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Chelsea owners face moment of reckoning amid fan backlash
"We don't care about Clearlake, they don't care about us."
Amid growing anger from Chelsea's fans towards the club's BlueCo ownership, that chant has become the anthem of this campaign. likesport.biz
Monday's dismal 3-1 defeat by second-string Nottingham Forest in the Premier League means the Blues can no longer finish fifth - and are highly unlikely to meet their minimum pre‑season aim of qualifying for the Champions League.
It appears the moment of reckoning has arrived for BlueCo, who are now the target of an increasingly irate fanbase.
While the Clearlake chant only targets one arm of the ownership, it is part of a wider disconnect between supporters and the club, amid the search for a sixth permanent manager in four years after Liam Rosenior was sacked last month.
There is also a perceived lack of effort from players and dissatisfaction with ticketing policies.
Chelsea's most recent accounts showed a £262m Premier League-record pre-tax loss and Uefa continues to monitor the club under a settlement agreement from last summer that will regulate spending on players.
It is against that backdrop that BlueCo - the holding company owned by Todd Boehly and his allies, along with majority investor Clearlake - are on trial with supporters.
At the thick end is Not A Project CFC, a fringe but growing fan movement who are calling for major change - and have announced two further protests.
One will take place on Wembley Way before the FA Cup final against Manchester City, and the other urges fans to turn their backs in the 22nd minute (representing the year 2022 when BlueCo bought Chelsea from sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich) of their final home game against Tottenham.
It is a movement figures inside Chelsea have tried to quell, including director Danny Finkelstein, after a conversation with supporters was leaked in which he said it was "obvious" the Blues were building one of the best teams in the world.
While the picture may seem bleak for Chelsea, who are ninth in the league with just three matches left, with a cup final to come is the situation still salvageable for BlueCo?
Fixing the disconnect
Hosting Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi in Chelsea's directors' box on Monday, ostensibly to scout his future opponents, went down poorly with sections of the fanbase.
De Zerbi has a long‑standing relationship with Paul Winstanley and Sam Jewell from their time at Brighton, but Chelsea fans want to see their London rivals relegated - particularly with the prospect of inflicting damage themselves in a league match at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight.
It was just one of the missteps that have compounded poor results, leaving fans feeling misunderstood and ignored.
Since the Abramovich era, almost every player, senior executive and most behind-the-scenes football staff in the men's team have been replaced.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea's second head coach under BlueCo, told The Overlap podcast he left the club because they didn't match his "vision". He highlighted how the Blues prefer to look at data rather than human connection and "emotion".
His replacement Enzo Maresca initially bought into that vision, but did not fully win over match-going supporters, despite claiming the Conference League and Club World Cup, and qualifying for the Champions League with a young squad in his only full season.
He ultimately departed after a dispute encompassing transfers, his salary and what was perceived as medical department meddling in his use of players.
Chelsea's next permanent boss Liam Rosenior placed importance on culture and building a relationship with supporters, but lost the dressing room before his vision could be fully implemented.
The coaching instability has fed into public concerns from current players Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, amid increased doubts over their futures.
Fernandez's agent Javier Pastore says he believes his client is underpaid, but the Argentine signed a nine-year contract until 2032 when he joined - making it difficult to renegotiate his deal, especially with Chelsea only wanting to discuss improved terms in the summer.
"A nine-year contract - it's absolutely crazy, you don't want to sign a contract like that," former England striker Wayne Rooney told BBC Sport.
"Maybe financially if you want security, but you don't want to tie yourself in for that long. It's absolute madness."
Chelsea have incentive-based contracts that include bonuses for Champions League qualification and believe they are broadly in line with the market.
This is reflected in the club having the third-highest wage bill in their latest accounts for the 2024-25 season. However, they have been outbid by rivals on occasion, including in the deal that saw Marc Guehi join Manchester City in January.
Yet, the pace of player trading has left some fans feeling cold. In an excerpt from his column in the CFCUK fanzine, founding editor Dave Johnson said: "Any rapport between the players and the supporters... to my mind at least, is at an all-time low.
"Ask any supporter of a certain age and they will tell you that, from the late 1960s, every player picked for the Chelsea team got their name chanted during the warm-up and they, in turn, responded with an acknowledgement.
"These days though, and much to their detriment, the current crop of players appear wholly detached from the people in the stands."
Will Chelsea change?
"As the club works to bring stability to the head coach position, we will undertake a process of self‑reflection to make the right long‑term appointment," said the end of Chelsea's statement read after Rosenior's sacking in April.
It points to a more humble tone from when Boehly once proposed a much-ridiculed all-star north‑versus‑south match in the first season.
A week earlier, influential co-owner Behdad Eghbali admitted there was a need to "tweak the plan if it's not working".
The Clearlake co‑founder also said sacking Thomas Tuchel in 2022 "didn't work out", adding signing leaders and players with Premier League experience would be key to taking the club to the next level.
