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Chelsea always appears to be a team in flux, organised chaos circumvented by a limitless cash flow. Sustained success has never been on the agenda, yet the trophies continue to flood in.
So, when discussing the club's prospects, it is advised to err on the side of caution because success is often just around the corner. With that in mind, how do you assess Chelsea's indifferent start to the season?
Well, you have to know the past to understand the present, and Chelsea's recent past is a convoluted clash of style, socio-politics, and self-conceit. From champions of Europe to casualties of Europe. Chelsea started last season with a vengeance. Spearheaded by the return of Romelu Lukaku. There was a purpose, a swagger. Thomas Tuchel's men appeared to have Liverpool and Manchester City in their sights. After all, Chelsea don't stay down for long. A first Premier League title in five years looked more than probable.
In Lukaku, Tuchel had seemingly added substance to style, a ruthless finisher with a pedigree in the Premier League few could match. Then came Sky Italia and the interview that shifted the impetus. It may have been short, but its impact was seismic. See, injuries to key individuals like Ben Chilwell and Reece James are accounted for and dealt with as a group. The indignation of your marquee forward just months after his return is not.
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Suddenly football was not the focus, and as heads started to turn, results started to dwindle. The invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctioning of then-Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich only exacerbated the problem. It wasn't just Lukaku's future that was in peril, but also the clubs.
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Despite all the turmoil, Chelsea rounded off the season with silverware on the line, and while they came away empty-handed, there was a lot to be said for Tuchel's ability to keep his squad from entering free-fall.
American businessman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital then agreed a £4.25 billion deal to buy the club and quickly set about investing for both the long and short term. The arrivals of Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly strengthened the first team. While a combined £50 million was spent on bringing in youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka, Gabriel Slonina and Cesare Casadei, as well as late deals for Wesley Fofana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Denis Zakaria added steel to Chelsea's spine.
The Blues have spent heavily, but the fact is they had to. With the departures of Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Timo Werner, Chelsea have been left bereft of options both in defence and attack.
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The onus is now on Tuchel to take a grip of this squad, which has been built in his image and drive Chelsea on to domestic success.
The German is one of the most fearsome cup managers - he's reached every cup final available to him at Chelsea, but ultimately his record across a full league campaign is not quite as impressive. Tuchel, like many managers before him, has fallen privy to Chelsea's winter slump, and his ability to arrest this drop-off in form is yet unproven.
Chelsea have already dropped seven points this season and can count themselves lucky to have come away from recent encounters against Leicester City and West Ham with wins in both. Sometimes you have to win by any means necessary, but if their performances continue to show few signs of improvement, they will drop more points than they win in the coming weeks.
The turmoil surrounding the club has curbed expectations, and fans know a title challenge is probably beyond them at this stage. Chelsea have replaced but not revolutionised their squad, and with Tottenham and Arsenal on their heels, a top four finish would be deemed acceptable. But another year of transition, and a distinct lack of progress, despite heavy investment, will make many fans question the club's direction and Tuchel's credentials despite the Chelsea head coach's recent admission.
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"I told you many times I think we are a club in transition, paying the price not only in the money for new players but pay a price for the last half a year of insecurity," Tuchel said prior to their 2-1 win over West Ham.
"I think the teams that are dominating the league, getting earlier into their rhythm, are the teams who knew since many months what they want, where they are, the role they play, the role they attack this league. Was not so clear and maybe not so clear until today for us.
"We have to come from behind because we struggle result wise. We have periods in every game we play okay, periods in every game except for Tottenham where we don’t play okay. We got punished with results. This is where we are.
"The pressure is on. The responsibility is on me. It’s always like this, no?
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Premier League, Thomas Tuchel
