As Chelsea stand getting ready to a 14th main trophy of Emma Hayes’s 11-year tenure, the membership’s knack for succession planning, their potential to repeatedly evolve their facet and by no means stand nonetheless has confirmed invaluable as soon as once more.
Rebuilding a profitable group to remain on high is just not one thing many sports activities golf equipment have been capable of handle. Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign at Manchester United, the place he rebuilt profitable group after profitable group, is the best of the uncommon exceptions. However for many golf equipment, this activity proves elusive. Stars wane, the core of profitable groups age and an unrefreshed facet can stagnate. At Chelsea, this has not occurred.
Now needing a victory over backside facet Studying on the Ladies’s Tremendous League’s last day on Saturday to win what can be their fourth consecutive title, this appears to be like like the ultimate season of Chelsea 3.0, the most recent incarnation of Hayes’ trophy-hogging setup. However Chelsea 4.0 is already taking form.
Chelsea 1.0 underneath Hayes seemed very totally different certainly. The facet that lifted the membership’s first main honours in 2015, together with their first WSL title, consisted of a central backbone that included Hedvig Lindahl in aim, Gilly Flaherty at centre-back, Katie Chapman in holding midfield and Eni Aluko. Their South Korean technician Ji So-Yun was the PFA Participant of the Yr.
By the point Hayes’ group gained their second WSL title in 2017-18, after their success in 2017’s Spring Sequence, Chelsea 2.0 had already advanced. That they had Ann-Katrin Berger in aim, England’s Millie Vivid at centre-back, Wales’ Sophie Ingle in holding midfield and Fran Kirby steadily stealing the present up entrance, with Kirby that season’s PFA Participant of the Yr.
Following the staggered, headline arrivals of Sam Kerr and Pernille More durable over the course of 2020, after the pandemic, the strike duo dubbed ‘Kerrby’ started to dominate, with Kirby and Kerr discovering unrelenting goalscoring type, and a Chelsea 3.0 was nicely on its means. Germany’s Melanie Leupolz made the holding midfield position her personal, and ever-improving abilities equivalent to tenacious Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert began to turn out to be extra of a outstanding function within the facet.
Standing on the cusp of what can be a 3rd consecutive home double, Chelsea 3.0 has arguably been essentially the most profitable of Hayes’ sides, however after one thing of a transitional 12 months this time period, and with 4 summer season signings already finalised, Chelsea 4.0 is coming to a WSL floor close to you quickly.
That is as a result of, already confirmed as leaving the membership this summer season are Denmark ahead More durable and membership captain Magdalena Eriksson, aged 30 and 29 respectively. As common, the membership have completed the vast majority of their summer season enterprise early to plan to interchange these two key gamers. Neither is ‘over the hill’ but, however many of the typical peak years of their careers by way of age have been spent in west London.
