When the Bohely consortium took over Cfc May22, Tod Bohley installed himself as interim sporting director.
He over saw the summer 22 & January 23 transfer windows. Bringing in players, the majority of which are now considered extremely poor purchases.This is not to say that they are poor players, just, they are not necessarily best suited to what the manger requires to build a competitive squad now.
He established a reputation of over paying for players. Creating a bloated, unmanageable 40 man squad.
He oversaw a strategy of player banking, bringing in young talented prospects opposed to ensuring that squad maintained the right balance & its ability to compete as Champions league & Uefa & Fifa world club champions.
He sacked Tuschel without a reasoned strategy , claiming the manager didnt share the consortiums vision. ( something which in hind sight we can agree was not unreasonable conclusion by Tuschel)
Within a working week he brought in Potter, an excellent manager, but not an elite manager with the experience and personality to take on a huge unsettled squad or the questionable vision of the Bohley consortium.
Feb 23, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley took up their roles as co-sporting directors. They oversee the entire sporting team, comprising talent, scouting, recruitment and data.
At this point Bohely passes the buck, but the damage had been done imo.
Next up the club is beginning to spiral into mid table obscurity, the loss of C/L football 23/24 is looking like a reality.
Frank is brought in as a interim manager , the 4th manager in in 9 months.
Chaos prevails , players are looking at the door opposed to buying into the new contract structure.
Come may 2023 12 months after Bohley- Clearlake took over , it can be reasonably said that the new ownership had regressed the club back 25/30 years .
Summer 2023, Poch Bohley's fifth manager, is brought in, there is an air of optimism, that despite the abysmal start the new ownership have made.
The summer transfer window the player banking buying continues the clubs spending in the first year eclipses 1 bln. The club by this point have totally purchased a new squad bar 5/6 players from the Abramovich era, but there are concerns that the squad is still light in strength in depth, despite the huge investment. It doesn't have enough experience, leadership and is still missing an out & out striker and a top 4 level keeper. There was also concern that the key players James & Chilwell are injury prone.
There is also huge concern regarding the clubs ability to comply with FFP June24, which is dependent upon the revenue & the clubs ability to attain a C/lL spot for 24/25.
As we reach the mid way point of the 23/24 season 20 months after Bohley- Clearlake took, the club/ manager is still struggling to get a side that can control a game for 90m on a regular basis, the only consistency is inconsistency. Securing a C/L place is not even a pipe dream.
Injury is sighted as a root cause? But the club does have 30 players available, the issue is the lack of strength in depth
Due to the pressures of FFP & the loss of revenue & the need to still continue trading players , the club are now facing the prospect of selling any available Youth academy assets ( pure profit players) irrespective if this will continue to weaken the squad.
The club now, by all accounts are open to selling Gallagher, one of the few players who make up the spine of the team.
No doubt James & Chilwell will be vulnerable , which is to some extent understandable.
The squad is still bloated at 30 player available.
It seems as if the accountants are running the club.
My question is where are the sporting directors Stewart & Winstanley in this total cluster fck of a shambles ?
No doubt soon to be sacked along with Poch
The damage was done in my opinion whilst Bohley was sporting director.
Mr Bohley claimed when he took over the club , we are serious, trust in the process, imo what a total blag. Mr Bohley and his consortium lost control of the situation when they made the abysmal decisions which lead to the club lossing its C/L status and the consequential player exodus, due to the nonsensical way the consortium transitioned the take over.
COY Blues! KTBFFH
Bohley- Stewart & Winstanley
posted on 13/12/23
I sometimes wonder what would've happened if we'd been taken over by that racist guy who owned the Chicago Bulls I wanna say?
Had a track record of being a bit like Kroenke if I remember. Didn't really care, minimal investment & generally seen as a pr!ck in business. The long term future would've been worrying but the present day I think would've been better than this tbh, might've still had Tuchel
posted on 13/12/23
"My question is where are the sporting directors Laurence & Winstanley in this total cluster fck of a shambles ?"
Out looking for the next over expensive purchase in Jan window i'd think
posted on 13/12/23
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 minute ago
"My question is where are the sporting directors Laurence & Winstanley in this total cluster fck of a shambles ?"
