As Chelsea stand on the point of a 14th main trophy of Emma Hayes’s 11-year tenure, the membership’s knack for succession planning, their skill to repeatedly evolve their aspect and by no means stand nonetheless has confirmed invaluable as soon as once more.
Rebuilding a profitable group to remain on prime will not be 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 job proves elusive. Stars wane, the core of profitable groups age and an unrefreshed aspect can stagnate. At Chelsea, this has not occurred.
Now needing a victory over backside aspect Studying on the Girls’s Tremendous League’s ultimate day on Saturday to win what could be their fourth consecutive title, this appears to be like like the ultimate season of Chelsea 3.0, the newest incarnation of Hayes’ trophy-hogging setup. However Chelsea 4.0 is already taking form.
Chelsea 1.0 beneath Hayes appeared very totally different certainly. The aspect 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 received their second WSL title in 2017-18, after their success in 2017’s Spring Collection, Chelsea 2.0 had already developed. That they had Ann-Katrin Berger in aim, England’s Millie Vibrant 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 properly on its manner. Germany’s Melanie Leupolz made the holding midfield position her personal, and ever-improving abilities comparable to tenacious Scotland midfielder Erin Cuthbert began to change into extra of a distinguished function within the aspect.
Standing on the cusp of what could 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 yr this time period, and with 4 summer time 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 time are Denmark ahead More durable and membership captain Magdalena Eriksson, aged 30 and 29 respectively. As traditional, the membership have completed the vast majority of their summer time 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 when it comes to age have been spent in west London.
