Calum McFarlane could become the first English manager since Harry Redknapp in 2008 to win a major English trophy. The interim Chelsea boss has guided the Blues to an FA Cup final, defying the club’s chaotic season.
A Legacy of Winning Amid Turmoil
Since Roman Abramovich’s takeover in 2003, Chelsea have had 20 permanent managers and won 20 trophies, excluding Community Shields and Uefa Super Cups. This statistic underscores a bizarre trend: almost a manager per season, yet almost a trophy per season. McFarlane’s appointment after Liam Rosenior’s sacking last week may or may not count as a 21st managerial change, but he stands one game from adding a 21st trophy.
Performance Against Leeds
This was not a great performance from Chelsea. It was disjointed and bitty, lacking rhythm. However, there was fight and resilience, a step in the right direction. One constant remained: Chelsea’s pre-kickoff huddle. Self-destructiveness also lingered, with Robert Sánchez’s early save crucial after cheap possession loss and Trevoh Chalobah’s misjudgment.
But other things felt different. Sánchez delivered a fine goalkeeping performance, reminiscent of his Club World Cup final display. Chelsea scored their first goal against Premier League opposition since early March, courtesy of Enzo Fernández, whose suspension had sparked recent crisis. The team showed a real will to win, though it manifested cynically in time-wasting and feigned injuries, a growing issue in football.
McFarlane’s Impact
Having lost five straight Premier League games, Chelsea’s players appeared more committed under McFarlane. While Rosenior’s intense style may have left them shattered, the renewed effort suggests they had lost faith in their former manager. Manchester City will pose a sterner test in the final on 16 May, but Chelsea could begin and end the season with silverware—a bewildering prospect given poor performances and poor decisions.
McFarlane might become the first English manager since Harry Redknapp to win a major English trophy. It may not make sense, but that’s Chelsea’s way for two decades: spend enough, buy enough, ride the tumult, and trophies arrive despite repeated failures.
