Chelsea made a critical miscalculation in attempting to replicate Brighton’s approach at the club.
There are no shortcuts to victory in the Premier League, as every side is forced to fight tooth and nail for every point available during the season. Perhaps this is one of the tougher lessons learned by new Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly in his first year in charge.
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The American group he leads has spent almost £600 million in two transfer windows since their arrival, and yet the team appears to be as far away from winning a game as it has ever been much alone a championship or trophy. While some argue that the summer transfer window was vital to restore a roster weakened by fines imposed on the club by owner Roman Abramovich, the January window may have shifted the scale in the second part of the season.
An emphasis on youthful talent was placed, however with a roster now boasting over 30 senior first-team footballers, even the greatest managers struggle to keep control. With the Blues employing the second most players (32) in the league this season, second only to Nottingham Forest (33), the atmosphere for on-pitch connections to develop has been difficult.
The transfer from one kind of ownership to the another hasn’t been simple, and while Boehly likes the Brighton way, having uprooted a slew of stuff from them, he may have underestimated one critical area where they excel. That is to say, when it comes to signings, the Seagulls are the masters of implementation.
While many may applaud their scouting and business so far, the essential thing they are not doing is just putting these individuals in the club. They are being prepped for the step up to first-team football, which can frequently take many years.
They are then given their first opportunity, to enter a system that the bulk of the team is comfortable with and given time to flourish. Alexis MacAllister and Kaoru Mitoma are prime instances of this, having been scouted, signed, and then loaned away.
They were then given time to work their way into the squad before becoming regulars, with the rest of the squad already familiar with their duties. It softens the transition, and the genius is that the future stars are already lined up, so while everyone is focused on the present superstars, the deputies calmly await their turn.
Recent instances include Julio Enciso and Facundo Buonanotte, who are finally receiving their chance to play in the first team under Roberto De Zerbi but have yet to make headlines. This strategy is prone to failure, such as individuals not achieving their full potential or developing quickly enough.
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However, the lesson for Chelsea remains that the climate must be conducive for young guys to seize the opportunity and establish themselves. In sharp contrast, half of the team employed in the league this season were not there before last summer, making it hard to achieve that togetherness.
