HERE we go again then.
Chelsea have found their man, Enzo Maresca is the chosen one, the right person and their long-term leader, after what we were told was an exhaustive process (almost two weeks!).
The long term has been the Italian’s aim, backed by a deal that could last until 2030.
Where have we heard this before?
The first managerial appointment of Graham Potter, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali as owners sold the dream of a new Chelsea, no more hiring and firing – all projects and processes.
On appointing the former Brighton boss, Boehly said: “We look forward to supporting him in the months and years to come.”
You are our man, you will be given the time you were told before you are fired after six months.
Mauricio Pochettino, the man who came after Potter (with Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard in between), was hailed as the ideal person for the project – the one who would take them back to the top.
He left this month despite finishing the season strongly as both sides decided they could no longer work together.
Pochettino was unhappy with Chelsea’s extensive structure, which the club would not give up to suit the manager who finally managed to get rid of his ridiculous team.
The previous two permanent managers were crushed and discarded by the money mess that is this new Chelsea.
Potter arrived and was given a bloated, well-paid and overvalued squad to mold mid-season, which was added in January.
What was already a difficult task became even more difficult as club figures occupied Potter’s time, asking him to consult on the restructuring of the academy and even a new stadium, just months after his new job.
Rather than see the error of their spending, Chelsea doubled down last summer, spending huge fees on talented but unproven players for Pochettino.
The Argentine has had to put up with a lot – not just his players fighting over penalties and a list of crippling injuries.
Football sometimes became a sideshow, marred by ridiculous marketing ploys for a Boehly-backed film, Argylle, which took place just meters from Pochettino’s dugout during a game against Fulham.
To the owners’ credit, they resisted at points in the season when it looked like Pochettino was lost. But after their faith was rewarded with the return of European football, the two sides went their separate ways.
The baffling desire to sell academy graduate Conor Gallagher to offset rampant spending was a key factor.
Maresca, with minimal managerial experience compared to his predecessors, probably won’t have the temerity to stand up to his new bosses, who clearly want more yes people.
But it’s more up to Chelsea than their new manager to make that relationship work.
If they want the long term, it’s time to show it.
Boehly and Eghbali have built a huge behind-the-scenes team. While Boehly is no longer truly involved in the day-to-day decision-making, the same cannot be said for his partner in crime.
For things to work, this has to change. They appointed, in expensive and sometimes embarrassing fashion, a group of football thinkers and administrators.
It’s time to step back and let them get on with football – work with their new manager to make the best of what they have and stop becoming the butt of jokes when it comes to spending.
The huge fees paid to players like Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk weighed heavily on them – a factor that appears not to have been considered very often.
Long-term projects don’t always start with a billion pounds spent in the early days – it’s time Chelsea started behaving like a serious club again or they risk finding another man who is perfect for their club within a year.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
