Chelsea go into the FA Cup final in an unusual position. No permanent manager. An angry fanbase. And a lingering question: would beating Manchester City at Wembley even be enough to save their season?
Lifting silverware would undoubtedly delight supporters. But concerns over a troubled campaign and anger towards the Clearlake Boehly ownership group will likely persist. Paper over the cracks? Maybe. Fill them in? Not a chance.
A draw that changed nothing
A 1-1 draw at Liverpool last weekend prevented Chelsea from becoming the first team to lose seven consecutive league matches before an FA Cup final. Small mercies.
But it did little to alter their Premier League fortunes. They remain ninth. Champions League qualification is all but gone. Even Europa League football is in serious doubt.
Victory on Saturday would at least secure a place in the second tier Europa League. That would be welcomed by both players and the hierarchy. But it’s a low bar for a club that won the Champions League in 2021.
The managerial mess
Chelsea are operating under strict Uefa financial controls following a settlement last year that limits their spending. And they’re searching for a new head coach. Again.
Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva and former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso are among the options. Chelsea sources insist the race is open. Externally, Alonso is seen as the favourite.
Enzo Maresca left after a falling out on New Year’s Day. Many believe he’s been lined up to succeed Pep Guardiola at City. Liam Rosenior was hired from partner club Strasbourg. He lasted less than four months.
Now interim head coach Calum McFarlane, the first Englishman to lead a team into an FA Cup final since Frank Lampard did so with Chelsea in 2020, holds the reins.
Protests are coming
Not A Project CFC, a growing protest movement, has announced a march up Wembley Way at 13:30 BST before the match. A large banner will target “not only BlueCo’s ownership but also the club’s sporting directors”.
Three days later, during Chelsea’s final home match against Tottenham, supporters plan to turn their backs on the action in the 22nd minute, a reference to 2022, the year BlueCo bought the club.
The group said the protest was “an attempt to send a public message that we have no faith in the current ownership and the direction the club is heading”.
They added that demonstrations would not stop simply because Chelsea are set to appoint their sixth permanent manager.
What are they angry about?
An underwhelming return on spending of more than £1.6bn on predominantly young players. Five sporting directors who have led recruitment. Accountability? They want it.
The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has offered more measured criticism but is focused on ticketing policy. Chelsea insist they are listening and that accountability is built into their system.
But results tell a different story.
Six defeats in a row. No goals. 114 years.
Rosenior tried to stamp his authority. He dropped Enzo Fernandez after comments about a move to Madrid. It had little positive impact. The team lost six in a row without scoring, Chelsea’s worst run in 114 years.
Player power? Criticism of the project from Marc Cucurella. Fernandez’s head turned. Yet Reece James and Moises Caicedo have signed new contracts. Cole Palmer has denied seeking a move to Manchester United. Joao Pedro is being linked with Barcelona but is “very happy” at Chelsea.
Romeo Lavia said criticism that players downed tools was “tough to hear”. Joao Pedro, who has emerged as a leader, added: “In the difficult moment you want to see who wants to win, who wants to improve. I spoke with everyone here, especially with Reece. We need to change.”
An interim springboard for success?
Interim managers have won major honours before. Guus Hiddink lifted the FA Cup in 2009. Roberto di Matteo won the Champions League in 2012. Rafa Benitez followed a year later with the Europa League.
Chelsea have often thrived amid chaos. But they are attempting to wean themselves off chaos and into the stability seen at Arsenal or previously at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
They have five sporting directors. A squad built around young players on long term contracts. And no permanent head coach.
‘We have standards’
Jacob from Not A Project CFC said: “There’s a bigger disconnect across the fanbase than I can remember in over 30 years. Nothing has been done to bridge that gap.
“Some may call us entitled. Yes, we’ve had things to cheer about like a couple of trophies over the summer but that papered over cracks. They had a platform to move forward but took us further back.
“We have standards built over the last 20 years and they haven’t been met.”
The bottom line
Winning the FA Cup would turn down the noise. Secure European qualification. Offer bragging rights. But many of the deeper cracks will likely take years to fix.
Chelsea have not beaten Man City since the 2021 Champions League final. City’s 13 game unbeaten run against them, including 10 wins, is the kind of stat that haunts you.
Victory on Saturday would be a moment. A memory. A trophy.
But paper over the cracks? Not a chance. Those cracks are structural now. And no amount of Wembley glory will fill them in.
