COMMENT: So when does it happen? Because it must be close. Another defeat. In another week of major change. Just when will we start hearing those 'Roman Abramovich' chants being bellowed out from the Shed End...?
Shorn of a raft of senior players, losing at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City on Thursday night was no disgrace. The kids gave their all. There were excuses abound. Legitimate excuses, to be fair. But beyond the noise, it's obvious, Chelsea FC is in decline.
There was always going to be change. And this column did predict tough times ahead for Chelsea fans. But nothing like this. Nothing like the way this great London club, built up over 20 years, is now being dismantled.
Over the top? An exaggeration? We don't think so. Indeed for Chelsea. This Chelsea. You can think Leeds United at the turn of the century. A crazy spending chairman. Overpaid, underachieving players. And a manager (pick one, any one) out of his depth. This is what we're now witnessing at Stamford Bridge. And the troubling thing is, there's little hope on the horizon.
Chelsea are being set up for mediocrity. A manager and coaching staff from Brighton. A recruitment chief from Southampton. A technical director from Leipzig. This isn't the best of the best. Of course, they could grow into that. Potter and co could develop and fulfill the claims of those advising Todd Boehly and his board. But Chelsea doesn't have time for such indulgence. The landscape inside English football has dramatically changed. Just as Leeds found themselves usurped by a Russian-backed Chelsea 20 years ago, it's now Chelsea who will tumble out of contention with the emergence of Newcastle United.
The Toon is now a player. Like Manchester City, you can basically hand both state-owned clubs a Champions League place each and leave those hopefuls to scrap for the remaining two. And Chelsea - this Chelsea - won't get near that battle.
But what about that major change we mentioned? Well, it all ties together. Chelsea waving goodbye this week to two more significant members of staff. Scout Sven Dworaczek has left to return to Liverpool, while Leonardo Masieri, another top talent spotter, has taken a job with Manchester City and their umbrella company City Football Group. The reason? Data. Or as we put it earlier this season, Boehly's penchant for software over scouts. Apparently this cleanout is based on Brighton's approach to recruitment. An approach that has impressed Boehly. Not the least as it chimes with how the front office at the LA Dodgers operates.
But like with the coaching staff. Like with this new management team. Recruiting for success at Brighton isn't going to translate into success at the level of Chelsea. At least, not at the level demanded by Abramovich during his 19 years in charge.
And significantly, while the likes of Joe Shields, Paul Winstanley and Kyle Macauley have arrived from those two clubs on the south coast, Dworaczek and Masieri, recognising the writing on the wall, have effectively found themselves promotions. Talent wanted by Liverpool and City replaced by appointees from Southampton and Brighton...
Winstanly and Macauley have built teams to survive in the Premier League. The brief at Leipzig for Christoper Vivell, Chelsea's newly appointed technical chief, was to find young talent capable of being sold for big money. The Germans, like Brighton, are a stepping stone. Not a final destination - as Chelsea should be regarded.
What should be galling for Blues fans is the motivation behind Vivell's appointment. The German being chosen because of his work within Red Bull's multi-club system. Something which these new owners at Chelsea wish to replicate. So instead of hiring a technical director with the skillset best suited for the demands of Chelsea, the club's powerbrokers have appointed someone with the aim of leading a network which for the moment is the stuff of fantasy.
And for those paying attention, comments made by Blues director Behdad Eghbali in Christmas week offered little confidence of what this lot have planned. Beyond the now required swipe at Abramovich from members of this current board, Eghbali essentially put into words the result of what we're now seeing played out.
"We thought Chelsea was good beachhead, it was frankly an asset, a business that was not terribly well managed on the football side, sporting side or promotional side, so meaningful opportunity at the club and we'll get to it for us, who needed the beachhead to then look at multi clubs," in other words, Chelsea, you're a "beachhead" - not the sole priority.
"Obvious Blitzen, Ian and others have done other clubs without the beachhead first but for us we wanted to start with Chelsea and I'm sure you'll ask us about multi club and how you piece all of this together, hopefully, there's at least a theory and a business plan to do so."
"Hopefully"? Really? And this was stated just last month. So Chelsea, you'll be one of many in this network. A network that's yet to get on the drawing board - much like everything connected to this project.
Six months ago, Chelsea had a Champions League winning manager. A management team with a history of building multiple title winning sides. And a club with a clear identity and culture.
Today? Well today Chelsea are doing a good impersonation of Brighton. And the question we have for the lads at the Shed End is: just how long before we start hearing those 'Roman Abramovich' chants?
