First off - I am a Spurs fan so there is obvious bias here, however I have tried to write this as a serious article without wumming, but accept that there is clearly bias on my behalf.
The amortisation strategy being employed at Chelsea is risky as hell. For those not aware, Chelsea last summer spent a lot of money on building their squad and spread the transfer fee payments (on the books) of those players over the length of the contract. For instance, Enzo Fernandez was signed for £106.8m with a contract to run until 2031 (now 2032) and the repayment in terms of FFP is £12.5m a year. The benefit of this to Chelsea in the short term is FFP (financial fair play) rules wriggle room - I.E. rather than having most of their wriggle room last summer taken up by the £106m spent on Fernandez, instead only £12.5m is, leaving plenty of head room.
The issue is Chelsea have been schitt this season - beyond this Spurs fans wildest dreams, 30 goals scored in 31 games, bottom half of the table and could finish below the likes of Palace and maybe even Wolves who were in a relegation battle up until a fortnight ago.
So what do they do this summer? Will anyone buy the players that have performed so terribly? Will they continue spending more and more in the hope of getting it right?
I think they have lumbered themselves for years to come and although the sale of young players like Gallagher/Mount/Broja will relieve their issues somewhat - would you back them to get new signings right?
Could this be the end of Chelsea as a dominant force in the league - hope yes of course, but I also am starting to feel this is realistic. Hiring Lampard back, a proven loser as a manager was just plain stupid - 3 defeats, 1 goal scored and remaining home games include Real Madrid/Man United/Arsenal
Chelsea - is this the beginning of the end?
posted on 16/4/23
comment by Striketeam7 - the smartest person you know - B... (U18109)
posted 33 minutes ago
comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 55 minutes ago
Feels like are definitely heading for an extended barren period, how long it lasts? Who knows.
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What’s the view with the fans with regard to the financial strategy - any concern?
I was staggered to see Fernandes contract extended again last week after only being signed in Jan
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I can only speak for myself. I think the spending has been reckless, poorly planned, wasteful and full of risk.
posted on 16/4/23
comment by junction8 (U1074)
posted 2 hours, 34 minutes ago
comment by Blackpolespur (U9242)
posted 49 minutes ago
They just need a top class manager and a striker and it will click in my opinion
Their owners are clueless though ….probably worse than ours
I mean lampard 😂 who even suggested it
Nagelsmann and Toney and I think they are a different beast all together
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James corden apparently....
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Who said he had no sense of humour?
posted on 16/4/23
James Corden ? who is he by the way !
posted on 16/4/23
comment by Harlequin von Hebdo. (U16981)
posted 18 minutes ago
James Corden ? who is he by the way !
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A fat perpetually grumpy faaaack that supports West Ham. It’s like Daniel Levy asking Maf who Spurs new manager should be
posted on 16/4/23
Ohhhh that James Corden ! still don't know who he is !
posted on 16/4/23
I don't think so no, or at least wouldn't say so now - might think differently in a few years - but that's only because for all of Boehly's faults I do get the impression he wants a successful team first like Abramovich did. His problem is incompetent, not ambivalence like the Glazers, Kroneke's or ENIC.
Suggests he'll be willing to learn, adapt & most importantly keep trying. If he's genuinely delusional & think his way will work no matter how much evidence tells him otherwise, which we can only know in a few years, then we're done.
posted on 16/4/23
We'll be back I have no doubt. Might have to spend a few years in transition but Football is cyclic anyway, sometimes you're in the ascendancy and sometimes you're not. We've had a far better time for a long period of time than some of our rivals have had, so we can't complain with our lot.
The american owners don't lack ambition which is good, but it seem like they have some harsh lessons to learn and must learn them, or short term it will continue to be a shambles, but as an old school supporter we have been in far worse situations than this before now and have still come through the pack to dine at the top table and I am fully confident that we will do so again, but it might take a few years to get back there.
Anyone who owns a team that hasn't scored a goal in 4 games and then predicts that this same team is going to win 3-0 away to Real Madrid is clearly delusional (or he's having a bubble if he's not being serious). I'm not overly worried long term. You have to believe that the owners don't get to become as rich as they already have by behaving like incompetent fools all of the time.
posted on 16/4/23
a big issue is that players on long term contracts will lose motivation over the next few yrs, particularly if not winning big trophies. if they have to sell these players, losses kick in and thats where the issue goes titts up
posted on 16/4/23
We will be back
posted on 19/4/23
comment by Whitehotlanespur (U9832)
posted 2 days, 22 hours ago
a big issue is that players on long term contracts will lose motivation over the next few yrs, particularly if not winning big trophies. if they have to sell these players, losses kick in and thats where the issue goes titts up
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Players can be sold. Every club in world football is in a constant state of flux when it comes to players coming and going. To say that a player on a longer contract will lose motivation over a player on a shorter contract is a strange statement. Every player is different and there are a million different circumstances that a player can experience at any given club.