Figures at Chelsea have explained their aim is to win trophies and, at a minimum, qualify for the Champions League.
It is clear from recent balance sheets that qualifying for Europe's elite competition helps offset the financial disadvantages of a sub‑40,000‑capacity stadium and weaker commercial revenue than their so‑called 'big‑six' rivals.
However, Chelsea aim to improve their fortunes and have gone on record to say they are a committed ownership. In addition, they would not forfeit any opportunity to play in the Europa League or Conference League, despite Uefa's stricter financial regulations compared with the Premier League.
Chelsea are now embarking on a detailed process to appoint their sixth permanent manager, with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva and former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso understood to be in contention.
There have been successes in the structure but failing to appoint the right manager has made it hard to win regularly, a core tenet of Chelsea's identity, but also build a lasting connection with supporters and repair fractured relations.
Padres slug their way to 10-5 win over SF Giants
Near the end of Tuesday’s telecast of the San Diego Padres’ 10-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants, broadcaster Duane Kuiper tried to look on the bright side of Matt Chapman’s 0-for-4 night.
“If it’s any consolation,” Kuiper said, “Chapman’s had the longest out in this game.”
That’s how hard it was to find a positive on a night where the Padres overcame early deficits of 2-0 and 4-1 with a five-run 4th inning off Logan Webb. As the Padres were coming back, starter Walker Buehler (2-2) settled down with three straight shutout innings. By the time a Rafael Devers single and Bryce Eldridge’s first hit of the season chased Buehler in the 6th inning, the Giants were trailing 8-4.
Buehler worked 5.1 innings and gave up seven hits and four runs. Three Padres relievers retired 11 of the 12 Giants they faced, with the lone exception being rookie catcher Jesus Rodriguez, who launched an opposite-field blast off Jeremiah Estrada for his first big-league home run.
Rodriguez got his first big-league hit and first big-league RBI five innings earlier, when he slapped the ball into right field and Willy Adames was rewarded by absolutely blowing through a stop sign at third base to score the team’s third run of the game. After a Jung Hoo Lee groundout, 25-year-old Drew Gilbert came around to score, following his 33rd big-league hit earlier in the inning.
The Giants took an early lead on the 29th big-league home run by Casey Schmidt, his sixth of the 2026 season and one that inspired a truly wretched pun from the NBC Sports social media intern.
This author contends that the sheer awfulness of “HOTTER THAN SCHMITT GREASE” doomed the Giants to their defeat Tuesday night. Maybe reading that tweet in the dugout made Webb lose focus, leading to Xander Boegarts’ solo homer that halved the Giants’ lead in the 2nd.
Aside from the Bogaerts blast, Webb cruised for the first three innings until disaster struck in the top of the 4th. Gavin Sheets continued his career-long ownage of Webb with a single, and No. 5 hitter Fernando Tatis, Jr., hitting the lowest in the Padres lineup since his rookie year, doubled to right.
After an RBI grounder from Bogaerts, Webb brushed back Nick Castellanos, which woke up the slumping outfielder, and his single to center score Tatis. Then Webb really did hit a Padre, catcher Luis Campusano. Sung-Mun Song, in his second big-league at-bat, got his first two big-league RBIs with a double off the wall and scored his first major-league run on a Jackson Merrill single.
Webb’s final line: 4IP, 7H, 6R, 4K, but hey, zero walks!
JT Brubaker had a miserable, 38-pitch 5th inning, but escaped having allowed only one run on a Castellanos sac fly despite walking the bases loaded twice. Merrill singled, stole second, and scored in the 6th on a Miguel Andujar (3-for-5) single off Ryan Borucki.
Gregory Santos gave up two runs in a mistake-filled 8th inning, where Song reached on an infield single, stole second and took third on a Rodriguez throwing error, a double from Merrill (he went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs) and a balk. All in all, the Giants’ defense was sloppy all game, with dropped throws, balls bouncing past outfielders, wild throws, and ill-timed balks.
But Matt Chapman really did hit that ball a long way when he flew out to right field in the 4th inning.
Bayern-PSG: el capítulo decisivo de un desafío galáctico
Real Madrid defender assures his commitment amid turbulent times: ‘I have fought very hard’
While Alvaro Carreras started strong at Real Madrid after arriving in the summer, his descent has been as swift as his ascent was a few months ago.
From being an undisputed starter to going behind Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia, a lot has changed for Carreras in recent months and there are conflicting reports as to why the player has lost the manager’s faith.
The decision does not appear to be tactical but rather due to a reported rift between the new signing and the coaching staff.
Carreras’ statement
Taking to his personal Instagram account yesterday, the Real Madrid defender addressed the news of him rumouredly losing his spot under Alvaro Arbeloa due to poor professionalism and dedication.
“In recent days, certain insinuations and comments about me have emerged that do not correspond to reality.”
“My commitment to this club and to the coaches I’ve had has been unwavering since day one, and it will continue to be so,” he added.
