There will have been fewer years more eventful than 2022 for Chelsea. A change in owners, a change in head coach, hundreds of millions in transfer fees, significant departures, Champions League drama, becoming World Champions, falling in two domestic finals and sanctions that severely impacted the running of the club.
It would be nice to take a breath for 2023 but with the Blues starting the calendar year outside of the top four it's sure to be tumultuous once again. Any hopes of a smooth 12 months were quickly banished against Nottingham Forest as Raheem Sterling's strike was not enough to avoid a draw or a plethora of questions about the Blues' performance at the City Ground.
Graham Potter will hope to find some improvement throughout 2023 after the downbeat end to 2022 and has a lot to implement to turn around Chelsea's fortunes. With January comes the first transfer window of the year however, and given the willingness of Todd Boehly and his fellow Blues' owners to spend, opportunities may quickly arise.
READ MORE : Why Thiago Silva was left furious as new Chelsea signing watches Nottingham Forest draw
Chelsea learnt that a lot can change in the space of a year, so what next? football.london's Chelsea writers have predicted what may happen in the next 12 months.
Adam Newson
Trying to predict events at Chelsea Football Club feels rather foolish. Chaos and trophies was an effective cover-all statement during the Roman Abramovich era, yet that is now a thing of the successful past. It’s on Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Graham Potter to write a new future – and I think that’s what I want to see most in 2023.
This current Chelsea, with its flawed first-team squad and disjointed off-field structure, isn’t what Boehly and Eghbali envisage long term. Steps have already been taken in an effort to align different departments at a sporting and commercial level, but there is more work to be done in the months ahead.
That should – in theory at least – result in an improvement in the area supporters care about most: the football. Chelsea were a hard watch for much of 2022, both under Thomas Tuchel and Potter. The football was ponderous, cautious, and too often not good enough to win games. That must change in 2023 alongside a revamp of the squad.
Can Chelsea finish in the top four the term? It is looking a difficult ask, especially given points are continuously being dropped against sides in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Securing Champions League football has been the minimum yardstick coaches have been measured against at Stamford Bridge over the past two decades, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard moved on when it appeared under threat.
However, that was Abramovich’s Chelsea, the chaos and trophies Chelsea. There is something new to invest in now for supporters, a project designed to get the Blues back competing for the Premier League title against the likes of Manchester City. It will not be an easy process and there will be no quick-fixes, yet that shouldn’t be reason to abandon what appears a progressive plan in the year ahead.
Scott Trotter
If 2022 taught the Blues anything, it's that a lot can change very quickly and Chelsea may serve a reminder of that as soon as one month into 2023. They've already added David Datro Fofana, are moving towards the signature of Benoit Badiashile and are making an attempt to land Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in the new owners' second transfer window at the helm.
Chelsea are going to have their work cut out in the next 12 months and it's going to be another rollercoaster year with the challenge of competing for a place in the top four already looking a tough one. A final day play-off for a place in the Champions League against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge is not unthinkable.
The Blues have produced some impressive outings in the Champions League under Potter already, and that should continue, particularly if they can keep Reece James fit upon his return. The club could once again find themselves in the semi-final of the competition and dreaming of glory before the season is over. Securing a place in the competition for 2023/24 could be crucial to any plans.
The summer should finally see a midfield transition take place and Jorginho and N'Golo Kante could leave the club with the possibility that Declan Rice finally arrives in addition to Christopher NKunku, though the Blues will fail in their attempts to land Jude Bellingham.
Next season will see Levi Colwill awarded his first true chance with the Chelsea first team despite the club's defensive additions across the year, in addition to Carney Chukwuemeka as the youngster becomes a regular next term under Potter, who will still be in charge at the close of the year.
It wouldn't be surprising to see another club added to the Boehly-Clearlake portfolio either.
Tom Coley
Even if things on the pitch don't improve in 2023 it's unlikely to match the emotional and mental strain that 2022 had on fans, players and the club as a whole. From world champions to sold with the unfamiliar backdrop of a war. Getting up for cup finals with staff unsure if they'll have a job the next day. It can't and won't be like that again, that alone is a positive.
On the field there aren't immediate reasons to be too optimistic either but in Graham Potter there is hope that things could change. Fans would surely rather see failure in the attempt of progress than falling well short whilst treading water. 2023 needs to see the young players trusted. If Omari Hutchinson is good enough for the bench then his first team debut shouldn't be too far behind. Would Carney Chukwuemeka and Lewis Hall really be much worse than the current options in midfield? And isn't it worth sailing closer to the wind just to find out?
Chelsea are unlikely on form, and with the added competition, to get into the top four but it won't be an uninteresting year. With the development of youth, the undoubted backing and financial power from Todd Boehly and Co. mixed with a foundation of talented players then things can change. It'll just take time though and 2023 alone won't be enough to set past mistakes straight.
Champions League progress could be a nice chance to break off the domestic shackles, another big quarter-final tie would be good meanwhile anything beyond that is surely a success. The FA Cup may well be over by next week but after 2022 maybe less football for the club as a whole is a good thing.
Some straight line predictions: Potter will be in charge this time next year, Chelsea will end 2023 in the top four, it'll be a trophyless year, Thiago Silva is still at the club.
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