After an expenditure of £ 1 billion-plus by Todd Boehly, there will be disappointment under the Chelsea hierarchy that the qualification of the Champions League still touches and goes.
Why has it been such a struggle in the second half of the season? I think the core of the problem is a lack of experienced players to control games in the final phase and also to deal with disappointment if things are not going well.
It is particularly the case in the defense. Most great Premier League teams have a good leader such as John Terry, Tony Adams, Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany or Virgil van Dijk.
Where is the Chelsea equivalent to organize teammates and to hand out verbal volleys at the right time? There is not one and their failures to replace Thiago Silva to help the youngest team in the competition has been a mistake.
I saw them dominating the possession against Crystal Palace in January, but still admitted a late equalizer. And that was only a week after they had led Fulham by 10 minutes – and finally lost. That is a fundamental lack of game management.
When I was in Liverpool, outsiders asked the signing of 35-year-old Gary Mcallister from Coventry, but it was a masterstroke because he had the know-how to help the rest of us come under pressure, and he still had the fitness and quality to justify his place in the team.
Chelsea has introduced a completely different business model that has never tried before. They have deliberately gathered players with potential and they thrown them together on long -term contracts in the hope that they are Geleren.
That is also based on a sharp judgment of the recruitment department. In the case of Chelsea, it did not help that only Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo have justified the hefty price tags, with the jury on all others.
It has left a nervousness around Stamford Bridge with the team that is currently fifth on target difference. They cannot continue to miss the Champions League. It influences income, which in turn influences PSR and players with ambition such as Palmer will want to work at the highest level.
This Champions League race goes to the thread. My feeling is that Chelsea will just squeeze, the beneficiaries of fifth place are good enough this season and a malaise in form from Nottingham Forest, which they meet on the last day in the city area.
Even the planning of Sunday's game with Liverpool could work for Chelsea. If there is ever a good time to play the Arne Slot team, it is a week after they have won and celebrate the title.
It is still a bit overwhelming, given the history of Chelsea about winning the biggest prizes. To put together a non -tested team, Chelsea is led by a manager, Enzo Maresca, who has never worked at this level before. There is no experience within the group to fall back.
Although Chelsea needs a new keeper – Liverpool has two reliable in Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher and the blues have no – I don't think the approach to Maresca Robert Sanchez has helped.
I don't get the feeling that the manager gives his players a lot of freedom to make their own choices on the field. While Pep Guardiola would prefer Ederson to play from behind, he also gives him the freedom to go longer if the competition situation dictates; Sanchez does not receive the same support from his manager.
That is why Chelsea fans are also frustrated – the refusal to change tactics, even if the opposition has worked out you.
I don't think Chelsea fans are unreasonable if they get frustrated if they repeatedly fall into the same false.
Some of the younger Chelsea players will improve the following season while they learn, but I still don't think the team can take a big step forward, unless they show flexibility in their transfer model and give some experience to help the younger players.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jamie Vardy are two obvious free agents, but the top priorities are in goal and in the middle of half.
Will Boehly accept a partial U-turn from his transfer strategy? I'm not sure. But he should.