POCHETTINO SAGA: Does Todd Boehly Actually Have Chelsea’s Best Interests At Heart?

Roman Abramovich is the type of man every football fan would want to run the affairs of their club.

The Russian billionaire’s acquisition of Chelsea in 2003 marked a turning point for the club, transforming it into a global football powerhouse. His decision to invest heavily in top-tier talent and infrastructure was immediate and impactful. Abramovich spent over £100 million on new players in his first summer, bringing in stars like Claude Makélélé and Damien Duff. This aggressive investment strategy continued with marquee signings such as Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, and John Terry, establishing a formidable squad. 

Abramovich’s ruthlessness in managerial decisions was equally pivotal. He appointed José Mourinho in 2004, whose leadership brought Chelsea their first Premier League title in 50 years. 

Despite numerous trophies, he showed little tolerance for underperformance, leading to frequent managerial changes even after successful seasons. This no-nonsense approach kept the club’s standards exceptionally high, ultimately securing multiple domestic league titles, FA Cups, and two UEFA Champions League titles. 

Abramovich’s blend of heavy investment, strategic infrastructure development, and uncompromising managerial decisions solidified Chelsea’s status as a dominant force in both English and European football over the past two decades.

All of this changed when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022.

The 57-year-old just so happens to be a Russian oligarch with very close ties to the Kremlin. After Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, Abramovich faced serious scrutiny and pressure from many Western governments, most especially the UK government.

In March 2022, the UK government went as far as sanctioning Abramovich, freezing his assets, and severely restricting his business activities in the country. These sanctions made it unfeasible for him to maintain ownership of Chelsea, as it seriously affected the smooth running of the club’s day-to-day operations, including its ability to sell tickets and merchandise, as well as negotiate contracts with various sponsors and players alike. 

To ensure the club’s continued functioning and to protect its future, he made the very difficult decision to sell Chelsea to American businessman Todd Boehly for $3.2 billion (the highest price ever paid for a sports club).

As a football enthusiast, you could feel it in your bones. Chelsea was about to experience drastic changes under the new management. Only time will tell whether these changes will leave the Blues worse off, keep the status quo, or take the club to new heights.

No one would need to tell Todd Boehly that he would need to seriously step up his game to win over the Chelsea fanbase based on the standards set by his predecessor. However, he made one of the most controversial decisions so far as owner of Chelsea by sacking Thomas Tuchel, the coach who had just recently delivered the Champions League trophy for the club.

This decision certainly did not endear him to the club’s supporters.

Thomas Tuchel was axed in September 2022, just four months after Boehly’s takeover. Prior to his sacking, many fans had their doubts about the players the club signed in the summer of the 2022/23 transfer window. For instance, the club paid £33 million to sign Kalidou Koulibaly, a player over 30 years old, and a whopping £70 million to sign Wesley Fofana. 

Controversial signings and the sacking of club favourite, Thomas Tuchel. Both of these decisions did not bode well at all for Todd Boehly.

The German was eventually replaced with Graham Potter in next to no time. 

Under Graham Potter’s management, Chelsea did indeed look unrecognizable. One of his primary weaknesses has been his inability to consistently field a cohesive starting lineup, resulting in a lack of chemistry and understanding among the players. This is reflected in the team’s poor results, with Chelsea suffering 11 defeats in Potter’s first 28 Premier League games in charge (a win percentage of just 39%). 

Furthermore, the American’s tactics have been criticized for being rather complex and reactive, often leading to a lack of clear direction and purpose on the pitch. This is evident in the team’s struggles in big games, with Chelsea losing 4 of their 5 matches against top-six opponents under his management.

In April 2023, after almost seven months in charge, the American was eventually sacked.

The new Chelsea management then made arguably their most controversial decision yet by choosing to replace Graham Potter with Frank Lampard. This was someone who had already been previously hired and fired as Chelsea’s coach after failing to live up to expectations. The former Chelsea midfielder was to remain coach until the end of the season.

Frank Lampard’s second stint as Chelsea’s coach went as well as you would expect.

Chelsea lost their first six matches under his management. Frank Lampard oversaw only ten matches in which he lost one, drew one, and lost eight. His services were no longer required after the 2022/23 season rounded up.

On July 1, 2023, Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as the new Chelsea manager. Many of the club’s supporters were seemingly excited with the Argentine’s arrival taking into consideration the success he achieved with both Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in the past. 

Just like the previous season, Chelsea management carried on with the string of rather unimpressive signings in the 2023/24 season. The Blues paid a British transfer record fee of £115 million to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and £58 million for the services of Romeo Lavia from Southampton. 

Moises Caicedo is yet to deliver results that back his transfer fee while Romeo Lavia only played one match this season and missed the remaining due to injury.

Sure indeed, there was cause for excitement when Pochettino joined Chelsea, however, this quickly died out as the Blues found themselves in the bottom half of the table in the middle of the season  Some of the heavy defeats they suffered during this period were a 4-2 loss to Wolves and a 4-1 loss to Newcastle.

These results were totally unacceptable considering the fact that Chelsea was not playing in Europe at the time and had all their attention on domestic competition. Many Chelsea fans feared they would not qualify for European competitions for two seasons in a row taking into consideration their run of form so far.

Pochettino, however, was able to turn their luck around by qualifying for the Carabao Cup final, although they lost to Liverpool. Plus, Chelsea ended the season in 6th position and qualified for the Europa Conference League. Quite possibly, Chelsea’s biggest accomplishment this season is the fact that they won their last five matches in the run to qualifying for the Europa Conference League. 

It would have been somewhat of an embarrassment if a club of Chelsea’s caliber failed to qualify for any European competition two seasons running.

The Blues defied the odds to qualify for the Europa Conference League and finished the season on a very strong note. These feats inspired confidence among the club’s fans in the Pochettino project. There was optimism that he could lead them to being the powerhouse they once were in England and across Europe.

However, this was just meant to be.

A few days back, Todd Boehly and Chelsea’s management made yet another controversial decision to sack Pochettino. This news came as a surprise to many, both Chelsea and non-Chelsea fans. 

Despite the club’s impressive form at the tail end of the season, it is believed that Todd Boehly was not satisfied with Chelsea’s results, especially in key matches. It is also believed that the American billionaire had issues with Pochettino’s tactics and overall team selection.

He had now been replaced with Enzo Maresca, the former Leicester City coach who won the Championship title with them and led the club back to the Premier League.

Todd Boehly’s tenure as Chelsea’s owner has been marked by a series of controversial decisions that have raised questions about his commitment to the club’s best interests. From the sudden sacking of Thomas Tuchel to the underwhelming appointments of Frank Lampard and Graham Potter, Boehly’s managerial choices have been met with skepticism by fans and pundits alike.

Furthermore, his lavish spending on unproven players like Mudryk, Caicedo, and Enzo has yet to yield the desired results, leaving many wondering if Boehly’s priorities lie more with his own ego than the club’s success.

Ultimately, Boehly’s success will be judged on trophies.  If silverware returns to Stamford Bridge, his decisions, however controversial they may seem now, will be viewed in a more positive light.  But without tangible achievements, questions about his management strategy will only grow louder.

This article was updated 1 week ago