Questions are asked to Chelsea and coach Sonia Bompastor If they do not appear as Women's Champions League opportunities next year, Lianne Sanderson believes.
The Champions League trophy originated Chelsea for 12 successful years under former boss Emma Hayes, who left last May to coach the national team of the United States.
Hayes won 16 domestic trophies with the blues, including seven Super League titles for women, but a 4-0 last defeat against Barcelona in 2021 was closest to her team that came to European Glorie.
And it seems that the same opponents will re-deny Chelsea, where Barca wins 4-1 last week in the first stage of a semi-final of the Champions League.
Chelsea must now cancel a shortage of three goals on Stamford Bridge on Sunday, against a Barca team that has emerged from five straight semi-final tires.
The first season of Bompastor has been enormously successful, with Chelsea closed the title in the competition, in which they are undefeated, and in the FA Cup final.
They also captured the League Cup with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City last month, so that they could win the Domestic Treble for the second time after this in 2020-21.
But former international Sanderson of England, who played for Chelsea between 2008 and 2010, thinks they will have to take the next step soon.
She told the statistics: “When Emma Hayes was there, it was every year as if they were a quadruple, they were in front of the Treble, then it went to the double, then they won the WSL.
“It is still a successful season if you win the competition, but let's be honest, Chelsea did not buy Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze to win the competition, and [Sandy] Baltimore and Naomi Germa.
“They didn't bought them to win the WSL, they do it anyway, they bought them to win the Champions League.”
While Sanderson accepts the pressure of following Hayes immensely, she believes that Bompastor – a Champions League winner and both a player and a coach at Lyon – should deliver more next season.
“I think if it is this time next year and are in the same position, questions will be asked,” she said.
“Sonia Bompastor has done a really good job in a short time. I don't think someone realized what was going to happen to Hayes.
'You're talking about the equivalent of [Jurgen] Klopp leaves, or Sir Alex Ferguson.
“This year, apart from the two draws they had in the competition, Chelsea did not play well, but they still get the results. That is the testimony of a great team.”
Although Chelsea was dominant in the WSL and could complete the fourth unbeaten campaign in the competition, Sanderson thinks that their team sometimes looks unbalanced in 2017-18 and 2019-2020 (also Arsenal in 2012-13).
“I think they have too many good players, if that is even possible. I think Bompastor should find the balance,” she said.
“Chelsea stood on the rear foot from minute one [against Barcelona]. Hopefully I will be here next week and I ask why Chelsea is in the final, but if I was a gambling person, that's not what I would bet on. “