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By Martin Graham | 1st Jan 2023

Graeme Souness believes Chelsea will struggle to replicate the form they had under Roman Abramovich. The former Liverpool great thinks Chelsea does not have what it takes to finish in the top four.

Since the debacle at Chelsea that saw Roman Abramovich relinquish the ownership of the West London club, things are no longer at ease. It is easy to say that things have fallen apart at Stamford Bridge, and the centre is struggling to hold. The Blues have had a challenging spell under the new management.

Todd Boehly perhaps has little understanding of European football and how it works and may be learning on the job. The American owner wants to build his legacy at the club, but whatever he has in mind is currently a dream.

Boehly hopes to surpass the achievements of Abramovich and make the club a bigger brand than he met it, but there is plenty of work to be done to fulfil his fantasies.

Chelsea are currently struggling in the Premier League, with a date with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in February, but Graeme Souness believes the club is in a mess. The former Liverpool legend believes Chelsea will not finish in the top four this season.

Souness dismisses Chelsea’s chances this season

Chelsea are still trying to shake off the aftereffects of the long-drawn change of ownership saga that enveloped the club at the start of the season. The Blues were one of the top dogs and highly favoured to challenge for the Premier League. Things have not gone to script, and there are several questions about the once, all-conquering Blues.

Graeme Souness is under no illusions of what would pan out for the West London side at the end of the season. The TV pundit has dropped his ten cents on the Chelsea situation and has not given a good report about the club. According to Souness, Chelsea will miss out on the top four this season.

Graeme Souness believes Chelsea will undergo a challenging period under American owner Todd Boehly.

Boehly has made several changes to the setup at Stamford Bridge, which has run through the coaching, playing and backroom staff. Few of the staff present during the Abramovich era remain at the club, and Souness believes it will take a while for the club to find its feet again.

An underwhelming season for Chelsea

After a poor start to the season, Boehly decided to change the coaching crew. He brought down the hammer and let Thomas Tuchel go.

The club spent a massive amount over the summer, with Chelsea shelling out £278 million. Graham Potter has yet to return dividends on investment, as the club currently sits eighth on the table. They are six points off the top four and 16 behind leaders Arsenal.

The struggles at Chelsea have convinced Souness that the Blues are out of the running for the top four. The TV pundit has heaped the blame squarely on the shoulders of Boehly. Souness said alarm bells started ringing for him, when Boehly came in and started making football decisions. He is bewildered at what is going on at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea went from an executive team of Bruce Buck, Petr Cech and Marina Granovskaia and a serial winner in Thomas Tuchel to an owner who knows nothing of the game.

Souness says everything he sees and hears of the club points in one direction – disaster. He declared that Chelsea is in for a challenging period.

Martin Graham is an MFF sports writer

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