Chelsea supporters have had 20 years of hiring ’em and firing ’em, but that culture is now running headfirst into a long-term project from the owners.One of the more striking contrasts of the last few months of Chelsea FC has been the push and pull between the club’s stated faith in manager Graham Potter and the increasingly histrionic reaction every time they fail to win another match. Results and performances have not been improving.
But Chelsea supporters have grown incandescent quickly, and for how much longer can that growing anger reasonably be expected to be withstood? This is, after all, a support base that has been weaned on short-termism. Over the last two decades, the manager has been an entirely disposable resource to this club.
Over the last 20 years, Chelsea have won the Premier League five times, the Champions League twice, the Europa League twice, the FA Cup five times and the EFL Cup three. Twenty trophies in twenty years. For comparison, over the same time period, Arsenal have won six and Spurs have won one. Manchester City have won 15, but six of those were EFL Cups and none came in Europe.
Going a little further back, some of the most successful teams in the history of the English game have been guided by extremely long-term managers. Bill Shankly was with Liverpool for 15 years. Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson were with Manchester United for 24 and 26 years respectively. Don Revie was in charge at Leeds for 13 years. Arsene Wenger was with Arsenal for 22 years and Bill Nicholson with Spurs for 16.
I think it will be harder for the fans to adjust to a longer policy we have been spoilt by winning something every year.Their won't be one Chelsea fan who won't want the Blues to lose against Spurs!