"A billion pound and they're 10th" - Jamie O'Hara labels Chelsea as a 'disgrace' in explosive flop rant
Jamie O'Hara has named Chelsea as his flop of the year and thinks the club have been a disgrace.
The Blues have endured a dismal year that has seen them go through three separate managers. They finished last season 12th in the league under Graham Potter and then interim coach Frank Lampard.
Mauricio Pochettino is currently at the helm and his appointment in June gave fans belief the club would make a quick turnaround. But, that hasn't happened with the west Londoners sitting 10th in the Premier League after 19 games played.
O'Hara majorly criticized Chelsea by naming them as his flop of the year. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder's criticism was mostly directed at the club's owners. He told talkSPORT:
"I'm gonna go for a whole football club and I'm gonna go for Chelsea. Chelsea have been the flop of the year. It's not bitterness at all it's a fact. They've gone and spent a billion pounds, brought in 30 players and they are absolutely abysmal."
O'Hara took aim at the Blues' co-owner Todd Boehly for his handling of the club. He alluded to the change in managers having little effect on their worrisome situation on the pitch:
"Todd Boehly's come in and made a complete mess of it. Graham Potter and his whole backroom staff were brought in and had to pay them a fortune to go. Then he's had Frank Lampard come in, an absolute disaster."
He added:
"Now he's got Pochettino in and everyone thought he was gonna be great and he is a good manager but they are still absolutely woeful. They are scraping results just because in the end the good players will get you a few wins."
O'Hara concluded by alluding to the amount of money the Stamford Bridge outfit have spent under Boehly's regime:
"But, Chelsea football club this year have been a disgrace. They are my flop of the year. A billion pound and they're 10th."
Boehly and Behdad Eghbali became co-owners in May 2022 with a new vision for the west London outfit. This has seen them spend a reported £1 billion on new signings, including breaking the British transfer record for Moises Caicedo (£115 million). But, many have found fault with the amount of changes and their long-term plan that has resulted in an extremely youthful squad.
Mauricio Pochettino wants to see more hunger from Chelsea amid their topsy-turvy run of results
Pochettino has cut a frustrated figure on the touchline throughout the early stages of his Stamford Bridge tenure. The Argentine coach has overseen 11 wins and eight defeats in 23 matches in all competitions.
It's been a difficult period for Pochettino and his Blues side that will be happy to see the year come to an end. Many expected them to be pushing for a top-four finish due to the amount of money spent.
Pochettino wants to see more fighting spirit from his side after watching them beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on December 27. He told TNT Sports:
"We need to realise we are Chelsea. A great history, the pressure is to win but we are such nice players, young. We need to understand that in the Premier League, you need to fight. And then you play."
The Blues are next in action on Saturday (December 30) when they travel to Luton Town. Pochettino will be eager for his team to build on their win against Palace.