Cool Blues: Chelsea determined to stay grounded despite Barcelona demolition

"The problem is that emotions in football swing from one extreme to another, as the people running things at Stamford Bridge have quickly come to appreciate. They have faced plenty of ridicule for their alternative approach since buying the club from Roman Abramovich three years ago, so perhaps they are entitled to be a little sceptical now that Chelsea are being praised for their transfer strategy and talked up as potential title challengers before hosting Arsenal on Sunday."

"Contrary to public perception, this is not a board that gets carried away easily. The initial chaos has subsided Chelsea have had four permanent managers since their takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital and the aim of building a sustainable longterm project is incompatible with overreacting to one bad result, one decent run of form or even one thumping win over Barca in the Champions League. The message has not changed since the start of the season: stay humble."

"It is worth remembering that there was plenty of critical noise from outside when Chelsea lost to Manchester United and Brighton at the end of September. Was anyone talking about a title challenge then? Or, indeed, after Chelsea blew a 1-0 lead and lost at home to Sunderland last month? The mood was different. Cool heads were required; the message from on high was that Enzo Maresca and his players had to trust themselves after the defeat by Brighton."

Chelsea risk damaging momentum if they allow the Barcelona demolition to produce complacency. Emotions in football swing wildly, and the club’s leadership has felt the effects of public ridicule since the Boehly and Clearlake takeover three years ago. The board prioritises building a sustainable long-term project and resists overreacting to single results, good or bad. Four permanent managers since the takeover underline that initial chaos has subsided and patience remains important. Enzo Maresca and his players are encouraged to stay humble and trust themselves ahead of taxing away fixtures against Leeds and Bournemouth, while media praise should be treated cautiously.

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