Jurgen Klopp won't be alone in deriving pleasure from Chelsea's current situation. The Reds have had struggles of their own this season but the Blues, under new ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, have ensured that west London is home to the most underperforming side of the season.
Chelsea have spent in the region of £600million in the last two transfer windows in the hopes of condensing a transition into a shorter period so that the club could retain it's competitiveness. Even when saying not qualifying for top four would not determine Graham Potter's future, it was probably not expected that club would descend 12th place and level on points with Bournemouth by the end of April.
It has certainly felt a season of more chaos than trophies, and Chelsea's fiercest critics will feel vindicated in their reading of the new owners' tenure. Klopp could be considered a figure among that number, and believes Chelsea's coaches, they've had four people lead the team this season, have had an impossible job.
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The German coach provided his assessment of the situation to Sky Sports : "I feel a little bit for Chelsea to be honest, because it’s not going well, I think they’re a top, top team, but on the other side it's good to see that you cannot just bring top players together and think it works out.
"You have to build a team and that’s what the guys there underestimated and gave their coaches a nearly impossible job to do. You cannot have two dressing rooms, you cannot train on two pitches, you have to create relationships, you have to create team spirit, and that’s the only reason why I’m a little bit happy about it.
"Chelsea will be fine in the end and they will be incredibly strong next year, but I’m using them just as an example. At the highest level, no, we cannot do it like that - and that’s what we will not do. You have to bring in the right players and build a new team. This team wrote a sensational story and now we start a new one, that’s it."
It's difficult to argue with Klopp's reasoning. Plans for the season were ambitious but maybe some were misplaced.
Immediate investment was required given the status of Chelsea's squad last summer. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen had already left, while the team as a whole had felt on the verge of requiring a refresh for a while.
However, Boehly took the reins as interim-sporting director and along with Behdad Eghbali drove Chelsea's transfer business while Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech departed. Business didn't always run smoothly but from the outside, good signings were made - though pertinently few have hit the ground running this season.
When January arrived, with the beginnings of the recruitment team in place, seven players were signed but only one left. Only three could be named in Chelsea's Champions League squad, many unable to make Premier League matchday squads and simply the group became unwieldy.
Perhaps the challenge was underestimated but it cannot be said that the club did not have the ambition to build a team. From the outset, signings to secure Chelsea's future have been among the priority.
The likes of Neil Bath and Jim Fraser have helped keep youth development consistent, in a tumultuous time for the club, and they have been trusted by the new hierarchy. The likes of Omari Hutchinson, Cesare Casadei and Zak Sturge were all added to the development squad, with Andrey Santos signed in January along with Malo Gusto.
Perhaps the latter, serves the best example of helping to build for the team. The Lyon defender was signed in a £26.3million deal but loaned back to Ligue 1 for the remainder of the season.
Gusto helps serve as crucial back up to Reece James, to provide top class competition in his position and to also lighten a load that has contributed to the 23-year-old missing much of the season.
Chelsea have found fortune in misfortune too, with the French defender's injury allowing time for him to receive some treatment at Cohbam and to become acquainted with London life.
"My rehabilitation was well managed,' he explained. 'There have been regular exchanges between the two clubs for my injury. I was able to recover well, that was the most important thing. I had regular contact with the staff and they came to see me in London. They have always been behind me.
He added: "I was able to refocus on my physical and mental health. I tried to clear my mind; it was important for me because I was mentally tired. This break served me. I did half of my rehabilitation at Chelsea and the last part at Lyon. Both clubs wanted me to come back in the best shape. Everything went well."
Gusto signifies the business that Chelsea will have to target moving forward, though the summer's priority will be to get players out of the club.
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