The Challenges of Being a Supporter of Chelsea Under New Management: A Look Ahead to Real Madrid – Chelsea in the Champions League

You have to have a strong heart to be a supporter – or more simply an observer – of Chelsea for almost a year and the official takeover of the London club by Todd Boehly and his consortium of investors. Even more for a few months.

We are talking about a new management which sacked Thomas Tuchel in September, paid more than 20 million euros to Brighton to replace him with Graham Potter, himself dismissed in early April and replaced by Frank Lampard, back on the London bench after being sacked by… the Blues at the start of 2021, then by a 19th-placed Everton in the Premier League last January. Hardly had we had time to realize how surreal this situation was that Chelsea had already relapsed on the lawn of Wolverhampton on Saturday (1-0).

We are also talking about a team that has cost 600 million euros over the last two transfer windows, of which almost a third for attacking players. But who ended Saturday against Wolves – and for the second time since mid-February – a third consecutive game without scoring. The attacking record of the team, which now has fewer goals than Erling Haaland in the Premier League this season, is almost unreal: 14 goals in its last 23 meetings.

“We have to go to Madrid with confidence, with hope. If you are worried, don’t come”, yet released Frank Lampard after the defeat against Wolves. But how not to be?

2012 and 2021 in the lead

Perhaps looking back, in the not so distant past. This is at least the meaning of the club’s communication. Tuesday morning, on his official website, an interview with his former player Pat Nevin made the front page, asking players to “to believe that it can be their competition”. Another article reminded him of the circumstances of the two coronations of the Blues in the Champions League.

Two recent titles, in 2012 and 2021, acquired under the leadership of coaches appointed during the season. Roberto Di Matteo first, then Thomas Tuchel. In fact, the story of the badly embarked Chelsea which ends up on the roof of Europe therefore has a (tiny?) chance of repeating itself.

But version 2023, the scenario is wobbly: one would have to imagine the former English international, captain of the victorious team in 2012 but sacked for the better in 2021, because a few months before the coronation of Tuchel, to be again on the good side of the story ? Lampard is the last to want to venture into such predictions.

“We can only focus on Wednesday’s gamewarned the English technician. I don’t think the story has a big impact, although I understand the romantic idea around it. Wouldn’t we all want to experience that again? But we have to work hard. I think it’s hard to compare with past years.”

And how. In 2012, the backbone of the Blues – Cech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba – was in no way comparable to a team that is still looking for an eleven-type this season, and which had an average age of 25 at kickoff. dispatch on Saturday. In 2021, Tuchel had several months to shape a strong collective in 3-4-3 where Lampard, for his only “preparation” match before the big meeting of the quarters, has just established the return to a defense at four.

“Those years are the ones people remember, but they don’t remember the ones when we were knocked out by Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge, and the other times like that. A team, a group, is always going to go through difficult times to experience better ones”, he resumed. Difficult times, Chelsea lives for sure. The best, they do not seem to be for now. Unless the 2012-2021 rule applies again…