Chelsea: Thiago Silva says club need to 'stop and put a strategy in place'

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva says the club need to “stop and put a strategy in place” or risk another difficult campaign next season.

Despite lavish transfer spending under new owner Todd Boehly, Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League and will end this season without a trophy after defeat by Real Madrid in the Champions League.

“The manager can only pick 11 from 30-something. That’s tough,” said Silva.

“There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play.”

American investor Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital completed a £4.25bn takeover of Chelsea in May 2022.

They spent about £550m across the summer and winter transfer windows to amass a first-team squad of 30 players, but that has failed to translate into success on the pitch.

Chelsea have sacked managers Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter this season, while interim boss Frank Lampard has lost all four matches since taking over for a second spell this month.

It means they are unlikely to qualify for Europe for only the second time in 25 seasons.

“It’s a difficult moment for the club, with a lot of indecision,” added 38-year-old Silva.

“We had to increase the size of the changing rooms because it didn’t fit the size of the team.

“A positive point is that there are amazing players within the squad, but on the other hand there is always players that are going to be unhappy.

“We need to stop and put a strategy in place, otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.”

I don’t recognise my club – Drogba

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says he does not “recognise the club” compared with when he played at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba won 12 major honours between 2004 and 2012 under previous owner Roman Abramovich, whose generous backing turned the Blues into serial trophy winners following his takeover in 2003.

The 56-year-old was forced to sell the club last year after he was sanctioned by the UK government over alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“It is not the same club any more,” Drogba, 45, told Canal+. “I don’t recognise my club. There is a new owner and a new vision.

“We try to compare with what was done under the Abramovich era, where there were many acquisitions of players, but the choices were very intelligent.

“Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was to win titles and they are players who already have some experience. Here the strategy is different, they bet on young players.

“I think they certainly lack charismatic players and leaders. It needs players who take responsibility.”