Clear plan, Chelsea is in a compromising situation that Liverpool can ruin

It’s not been easy to pick out any sort of plan at Chelsea since the arrival of Todd Boehly. While Liverpool has recovered from its dip last season to top the Premier League table, the Blues once again find themselves in the bottom half, in more or less the same predicament that got Graham Potter sacked. Transfers have been many and various. ‘Scattergun’ would be a fair description, although there is a discernible policy of investing in youth. The trouble is that age seems to be almost the only criterion in play, with Chelsea throwing vast sums at players who come with no guarantees of quality at the top level.

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There’s nothing wrong with rolling the dice on potential, but it needs a nurturing Jürgen Klopp figure to truly make it work. So far, things simply haven’t come together for Mauricio Pochettino, who has shown no aptitude for improving the Chelsea players; Liverpool has made a habit of doing exactly that with its own young stars, saving millions in transfer fees in the process.

The issues are severe enough that Pochettino’s position has come under scrutiny. The Mail reports that Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns are part of the reasoning for not sacking him and his staff just yet, given that such a decision would have a significant payoff attached. But while Boehly would not have anticipated being down in 11th at this point in his second full season as owner, The Athletic reports that he was always playing the long game. He has a plan, one in which Klopp somewhat bizarrely features:

“Chelsea’s idea from the outset was to build a squad ready to take advantage of the moment Pep Guardiola and Klopp leave their jobs at Manchester City and Liverpool respectively while trying to compete on all fronts in the interim,” a source explained to the outlet. “But there was always some allowance for how the youngest group in the Premier League would need time to grow together.”

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A dangerous wait

It’s deeply ironic that Chelsea intends to wait for Klopp and Guardiola to leave, given that this is a tacit acknowledgement that managerial appointments are vital in shaping entire footballing dynasties. Yet Boehly sacked his best coach within months, replaced him with the flavor of the month, and then replaced him with the biggest available name at the time, these hires have almost felt like afterthoughts against the backdrop of the mad transfer rush. Liverpool will do its best to ruin the Klopp part of the plan by acing its next appointment and minimizing disruption. But in truth, Chelsea has shot itself in the foot, with absolutely no signs that it is ready to seize on a moment of flux in the Premier League.