Chelsea supporters are beginning to voice fears over the club’s direction, with some now drawing comparisons to Tottenham Hotspur’s ongoing struggles both on and off the pitch.
Tottenham’s domestic struggles did not begin this season, with Spurs managing only a disappointing 17th-place finish last term, although they were never dragged into a relegation battle.
Supporters of the Lilywhites were far from pleased with those performances, and protests against the club’s ownership took place at various stages throughout the previous campaign.
This season, however, Tottenham’s situation has only worsened, with the club now facing the genuine threat of relegation as they sit just two points above the drop zone. Spurs supporters have been quick to criticise the ownership amid the club’s ongoing fight for survival.
Chelsea fans fear Tottenham-style decline
Chelsea are enduring problems of their own, although they are nowhere near the bottom end of the table. The Blues are instead at risk of missing out on European football after slipping to ninth place and losing the FA Cup final.
Supporters of the west London club have recently begun protesting against the ownership through the Not A Project CFC movement, which has been vocal in its criticism of the current regime at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to Standard Sport about frustrations surrounding the club’s communication and direction, a spokesperson for Not A Project CFC explained why supporters feel increasingly disconnected from Chelsea’s hierarchy.
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It was also explained that the supporter movement protesting against Chelsea’s ownership, stems from fear that Chelsea could end up in a similar situation to relegation-threatened Tottenham if things do not change at the club.
“After our last protest, the club spoke about self-reflection. We’ve had no communication with regard to what the outcome of that self-reflection was, and that’s a problem, an ongoing problem with the club, the lack of accountability shown, lack of communication with fans,” they said.
“In terms of the protest at the weekend, the coverage of the FA Cup is enormous. We felt that it was too big an occasion (not to stage a protest), and we don’t want to give the impression that we only protest when results are bad, because this isn’t results-driven.
“There are a lot of issues at the club. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) survey (published in January) showed that there is discontent among the fanbase in lots and lots of different areas – matchday atmosphere, ticketing access, pricing.”
The spokesperson also admitted there is now little faith in the ownership’s willingness to engage with supporters over growing concerns at the club.
“As a group, we have entirely lost faith that the club is willing and able to listen and to compromise,” they said.
“When we met with the club director earlier in the year, we put forward some suggestions, we put forward some compromises, we explained that our issue and the fanbase’s issue is with the extremities of the model, and we were met with nothing but hubris.”
Spurs and Chelsea face huge pressure before clash
Chelsea and Tottenham are now preparing to meet for the second time this season, with the Blues still mathematically in contention for a European place despite their FA Cup final defeat.
While Spurs are battling for survival, Chelsea will be determined to secure European football and heap further misery on their struggling rivals. The Blues have since moved to appoint Xabi Alonso, although Spurs Web has confirmed the Spaniard will not be in the dugout for the clash.
Speaking further to Standard Sport, the spokesperson also outlined concerns over Chelsea potentially heading down a similar path to Tottenham if major changes are not made.
“The sporting directors have to go, it’s as simple as that,” they said. “Our ultimate aim would be to highlight to the investors that this project is not working. It has to end now.
“As much as I have found it amusing watching Tottenham Hotspur at times this season, I do agree with the sentiment among our fanbase that that could very easily be us in the next few years. I genuinely believe that relegation is possible for a club like us.
“I thought it was absolutely impossible when BlueCo bought the club, but now I see it as very possible.”