas Jackson may, in time, prove to be the one. I really hope so, if for no other reason than his rocking the 80s look with those short shorts. To be positive, though, let’s not forget the stinker of a first season Didier Drogba had at the club. That turned out fine.
Post window, it’s come to light that the club were not interested in buying players over the age of 26. I guess that all makes sense when you’re giving them contracts in excess of seven years. Will it also become apparent that we operate a no-striker policy, too? It certainly feels that way, which segues us right into the third, all encompassing extenuating circumstance.
To say Chelsea FC are a club in transition undersells it. To call it a project barely soils the blueprint.
Todd Boehly and his band of merry people bought, nay, saved a club that were on the brink. Perhaps that’s a bit strong. Despite UK government pressure, Chelsea FC would never have folded. This has been a very tricky time for those who follow the team from SW6. The board have been aggressive in ridding the squad of players who appeared to have no interest in playing for London’s two time Champions League winners. That’s to the leadership’s credit.
Less heartening has been the way the much maligned products of the academy - because let’s face it, that's all they are, products - have been moved on at the expense of a new kind of yoof. A yoof that may or may not pay off down the line.
The board have danced along the line of Financial Fair Play with these long contracts and youthful signings. Time will reveal whether that pays off.
For now, though, a year on from Thomas Tuchel’s departure and four managers later, the club remains, to my eye, in disarray. As we look forward, with the likes of small town Brighton reveling in our mire, we’ll be known as the Billion Dollar / Pound Boys.”
With everything else that is going on, it will be a burden that fans and the young souls drafted in will have to bear. They like us must once again…trust… the… process.
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