Roman Abramovich may have departed Stamford Bridge in the wake of Putin’s mindless war, but Chelsea appear to be sticking with their previous owner’s ruthless approach to managers.
Thomas Tuchel became the club’s latest managerial casualty last week when he was dismissed just a few weeks into the new season and despite leading them to Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup success. Admittedly, they haven’t had the greatest start to the season, but it still seems a little harsh; more than a little, to be honest.
At least, this latest dismissal was backed by some nicely rounded numbers – Tuchel had taken charge of exactly 100 Chelsea games and he was fired precisely 100 days after new owner Todd Boehly bought the club. The fact that Graham Potter was appointed just 24 hours later suggests this was very much a pre-planned exercise and nothing to do with recent results.
Rumours were circulating that Tuchel was becoming tetchy with the board and had also lost the dressing room. The former may be true, but I find the latter a little strange when, with so many summer signings, he had only just met half of it.
But Tuchel is out, Potter is in, and a young English manager now has the chance to manage a club at the top, top level. And I find that very exciting. Having said that, this is a huge gamble for everyone involved.
The former Brighton boss is undoubtedly skilled, and this gives him the perfect opportunity to show what he can do with world class players and big transfer budgets. But he doesn’t have any experience of managing in the biggest games or mentoring the biggest names. And history suggests players who have been there and done it may find it hard to accept instructions from a manager who, let’s face it, hasn’t really been anywhere or done anything. And if things go wrong for him at Stamford Bridge, that could well be Potter’s one shot at the big time over and done with.
Boehly too is playing with fire. If it works out, he will be lauded for having the courage to give a young Englishman his big break. He will be seen as visionary and forward thinking. But if it goes wrong, he will be slammed for not going for a more established name, especially when the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino were available.
New owner Todd Boehly is playing with fire. If it goes wrong, he will be slammed for not going for a more established name
Personally, I think it will work. I just have a good feeling about it. And maybe then we will finally have proof that when it comes to managers, being English is not necessarily a bad thing.
Great earnings, bad tennis
When Emma Raducanu was knocked out of the US Open in the first round, several commentators said it was probably for the best. As a result of her impressive failure to defend her title, she would drop down the women’s rankings and the pressure would be off, allowing her more time to develop and grow.
I’m struggling to see it that way. In fact, that sounds very much like a load of apologist nonsense, if I am totally frank.
Truly talented players – and I am convinced Raducanu is one of them – don’t burst on to the scene only to instantly implode, unless something else is going on. And I suspect we may now have a clearer indication as to what that ‘something else’ may be.
Since winning the 2021 US Open, Raducanu has earned a rather emphatic and not-to-be-sneezed at $21 million in 12 months. And I don’t begrudge her a cent of that. However, the problem for me comes in how those earnings are broken down: $3 million from tennis itself – mostly from that one triumph – and $18 million from sponsorships, endorsements and all the other off-court earnings that come with being thrust into the spotlight. That gives me the distinct impression that, following her unexpected success at Flushing Meadows, the people around her have been more interested in maximising her earnings than improving her tennis.
Endorsement deals have been served up thick and fast – HSBC, Vodafone, Tiffany & Co, Porsche and Dior, to name a few. And that focus on cashing in, combined with some mismanagement and the regular dismissal of coaches, is probably what is behind her lame and uninspiring performances since her incredible triumph.
Will dropping down the rankings help her next season? Possibly. But if it does, it will not so much be because of the lack of pressure but because fewer people will be pestering her to pose with their products.
I sincerely want to see Raducanu become a global tennis star and go on to have a magnificent, trophy-filled career. But to do that, the tennis has to come first, not the sponsors…
No time for big spending
The Premier League is a shining example of fiscal restraint. Not.
When pretty much most of England – if not Europe and the entire world – is struggling to make ends meet in the wake of the Ukraine war and the energy crisis, the clubs in the EPL went on a record-breaking spending spree.
Between them, the 20 clubs spent an almost unimaginable £2 billion on transfers during the latest window. That extravagance must really sit well with those football fans who are having to decide what luxuries, or even necessities, they will have to do without to simply survive over the next few months. Or those pensioners who are having to choose whether having heating on or having enough food to feed themselves is going to be top priority during the winter.
I’m not suggesting the clubs should have imposed a transfer embargo on themselves, but surely they could have exercised a little restraint while ordinary people are struggling to make ends meet.
A wee red card
Greatest red card story in the history of football? Quite probably the one received last week by goalkeeper Connor Maseko playing for Blackfield & Langley FC in the early rounds of the FA Cup.
In the 76th minute of their 0-0 draw with Shepton Mallet FC, the ball went out for a goal kick. Sensing an opportunity he had been bursting for, Maseko nipped behind the post to collect the ball and, while doing so, proceeded to have a quick pee in the bushes.
When you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go.
The referee, however, wasn’t happy with Maseko relieving himself mid-match and gave him a straight red, which seems a tad unfair to me.
You could, in fact, say the referee was also taking the piss…
E-Mail: James@Quizando.com
Twitter: @Maltablade