Chelsea’s identity crisis once again on show

It seems like Chelsea Football Club is facing constant problems and criticisms after each defeat. People are blaming everyone associated with the club, including the manager, players, sporting directors, and owners. The main issue is the club’s inability to build on a core and its short-term focus, whether through frequent changes in the squad or unfair manager sackings.

The argument against sacking Pochettino is that he may not be the long-term solution based on his track record in the last four and a half years. The problem, according to the author, is the lack of a collective transition to sustain the winning cycle, similar to the successful core of players like Drogba, Lampard, Terry, Cole, and Cech.

The transitions from Cech to Courtois and the loss of players like Drogba and Lampard created an identity crisis. The replacements, such as Courtois and Alonso, didn’t fully fill the gaps, and Chelsea struggled to build a new core. The failure to build on a core in 2014 with De Bruyne and Salah, the lack of a clear succession plan, and having four left-backs on the team are highlighted as further issues.

Comparisons are made with other successful clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool, which have effective contingency plans for each position. Chelsea is criticized for not having a clear plan for transitions and struggling to build a core, despite a promising moment under Frank Lampard in 2019.

The author believes that Tuchel winning the Champions League didn’t solve the underlying issues, as key players had uncertain contracts and the club failed to build on the core. Lampard’s sacking is seen as both beneficial in the short term and detrimental in the long term.

Despite recent failures, the author suggests that Pochettino is shielding a promising core of young players, but the challenge lies in translating their potential onto the pitch. The hope is that if Chelsea can weather the storm, there’s a chance for improvement. However, the author warns that discarding the young talents would be a sign that the ownership needs to be held accountable.

The article concludes by pointing out that Chelsea hasn’t won a domestic trophy since 2018 and has faced significant challenges, indicating a broader problem of the club losing its identity.