Chelsea FC's Shocking Plunge: Unravelling the Trials Behind their Disastrous 2022/2023 Premier League Season
As the 2022/2023 Premier League season ends, Chelsea and the fans had a season they would want to erase from their rich club history.
Saying Chelsea had a woeful 2022/2023 Premier League campaign might shock a few as the Blues struggled till the final day even to finish 10th on the table; questions on how things got so bad and when the trials started would be one many don't have the answer to.
The Blues ended the 2022/2023 club football campaign in 12th place, and many could not help but wonder what had happened to a side that secured a top-four slot the previous season, played in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League and the finals of both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
What Went Wrong With Chelsea This Season?
Many could say the problems of Chelsea FC started with the club being sanctioned; others could say when Todd Boehly bought the club; while some might argue the woes of Chelsea began when Thomas Tuchel was sacked, one thing is, however, sure the Blues had it wrong, and the player confidence was something that never returned till the end of the season.
When Did Todd Boehly, Buy Chelsea?
American Todd Boehly saw his 4.25 billion pound bid for Chelsea accepted by the former owner of the club Roman Abramovich who was sanctioned following the Russian-Ukraine War that commenced in 2022.
Todd Boehly did not make any noticeable changes to the club at the end of the 2021/2022 season. Still, as the pre-season of the 2022/2023 club football season kicked off, it became apparent to many that a new sheriff was in town as members of the board e.g. Petr Cech, Marina and others, all resigned from all club activities.
The backroom staff was not exempted from this, as many were also let go of by Todd and Consortium, who stated that there was a new direction Chelsea wanted to adopt.
Woes With Thomas Tuchel
A bombshell that shocked many was released on the 7th of September 2022 as Thomas Tuchel, who led Chelsea to the club's first club world cup, was sacked by the Boehly-led owners. The statement released indicated that Tuchel was not sacked because of the results the Blues had so far but because the German did not align with the goals of the club they were looking to build on in the new Era.
Thomas Tuchel, at that time, secured 10 points out of 18 in the Premier League for the Blues, which many would say today is what kept Chelsea afloat and above the relegation zone in the 2022/2023 season.
Many will argue to date that sacking Thomas Tuchel had been the wrong direction from the club owners, and the results that followed after the German's departure also solidify this fact.
The German maestro was hired a few months after his dismissal by Bayern Munich, and he led the German side to their 11th Bundesliga title.
How Much Did Chelsea Spend In The 2022/2023 Transfer Window?
The new owners were as extravagant as the club's former owner, Roman Abramovich, as they spent any amount necessary to support the newly appointed manager, Graham Potter, with some of the new signings also joining the club under Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea spent over 500 million euros in the 2022/2023 transfer windows.
Here is a complete list of players that joined the club under Thomas Tuchel:
| Player Name | Former Club | Fee (in euros) |
| Wesley Fofana | Leicester City | 80.4m |
| Raheem Sterling | Manchester City | 56.2m |
| Marc Cucurella | Brighton & Hove Albion | 65.3m |
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Barcelona | 12m |
| Carney Chukwuemeka | Aston Villa | 18m |
| Kalidou Koulibaly | Napoli | 38m |
| Denis Zakaria | Juventus | loan |
| Gabriel Slonina | Chicago Fire | 9.1m |
Who Did Graham Potter Sign At Chelsea?
Graham Potter became the first manager at Chelsea to have a huge transfer budget in the January transfer window as the new owners showed all support for a manager they believed aligned with their new goal of longevity at the club.
| Player Name | Former Club | Transfer Fee (In Euros) |
| Enzo Fernández | Benfica | 121m |
| Malo Gusto | Olympique Lyon | 30m |
| João Félix | Atletico Madrid | Loan |
| David Datro Fofana | Molde | 12m |
| Andrey Santos | Vasco da Gama | 12.5m |
| Noni Madueke | PSV Eindhoven | 35m |
| Benoît Badiashile | AS Monaco | 38m |
| Mykhailo Mudryk | Shakhtar Donetsk | 70m |
Chelsea's Graham Potter Mistake And Naivety In The Premier League
Chelsea's decision to hire Graham Potter was faced with mixed reactions as many could not help but liken the situation to Manchester United making a drastic decision to appoint David Moyes as the head coach after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The official announcement about the appointment of Graham Potter by Chelsea was confirmed in 2022; the English man went ahead to manage 22 premier league games, winning just seven games, losing 8 games, and drawing 7.
It was a poor run of form for the Blues team, as they picked just 28 points out of 66 points in the league. The damage of the poor run of form could have been salvaged if Potter was let go early as the Blues moved from 4th on the table under Thomas Tuchel to 10th/11th place.
Excuses for the poor run of form moved from the Blues having a poor pre-season to players being injured and even to Potter managing a top side for the first time.
Many failed to see that Graham Potter's form at other sides before joining Chelsea was the same as that of his form at Chelsea. Taking a closer look at Potter's state at other clubs he managed, such as Brighton and Swansea, the Englishman recorded a deficit of draws and losses than wins.
Potter's statistics at Brighton
Games Managed: 119
Games Won: 34
Games Lost: 43
Games Drawn: 42
Potter's Statistics At Swansea City
Games Managed: 46
Games Won: 18
Games Lost: 11
Games Drawn: 17
Potter Sacking And A Questionable Appointment Of Lampard
When Chelsea moved closer towards the relegation zone, Graham Potter was sacked, and the appointment of Frank Lampard led to questions about why the owners made such a decision as Everton sacked Frank Lampard for a poor run of form of the side.
Frank Lampard had left Everton deep in the relegation zone before the former Burnley head coach Sean Dyche took over. Many had argued, looking at the form of the assistant coach of Potter, Bruno Slatter, during the Chelsea Vs Liverpool game, that he should have been left as the interim manager of the side as Frank Lampard did not salvage the poor form of Chelsea in any way as the club only sank deeper towards the relegation zone, the Blues ended the 2022/2023 campaign 12th on the Premier League table.
Can Chelsea Get It Right Next Premier League Season?
This is a huge question, but from the decision and thought process of the owners, Chelsea might struggle again next season.
With top coaches like Luis Enrique not being considered for reportedly wanting total control of the team to Julian Nagelsmann rejecting the club, fans might just be forced to prepare for another turbulent season at the club with players also looking for an exit.
Although the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino has not been confirmed by Chelsea, fans are hopeful following his track record at PSG and Tottenham Hotspur; Poch has been revealed to have a good relationship with young players in any side he manages and with Chelsea looking to build with youngsters, this might just be the right answer for the blues.
Poch would receive the backing of the board when hired, and the Argentine would have ample time to prepare for the next season in the Premier League, as many of the Chelsea players might not be featuring in matches for the National side.
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