Alvaro Carreras has assured his commitment to Real Madrid. (Source: Instagram)
Commenting on how he has always given his all for the club crest, the Spanish defender said,
“Since I returned, I have always worked with the highest level of professionalism, respect, and dedication. I have fought very hard to fulfil my dream of returning home.”
Finally, he confirmed that there was truth to his altercation with a teammate behind the scenes, although he did not take any names or get into specifics.
“Regarding the incident with a teammate, it was an isolated matter without importance that has already been resolved. My relationship with the entire team is very good.”
With El Clasico coming up this weekend, it will be interesting to see who the management sees as the best candidate to hold off Barcelona’s threat down the flank.
Slow and unsteady: Has Jasprit Bumrah’s once-lethal variation lost its edge?
This IPL, that toy has looked a little outdated.
The numbers are uncharacteristically stark: 46 slower balls bowled, 74 runs conceded, no wickets. For a bowler whose reputation rests as much on deception as on discipline, that’s a rare dip. And it mirrors a broader struggle. Bumrah has just three wickets in 10 matches this season, an economy of 8.89, and an average ballooning to 109.67. These are figures that don't do justice to a maestro, and Bumrah's struggles have had a direct impact on the Mumbai Indians in what has been a forgettable campaign.
Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Star Sports, perhaps summed it up best:
“Bumrah is giving his best, but he seems to be trying too many extra things. He is creating wicket-taking chances, but luck is not on his side. His pace has also dropped. His go-to slower ball length has become fuller. The line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to the leg stump.”
That observation goes to the heart of the issue. The slower ball hasn’t just lost bite, it has lost precision.
But one perhaps understands why Bumrah goes to it so often. Because it has allowed him to break games open. Just hit the rewind button and jog your memory back to the Boxing Day Test vs Australia at the MCG in 2018. Shaun Marsh in. India pushing for a breakthrough before lunch. Bumrah rolls his fingers across the seam, same action, different pace, Marsh doesn't read it, and the ball hits his pads, and he is plumb in front as India seize control.
Lord’s 2021: Ollie Robinson, eating into time and blunting India’s push for a memorable win on Day Five, was undone by a change of pace from round the stumps and was lbw.
The global stage offered even clearer illustrations. Steve Smith failed to spot a slower one in the 2023 ODI World Cup final and was lbw. It offered a brief window where India sensed momentum in a heartbreaking loss. Mohammad Rizwan, twice deceived, in Ahmedabad and then in New York. Harry Brook in the T20 WC semifinal, Rachin Ravindra and Mitch Santner in the final, each instance reinforcing how Bumrah used the slower ball not as a stock option, but as a trigger point for collapse.
His MI teammate Ryan Rickelton could not read his variation in Ahmedabad, and Roston Chase in Kolkata too was foxed. The pattern was familiar. Bumrah’s slower ball thrived on disguise, timing and understanding of the situation. It arrived when batters least expected it, and left them without answers.
This IPL, that layer of surprise appears thinner.
Gavaskar points to technical drift:
“His go-to slower ball length has become fuller… the line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to leg stump.”
That marginal shift matters. Bumrah’s slower ball has always worked best when it threatened the stumps first, forcing batters to commit. A fuller, leg-stump line offers release, allowing hitters to access angles, even off mistimed strokes.
There’s also an element of overcomplication.
“He is overdoing things, and that's hurting him… He should go back to his basics and stick to what works best for him,” Gavaskar noted.
In trying to stay ahead of increasingly prepared batters, Bumrah seems to have added layers, different lengths, slight variations in pace, but in doing so, has he diluted the clarity that once defined the delivery? The slower ball was most effective when it was simple, sharp, and perfectly placed and used sparingly. Now, it occasionally sits in a hittable zone. Also, he has used it too frequently. Against RR, when he had to bowl a maximum of 18 balls, he bowled 10 off-pace ones. Even the uncharacteristic no-balls, six or seven this season, hint at disrupted rhythm.
“He is not known for bowling many no-balls. Trying new things is affecting his rhythm,” Gavaskar added.
For a bowler built on control, rhythm is everything.
There’s also the inevitable factor: familiarity.
Bumrah is no longer an unknown quantity. His release, his cues, his patterns, all are constantly dissected by analysts and rival skippers and coaches through years of data and exposure. Batters aren’t just reacting anymore; they’re anticipating. In T20 cricket’s hyper-analytical ecosystem, even micro-signals get decoded.
And on flatter pitches, the margin for error is negligible. A slower ball that once induced mishits now travels
Is it right to call this IPL the start of a decline for Bumrah?
Gavaskar wants to tread with caution on that one. “It will take just one or two games. Once he starts picking up wickets, he will be back on track.”
Bumrah has faced adaptation cycles before. When yorkers were picked, he leaned into hard lengths. When batters lined those up, he turned to angles and seam. The slower ball itself once emerged as a response to batters getting comfortable.
This could simply be another such phase, where the weapon has been read. Maybe it's time for the wielder to sharpen it again.