For the first time since December 2020, Chelsea has lost consecutive Premier League games, dropping them to sixth in the standings.
Few expected Chelsea owner Todd Boehly to fire Thomas Tuchel just days after the summer transfer market shut. He spent a record amount of money backing the German coach this summer, and Blues supporters will find the choice all too reminiscent of Roman Abramovich’s managerial merry-go-round.
After Abramovich was forced to sell the team he had led since 2003, concerns remained about how Chelsea would seem under new management.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
When Chelsea spent more than £250 million on players in the transfer market, such concerns were quickly addressed. Boehly seems to be placing a lot of faith in Tuchel to lead Chelsea back to the top of the Premier League and compete with Manchester City.
Tuchel was only five points behind league leaders Arsenal, but he quickly lost his job after the 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb. Many were taken aback by the choice, which had striking parallels to Abramovich’s brutality toward managers when he owned the team.
Tuchel, who is considered as one of the top managers in the world, finished third in the league last season and had the makings of a group that may progress. Graham Potter was thought to be the person best fit for the position, hence Boehly saw the need to make changes.
Chelsea won three straight league games after the international break as the “new management bounce” took hold. However, they have struggled in their previous four Premier League games, with the most recent setback occurring at the hands of rivals Arsenal at home.
In contrast to the five points when Tuchel was fired, there are now 13 points separating the two London clubs. To make his mark at Chelsea, Potter will need time, but Boehly would have anticipated that when he fired Tuchel.
Given that Chelsea is currently in a stiff race to finish in the top four and Potter’s team looked unsure against Arsenal, it might prove expensive this season. For the first time in almost two years, Chelsea has dropped back-to-back Premier League matches, and under their new management, they are now playing catch-up with teams that are further along than Chelsea.
During Abramovich’s rule, Chelsea supporters were all too accustomed with many changes in the dugout, many of which didn’t pan out. In 2011, Andre Villas Boas replaced Carlo Ancelotti in a disastrous way. The Portuguese coach failed to make an impression and was fired less than a year later.
Rafael Benitez’s failure to win over supporters during his tenure as manager contributed to Roberto Di Matteo’s dismissal just months after he won the Champions League. Potter has plenty of time to avoid joining the long list of Chelsea managers who were unable to complete a full season in charge.
Boehly, though, has now experienced firsthand the realities of living in the Premier League and how changes can occasionally have a bad impact on the team.