As Chelsea officially announces the club have reached a final and definitive agreement with Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital consortium, it's time to close a chapter in what has been such a successful era for the Blues.
It's a bitter-sweet ending to the Roman Abramovich era. Whilst many of us fans are grateful for his time with the club, there is also an understanding as to why things had to happen this way. As a millennium fan, I have not known an era without Abramovich. For others, they witnessed a rocky Ken Bates era before the consistent run of glory days.
With five Premier Leagues, five FA Cups, two Champions Leagues, two Europa Leagues, three League cup titles, a Club World Cup, and a Super Cup we close this chapter and hope for an even more successful future with Todd Boehly at the wheel.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly consortium reaches definitive agreement on Chelsea takeover
I have no fear in the Todd Boehly/Clearlake capital consortium. They understand the assignment at hand by taking over one of the most successful clubs in England - the most successful in London. The only way is up from here. Despite our Arsenal and Manchester United fans warning us of the despair that comes with American ownership, Boehly may mimic a more successful regime which works well with Liverpool's American owners.
It is highly unlikely that Todd Boehly would invest in the same way that Roman Abramovich had done with the Blues. As much as we enjoyed the fruits of his everlasting wealth, the Abramovich way was not the most sustainable. Abramovich pumped over £1.6bn of his own money into the club. Just so that he could ensure the team remained successful. That is the kind of love that he had for the club. The crazy kind that makes you spend unconditionally. As a long-term fan, Boehly probably shares the same love, but will make more calculated financial decisions.
The Blues will look towards Liverpool in order to find the correct players suited for the club. A more data-driven controlled recruitment could land Chelsea a future of success to rival Manchester City. Specific targets will be selected for Thomas Tuchel's style of play, and if he is as good as we claim, he will deliver twice as much with his own players. It's scary for our rivals to think that Tuchel will be here for the long run. After 17 months with just one signing, he has won the Champions League, Club World Cup and reached three domestic finals. Imagine how far he could go with the right players at his disposal.
There are flaws that came with the Abramovich era that we say goodbye to. Wild signings are one of them, but also premature sacking of managers. In the last 19 years, Chelsea has been managed by 14 different managers. Incredible. Although each manager had a claim to some sort of season success with the exception of two, it led to years of unsustainability. One manager for a long period of time is what seems to work in today's era. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are living proof of this. The fact that Todd Boehly has taken over at a time when Thomas Tuchel is the manager is a bonus for the Blues. A brilliant coach will lead us into a new era and will possibly be allowed to build his own army of winners.
I cannot wait for this new era to begin. I'm sure many fans out there feel the same way. We all enter into a period of the unknown, but with our history, there's no doubt that we will maintain a level of success that we are all used to.
Welcome aboard Todd Boehly!
