Chelsea are a group of individuals in the same shirt, not a team
By Travis Tyler
Results for Chelsea have disappeared since 2018 began. The club is not currently a team of players but several individuals out for themselves.
Chelsea’s draw to West Ham can be summed up incredibly easily. Chelsea would win the ball back and then whoever carried the ball into the final third would only have eyes for goal. Few would look around for a teammate. It was all personal glory. At the other end, one mistake would happen and players would start pointing fingers at each other. The blame was passed around until play resumed.
It was a visible sign that things are not right at Chelsea on any level. From the board to the manager to the players on the field there are only individuals. Whatever sense of unity that stemmed from winning the title has evaporated. That is a major reason why the club is stuttering right now.
The individualism was most noticeable on the field. Whenever Willian or Eden Hazard got the ball, they only tried to dribble through and score. Cesc Fabregas was only looking for the perfect pass. Only Alvaro Morata seemed to actively be looking to attack as a unit.
On the other end, there was a moment where a mistake led to a chance on goal. Gary Cahill yelled at Cesar Azpilicueta. Azpilicueta yelled back. Thibaut Courtois started yelling too as they all passed blame around.
Off the field, the split was similar. Some players believe they still have a chance at top four. Others are saying that winning the FA Cup can save the season. And others are saying they already failed this year. Antonio Conte sat on the fence in the middle, merely saying they will have to do their best but must be realistic.
The fact that the players and manager cannot all get on one message is troubling. It is seemingly an innocent thing but it hints at a divided locker room. The dreamers and the realistic. But when it comes to playing football, the ones that have given up on the season are going to drag everyone down to that level on the pitch.
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Then you have the board who have left Antonio Conte’s future in the air. Journalists seem certain that Conte is gone in the summer. But Chelsea will not make the statement if that is so. And if it is not, they also will need to make that statement. Instead, they are keeping the club and Conte in limbo. Conte cannot plan for next season if he is not sure he will have a job. The players cannot play their best for a manager that may or may not be out.
And Conte himself is not helping things along either. If he were to come out and make the decision, to cut or stay, it would have the same effect as the board doing it. But neither Conte nor the board wants to be the one making the decision. They want the other to do it to absolve themselves of blame.
This is a tragic state of affairs a year after winning the title in comfortable fashion. But since then the players, manager and board have become increasingly isolated from one another in order to protect themselves. They are all looking out for themselves now instead of the club as a whole.
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And that will keep Chelsea in a downward spiral. Until all involved at Chelsea get over themselves the down turn will continue. They can thump and kiss the badge all they want but they are overwhelming doing everything they do for the name on the back of their shirts or at the top of their resumes.