How standards slipped at Chelsea in this disastrous season
‘Players running late’ after a post-training nap, half a dozen players ‘openly saying they want to leave’ and some who ‘don’t even bother to tie their LACES’ – How are standards at Chelsea in this disastrous season slipped
- The Blues will finish a torrid season in the bottom half of the Premier League
Chelsea players have arrived late for the team bus at least once this season after heading home to sleep as the club’s standards deteriorated, according to a report.
The Blues have had one of their worst seasons in recent history this season and will finish in the bottom half of the Premier League, finishing as low as 14th possible.
Manager Frank Lampard has regularly talked about the players improving their standards if they want to be successful again, although the Blues boss has often been the one to go wrong.
The club’s all-time top goalscorer is the man who speaks and is criticized, who must answer for the full-time scorn at Stamford Bridge, but a new report has suggested the club’s struggles run deeper than the manager.
According to The Telegraphat least one player has taken a nap after training and missed the team bus, half a dozen of them have openly admitted they want to leave and some have not bothered to tie their shoelaces before training.
Frank Lampard has spoken regularly about improving the level of his Chelsea side
The Blues team is overcrowded, which showed that players are often forced to sit on the floor during team meetings – a situation that contributed to Graham Potter’s downfall and eventual firing.
The sheer number of players reportedly allows players to avoid attention during training, with some players going so far as not to bother tying their shoelaces as they trudge onto the pitch.
If a player is late for the bus because of a nap, it has gone unchallenged. It is suggested that grins or head shakes were the reactions – incredibly different from what you would expect from clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool.
Reports suggest that Lampard has spoken to his group more than once about turning the season around and improving standards, booking individual meetings, but the message has not gotten through with more than half a dozen players reportedly telling their bosses that they want to leave.
The season could hardly have gone worse for Todd Boehly in his first year in charge. He has spent more than £600 million, gone through at least four interim managers and led the side to what could be their worst-ever Premier League finish.
The American is quickly learning what it takes to be in charge of a club the size of Chelsea. He will have to spend money again, bring back new manager Mauricio Pochettino and turn the sinking ship around.