COMPUTER SAYS NO
Chelsea’s team ‘looks like it has been developed by an algorithm’ blasts club legend who slams Boehly’s recruitment
Former star has grim outlook for his old side
CHELSEA hero Pat Nevin launched a blistering attack on Todd Boehly’s £1billion Stamford Bridge revolution and said the team looks like it has “been developed by an algorithm”.
Former winger Nevin, 60, fears the club he loves is in danger of collapsing and warns failure to qualify for the Champions League next season could lead to serious Financial Fair Play repercussions.
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The Blues are languishing in tenth in the Prem — a massive 20 points behind leaders Liverpool following Wednesday’s 4-1 drubbing at Anfield.
That is despite the club’s American owner Boehly splashing out a staggering £1bn on new players since his £4.25bn
takeover in May 2022, which ended disgraced Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s 19-year reign.
Nevin said: “Chelsea is almost unrecognisable from the club it was two years ago.
“Not just personnel but the club’s whole outlook.
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“The age of players, lack of really big stars, the atmosphere in the stadium, everything.
“You don’t bring a bunch of young people into the Premier League who don’t have the experience.
“It was madness — even if you spend £1bn it doesn’t matter.
“Do they look close to being in the top four? No!
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“They look like a team that’s been developed by an algorithm.
“It’s a case of, ‘That bit’s good, that bit’s good, that bit’s good’ — but the collective doesn’t work.
“The left-back doesn’t work well with the left winger, or that one won’t work well with that one.
“Midfielder Cole Palmer is the exception and he can work with anyone.
“It’s a great experiment. You buy all these young players but they’re never going to do well for the first two years.”
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has steered them into a Carabao Cup final against Liverpool later this month.
But former Scotland star Nevin, who became a firm fans’ favourite at Stamford Bridge during his spell with the Blues between 1983-88, believes their performances are nowhere near good enough for a club that were Champions League winners and World Club champions just three years ago.
Chelsea were linked with a January swoop for former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema — even though he is now 36 years old and at Saudi side Al-Ittihad.
BBC pundit Nevin added: “There was talk about bringing in Benzema, which is diametrically the opposite of what the plan is!
“So if you did that you’d be entitled to say, ‘What happened to the plan?’
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“You can’t bulls**t people and say it’s great and it’s just about there.
“It’s like a cure for cancer — it will be here in five years. And in five years, saying, ‘It’ll be here in five years!’
“Chelsea need to finish in the top four next season because of how the finances work.
“My background is in accounts and economics. I’ve also run Motherwell before. So that side of the business intrigues me.
“Chelsea didn’t fall foul of FFP this time. But I watched Everton fall foul of that after they were going to be the next big thing.
“They are another of my former clubs and I hope that doesn’t happen again.
“Because if you spend that much and you don’t get Champions League football and you amortise over seven or eight years and it doesn’t work.
“You need that £80million to £100m of Champions League cash every season for it to work.
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“That’s why by next year they need to be in the top four.
“And — right now — I don’t know if they will be.”
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