Out looking for the next over expensive purchase in Jan window i'd think
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What are the odds it's a teenage Brazilian?
posted on 13/12/23
We either have to keep the faith in what these guys are doing ,be patient and understanding of the methods ,ways and means of these venture capitalists, which might take some time to materialise, or, as fans accept that we are not of too much importance to their long term financial aims !
In short ,hold onto your asses for now and pray to the almighty for an end to our sufferance ,their is nothing any of us can do about it !
posted on 13/12/23
thats one way of looking at it
posted on 13/12/23
comment by H von H. (U16981)
posted 12 hours, 37 minutes ago
Do you have a serious alternative, or better suggestion for Bohley and his gang ?
I don't think that he and his team are going anywhere ,anytime in the foreseeable future !
As Chelsea Football Club, we must all go onwards and hopefully upwards together .
Has anyone got any serious suggestions at all ?
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Did anyone suggest Clearlake and Boehly then? There are always potential buyers out there, and most of them unheard of.
posted on 13/12/23
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 10 hours, 49 minutes ago
It has always struck me as an all or nothing approach, with the consequences of the "nothing" outcome being potential financial disaster.
While the lack of UCL for 24/25 will hurt, if you are not in Europe at least you will not be breaching their FFP. However, the PL FFP is still in play and we have seen the cost to Everton with their points deduction after 1 breach.
While say a 10 pt deduction next season would not necessarily risk your PL status, it would rule out Europe and the monies that brings. Which is perhaps why you would want this punishment now, not next season because next season would probably rule out UCL qualification again, which only exacerbates your revenue/FFP issues.
Given where you are now, it looks like it will only get worse before it gets better, but how much worse is unknown...it really could be anything from financial disaster setting you back years and years to a few years in the doldrums while you slowly rebuild.
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Fair assessment
posted on 14/12/23
Well, recover?
I assume to recover the club must first hit rock bottom.
As yet i dont think we have hit rock bottom, unfathomable as that may seem.
Rock bottom will be imo,
1 : When the club have cleared the FFP issues.
Incomplete reporting under Roman:
This in all likelyhood ,due to current climate surrounding FFP compliance,( worse case scenario) could result in
maximum sanctions 12 point deduction, a fine & possible a transfer ban. All of which the club could absord. (ideally over this season.)
FFP Compliance regarding the restructuring since Bohley - Clearlake took over.
This could very well result a similar maximum sanction penalty. If the club do breach.
This is worse case scenario, hopefully the sanctions will not as harsh as worse case scenario.
The club should be able to live with these sanctions as long as they are resolved in a separate seasons.
I think can be relied upon that the club will appeal any process and it will get dragged out, as long as these matters are dealt with separately the club should be able to live with the fall out.
The fall out may well result in failure to attain European football in that season, if the club is at that level.
2: Building a squad that is fit for purpose with the right manager?
Well , how this will go is an unknown.
It will be effected by the repercussions of the FFP issues.
The mind set of the squad and how the Club manage the long term contract strategy.
I would not be surprised if the club have built into the long term contracts , some type of get out clause?
I dont know but i would not be surprised.?
After this what will the club will look like ?
Where will the club sit ?
COY Blues, KTBFFH
posted on 14/12/23
Just follow on,
Id assume that the ownership will continue to roll the dice this window and back the manager whilst simultaneously potentially weakening the squad on order to prevent the FFP breach.
Dependent on how the squad finishes this season Poch's position is questionable.
But more importantly I pray that the club looks to bring in the best sporting directors available.
Then restructure the whole mess.
This possibly will be part of the recovery at least on the pitch.
The financial melt down scenario ?
These guys have got to much money involved, they more than likely would be able to quietly endure the club going through a period of stagnation in the EPL whilst the fall out dissipates over 3/4 seasons , as long as they service their debts i reckon that they will live with mediocracy.
Im not so certain how the squad will feel about that though
posted on 14/12/23
It has always struck me as an all or nothing approach, with the consequences of the "nothing" outcome being potential financial disaster.
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It wasn't really all or nothing if you take note of history - more like OK or nothing. Discounting very rare exceptions (e.g. United's class of '92), a full scale investment in youth produces a prolonged period of transition as the odds of all the players developing & peaking at once is nominal.
It's why despite being a good idea on paper even big clubs tend to do it on a budget, allows wiggle room to adjust the plan as the team evolves. We'll wind up in a situation soon, if it hasn't happened already, of being forced to bank on the team we have which is a horrible position to be in even if that team is great.