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Football London
Football London
Sport
Scott Trotter

Todd Boehly must learn from Daniel Levy Tottenham mistake if he is to succeed at Chelsea

Todd Boehly's presence at Stamford Bridge, alongside Behdad Eghbali, has been a consistent feature of matches in recent months. His journey into the home dressing room following defeat to Brighton last weekend has become a regular occurrence during his tenure, according to Kepa Arrizabalaga. Though, the words reported to have been uttered, perhaps less so.

However, what was altogether rare was Boehly's interaction with a supporter. It may not have been a pleasant one as the fan leaned over from the tier above amid Chelsea being comprehensively outplayed by the Seagulls, but is so often the case, the confines of Stamford Bridge provide a setting for the Blues' faithful to express their opinion.

Often they will receive little in reply, though Graham Potter's sacking swiftly followed defeat to Aston Villa where chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' chorused around west London. Against Brighton, it appears some hoped to take a more direct approach to speaking to the American owner.

READ MORE: Chelsea next manager update as Julian Nagelsmann makes 'final decision'

One of the strengths of Boehly and Clearlake Capital's bid was their desire to speak with and to integrate fans. The likes of Daniel Finkelstein and Barbara Charone being appointed the board in addition to communication with fan groups and the establishment of the fan advisory board certainly provided some additional positivity in this area.

However, Boehly, in addition to Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano have all spoken at business summits or gatherings. Most recently Boehly spoke at a private event at Stamford Bridge and conceded that mistakes had been made in his first year in charge of the club.

Most supporters however, have been restricted to sanitised comments at the bottom of player signings, manager sackings and appointments. They consistently hear about how exciting the project is from new players and Frank Lampard has spoken about how he has been impressed by the club's intentions.

Little substance emerges in the direction of supporters however. All they have to really judge the season is a raft of changes and well below par series of results and performances and there is little reason for many to keep faith in the new hierarchy.

Of course, Chelsea are not the only club to operate in such manner. This week Tottenham chief Daniel Levy spoke with students from Cambridge University in a rare opportunity to hear from the Spurs chairman. Supporters have generally been confined to following the biggest news and financial reports and notes ahead of the final match of the season.

Levy was asked by one student how often he is frustrated at not being able to explain his decisions.

"Probably every day. The media often print stories that just aren't true," he said. "It's perceptions. An article gets printed, it's a story that then becomes a reality but I've remained dignified and I just won't comment."

With little transparency, perhaps that issue cannot be solved but clubs have a bigger audience than many media organisations and can also offer a message to supporters directly. That may be seen as simply an attempt at PR but ultimately they will be held accountable by supporters either way. If fans are more informed and more familiar, there is a greater chance they will see the vision of the club.

For many on the outside Spurs' progress in the last decade or so could be seen as a success, though they have missed the final step in transforming into a truly competitive side. Instead, the Lilywhites see regularly protests and frustrations and find themselves in a cycle of hiring new managers. Would more transparent communication help alleviate some of those issues?

Crucially for both teams, the future isn't now. The face of each club and most regular contact point for supporters remains with the head coach or manager. Neither Frank Lampard or Cristian Stellini is expected to be at the club beyond the summer.

As a result supporters can simply linger on now and troubled seasons and bleak futures as both sides look to appoint their next boss.

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