Gus Poyet
Chelsea Football Club has experienced significant changes since its takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May 2022. The transition saw the club winning two major trophies, the Conference League and the Club World Cup, under the management of Enzo Maresca. However, Maresca’s departure this season and the appointment of Liam Rosenior as his successor have sparked discontent among the supporters, leading to protests against the ownership.
Gus Poyet said: “Abramovich put the club, and we will see in the near future if that was rightly or wrongly because of the situation, and the fans got used to it. When they win, they want to keep winning. I don’t see anyone during the times of Alex Ferguson in Manchester saying, ‘this year, we’re going to lose’. They keep waiting and they keep believing they are going to win – and Chelsea are the same. Not even Man City can win every single tournament, so why Chelsea? Sometimes we are not patient enough to wait.”
Gus Poyet continued: “Young, the team was young when Frank Lampard was [managing] the team. They’re not young anymore. Cucurella is not youth, he’s not young, Caicedo is not young, Robert Sanchez is not young, Enzo Fernandez is not young, Cole Palmer is not young anymore. If you want to say those players are young, forget it. Put them on the bench for five years so then they can play and they are going to be old. I think the team is not young anymore.”
Gus Poyet added: “I don’t see Chelsea buying young players to sell. £100million for Fernandez, how much are you going to sell him for? It’s difficult. £100m for Caicedo, how much are you going to ask for? Difficult, eh? £50m for Cucurella, how much are you going to ask for? That is something again that was in the press four years ago. People keep talking about the same but it’s rubbish – it’s not young anymore. If you think they need different types of players, then we can discuss it, different characters, we can discuss it, different qualities, maybe.”
Gus Poyet concluded: “But I think this way of working, bringing young players in to sell, it’s rubbish because when they won the Club World Cup, they were not young, when they won the Conference League, they were not young. That’s normal. When you lose four games in a row, people think the owners are just buying young players. I think it’s a little bit unfair. Abramovich was clear; you win the league or you’re out. Mourinho, Conte, Ancelotti, Scolari, anyone. I think Chelsea needs stability now.”
The managerial change at Chelsea has been a point of contention among fans, with some expressing their dissatisfaction through protests. The first match of the post-Maresca era against Fulham in January saw chants against Clearlake Capital, which have persisted. A protest was held before Chelsea’s victory over Brentford, and another is planned ahead of their upcoming home match against Manchester United on April 18.
Poyet, a former Chelsea player, has called for patience from the fans while urging the club to establish more stability. He emphasized that the current squad is not as young as perceived, challenging the narrative that Chelsea is focused on acquiring young players for resale. Poyet highlighted the need for stability, drawing comparisons with the club’s previous ownership under Roman Abramovich, where winning was a non-negotiable expectation.
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