[Albion] Chelsea: "A supercharged Brighton"

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I didn't really understand that analogy, but I hope you're not disrespecting the Sweet, who I adored as a youngster. Brian Connolly a tormented sex God with a beautiful voice. Very much underrated.

I hate to break it to you but, yes.
Yes I was disrespecting the Sweet.
And I am not ashamed.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

What a load of horseshite, they don't even have our data, nothing like us, bar trying to copy us, hoovering up the market won't work. ****s.

 

[Hiheidi]

Sadly I suspect they will scrape their way to fifth or above as they must still have enough games left against the rubbish teams, but <Kevin Keegan voice> I would love it, LOVE it if they failed to make the Champions League and it affected their sponsorship targets.

Not sure where this chart is sourced from, but looks like they have a tougher run than us.

 

[GrossTurn]

I’m not sure copying our model will work for them.

The pressure and high salaries at Chelsea together with their toxic and entitled fanbase don’t work well with our way of doing things.

This - our model stems from us having a realistic understanding of our place in the footballing food chain, and requires patience and incremental improvements over a number of seasons. I don’t see how this is in anyway a suitable fit for a club like Chelsea - I’d go as far to say it all falls down somewhat when you throw in factors such as those you mention.

 

[CheeseRolls]

This data obsession misses the bigger point. Chelsea are able to attract the best youth products and pay them handsomely, but they have such a fickle attitude towards player development. Young players do go off the boil, but that doesn't mean you have to write them off, slag them off and bin them. That is the Chelsea model and that is why they will never get close to our approach.

All you see with Chelsea is a bunch of individuals desperate to impress and stay in favour, all the really good stuff in a team game like tracking back, supporting the player on the ball, closing down etc goes out the window.

 

[Professor Plum]

Some fans wanted to 'supercharge' the Chelsea manager straight to the job centre a few weeks ago, so forgive me if I dismiss this content under 'page-filler during an international break'.

Are you under the impression that they've changed their minds? You should listen to one or two of their hilarious podcasts following the Arsenal defeat, or spend a few minutes on YouTube. They are absolutely furious with Maresca and I've not heard a single person defend him.

 

[Me and my Monkey]

I hate to break it to you but, yes.
Yes I was disrespecting the Sweet.
And I am not ashamed.

Bad man.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

In other Chelsea news, and as reported today by The Athletic:

Chelsea FC have issued a strongly worded statement condemning racist abuse aimed at Wesley Fofana following their defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

July 2024: Chelsea FC make no statement whatsoever after Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez was caught on camera singing a racist song about France's black footballers, including Chelsea's Wesley Fofana. Four weeks later, Chelsea appoint Enzo Fernandez captain for their first game of the season.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I'm not sure that Maresca is over that hump. Their last six games form is mid table, having won three and lost three. However the wins were against West Ham, Leicester and Southampton. Apart from the early months of the season, they've been flat track bullies this term. The last time they beat someone in the top half of the table was 1 December. Since Christmas they've played twelve EPL games. Five of those were against teams in the bottom six and they took 15 points from 18. Seven were against teams in the top 14 and they haven't beaten any of them, taking only 2 points from a possible 21 through January draws with Bournemouth and Palace.

Are you under the impression that they've changed their minds? You should listen to one or two of their hilarious podcasts following the Arsenal defeat, or spend a few minutes on YouTube. They are absolutely furious with Maresca and I've not heard a single person defend him.

No – that's what I'm saying. The fact that fans were vocal in their opposition to him and their team, means that everything is far rom rosy at 'the bridge'. I guess what I'm saying is that even if you've got the best players in the world at your disposal, if you're still missing a manager and a structure that can get the best out of that squad, you're not supercharging anything.

 

[pigmanovich]

Still amazes me that they are within PSR

They sell well beside all the shenanigans with their women’s team and hotel assets.

 

[Silverhatch]

They sell well beside all the shenanigans with their women’s team and hotel assets.

Governance of the PL is abysmal

 

[Mackenzie]

I'm not sure that supercharged would be the adjective I'd have chosen, shit maybe.

 

[pigmanovich]

Governance of the PL is abysmal

But but Paul says we don’t need a regulator

 

[pigmanovich]

I'm not sure that supercharged would be the adjective I'd have chosen, shit maybe.

I like the sound of supercharged if it means “hit with a bunch of charges”

 

[heathgate]

With an average age of 23 years and five months, the Blues already have the youngest squad in the Premier League - and it is set to get even younger from next season.

The club has had a radical shift in transfer strategy since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

Most Abramovich-era players have been sold in an attempt to reduce the age of the squad - and the wage bill.

That money has then been reinvested in young talent in what appears to be a 'supercharged Brighton' approach to transfer business.

Chelsea transfers: Why are Blues stockpiling so many young players - and can they afford it?

Chelsea have six deals for rising stars lined up and have just signed two more young talents from Portuguese side Sporting. Why? And how can they afford it?

www.bbc.co.uk

They did this before though.... I remember maybe 10 years ago, perhaps more, articles talking about Chelsea sweeping up young talent from all over.... at one point highlighting a stat of them having 42 players out on loan in the EFL and across Europe...... nothing new.

 

[keaton]

Some fans wanted to 'supercharge' the Chelsea manager straight to the job centre a few weeks ago, so forgive me if I dismiss this content under 'page-filler during an international break'.

So some of their fans are a good judge then?

 

[jcdenton08]

I can’t see us winning today

 

[tigertim68]

Still amazes me that they are within PSR

Me too

 

[dazzer6666]

They sell well beside all the shenanigans with their women’s team and hotel assets.

……partly because so many of their academy products (cost = nil from a balance sheet perspective) decide to leave because their lunatic management and entitled fans means they don’t have the time or patience to provide a pathway to the first team. All these sales are 100% profit towards their PSR numbers

I’d argue this is the Chelsea model - hoover up all the kids (they have ridiculous numbers on their books) so you can sell them at 100% profit to fund the purchase of ‘ready made‘ players. It’s almost the polar opposite of what we do.

 

[Wozza]

Still amazes me that they are within PSR

They’ve shifted expensive players to Saudi etc, and sold homegrown players such as Gallagher too.

Someone mentioned high wages. They’re supposedly much lower at Chelsea than most think - maybe because of a generous bonus structure and/or the long terms.