Chelsea board under pressure after Supporters’ Trust pen open letter citing poor run

Chelsea football club’s poor recent run has taken another toll on the club as the former Premier League and Champions League winners could finish in the bottom half of the table for the second consecutive season. Ever since the takeover from USA-based owner Todd Boehly, the club has hit more lows than highs which has now prompted the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) to show their dissatisfaction with the board and penned a letter for the upcoming season and beyond.

CST wrote a letter to the Chelsea Board

Owing to the poor form of the club and poor relations between the club and supporters, several aspects were brought to the notice by the CST. The Supporters’ Trust cited concerns about higher ticket prices, the cost of merchandise and travel to games and a lack of communication from the board. Alongside Boehly, Behdad Eghbali was also included in the letter which was written in the second week of March.

“The current feeling amongst Chelsea supporters in our opinion is at its lowest since the early 1980s,” the CST said. “While this may be expected with our current run of form and position in the league table, a significant number of supporters that we speak to are quick to express concerns that the lack of any public-facing vision from the new ownership has led to an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

“Supporters are saying that there currently seems a fast-growing lack of trust from much of the fanbase, especially matchgoers towards the board, partially due to severely limited communication. Many supporters have significant concerns about the future of our club.

“The views of a quiet few became a vocal expression of a larger number of Chelsea supporters present at the [Brentford] game. Much of our recent dialogue with supporters reveals a lack of belief in the decision-makers at the top of our club. The current mood amongst supporters is critically low and cannot be ignored. The feeling that the club has become a ‘laughing stock’, both on and off the pitch, is growing.

“The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust regretfully believes that we are close to if not already experiencing, a significant shift in supporter opinion that could result in irreversible toxicity, almost irrespective of results on the pitch. Unless the situation improves, this seems likely to manifest itself in more targeted chanting, especially at televised games, and quite possibly more organised, overt, and impactful forms of protest by some sections of the fanbase.”

Recent games have mirrored the depressing atmosphere at the club after they drew 2-2 against Brentford and were beaten by a second-string Liverpool side in the League Cup final. Following his struggles during Chelsea’s FA Cup victory over Leicester last Sunday, Raheem Sterling was booed by fans. Boehly, the co-owner and head coach Mauricio Pochettino were verbally attacked during the team’s draw against Brentford.

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Chelsea transfer approach

The Blues are also struggling to keep parity with the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and Financial Fair Play (FFP) coefficient. Chelsea could follow a pattern of selling and then buying under the reign of Boehly as they need to generate funds for the summer transfer window. Last season they either sold or released players like Kalidou Koulibaly (Al Hilal), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), and N’Golo Kante (Al Ittihad) to Saudi Pro League clubs helping them bring parity on the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and Financial Fair Play (FFP) coefficient.

According to reports, players on big salaries and or in the final few months of their contracts could be sold. SPL’s ability to pay big could make matters interesting as Chelsea are likely to sell players like Romelu Lukaku, Ian Maatsen, Trevoh Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella.

The only glimmer of hope for the Blues this season could be the FA Cup where they will play in the semifinal against Champions Manchester City. It is also thought to be the best possible route for Chelsea to get into Europe as their league position won’t help them. A win against City could be the biggest win of the season for Chelsea which will also see them favourites to beat Manchester United or Coventry in the final.

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