Matt Law’s long piece in the Daily Telegraph today makes interesting reading for Chelsea fans. It deals with a question which many of them have asked many times – are the sporting directors under pressure? After a billion pounds spent and a squad which appears to have got weaker rather than stronger, one would think so.
According to Law however, they’re not. He writes they’re “not facing doubts over their position” ahead of next week’s end of season review. The pair “retain the enthusiastic backing of prominent figures on the club’s board.”
Their bosses are “delighted” with their work, it turns out. Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto are held up as shining examples of good business. Even Moises Caicedo has looked better in recent weeks. Their positions are not under threat – in stark contrast to that of manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Law adds the important caveat that the pair’s work goes beyond transfers, and that “a lot of their work goes unnoticed” outside the confines of Stamford Bridge and Cobham.
A very generous assessment
It has been a constant refrain from Chelsea fans this year, both those in the stadium and online. They don’t want to blame the players – it’s not their fault they’re young and inexperienced and in many cases injured. They also don’t want to blame the manager, who is the one trying to manage a group with almost no coherence.
The blame has therefore fallen often on those who are behind the decisions that built this squad. Stewart and Winstanley have been in the crosshairs for 18 months or more for many fans.
They are, to an extent, presumably just following orders from above in terms of buying young. But there are still lots of very valid doubts about how they’ve gone about fulfilling their objectives. The idea that there are no doubts at all about their future after two pretty disastrous years in a row when all is said and done, does seem very generous.
