Brentford boss Thomas Frank took aim at Chelsea with a subtle dig over their spending in the past year when asked about his side's ambitions. The Bees have been guided to the top half while their west London counterparts sit 12th in the Premier League after an awful run of form, which has seen the Blues make a managerial change, bringing in Frank Lampard as interim.
The tough campaign has only been exacerbated by the spending under Boehly-Clearlake, having shelled out roughly £600million in the transfer market. While there was an emphasis on landing youth prospects that will grow into the best in the world for years to come, the lack of immediate improvement to the team will have been concerning.
It leaves the ownership with a key decision when it comes to the level of backing they give the next permanent manager. That looks likely to be Mauricio Pochettino at this stage, with the need to strengthen the team in plenty of areas, but in a more managed way than the past two windows.
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Should they fail to bounce back in the next season, it could see the Blues facing the uphill battle of breaking back into the top six once again. Plenty of sides have looked to take their spot this campaign, with Newcastle stepping up, while the likes of Aston Villa and Brighton have also been in with a shout.
There's also London neighbours Brentford, who recently got the better of Chelsea and look on course to finish above them this season. When suggested he is a top six coach, Frank aimed a subtle dig at the Blues, telling BBC's Match of the Day: "I think to be named there you have to be there consistently, probably could use £600m over two transfer windows for example.”
It shows the frustration at Chelsea's level of spending across the league, though that means nothing if they don't recruit well in the coming summer. There will have to be plenty of introspection heading into the next few months to give the next manager the best chance possible for finding success.
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