"Stop and put a strategy in place" - Chelsea superstar rips into club's owners after UCL elimination against Real Madrid
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has slammed the club's hierarchy for being indecisive when it comes to their strategy. The Brazil international's comments came after the Blues' UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.
Frank Lampard's side locked horns with Los Blancos in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on 18 April. Chelsea had suffered a 2-0 defeat to Carlo Ancelotti's men in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
The Blues endured a similar beating as Rodrygo bagged a brace in the second leg, knocking Chelsea out of the tournament.
After the match, Silva reflected on his team's performance and highlighted the key reasons for their poor form this season. The Brazilian said (as quoted by Metro):
"I think the first step has been made. An incorrect step, but it has been made. We can’t be blaming the managers if we don’t take responsibility. It’s a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision. We can’t be blaming the managers if we don’t take responsibility."
Chelsea have spent in excess of £600 million this season under new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, signing 14 players in total. Silva believes this massive squad overhaul is also a reason behind the club's woes on the pitch this term.
He added:
"A positive point is that there are amazing players in the squad but on the other hand there are always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that’s tough."
Urging the club's hierarchy to prioritize stability next season, the 38-year-old centre-back added:
"Some can’t make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes."
The Blues will next face Brentford in the Premier League on 27 April.
"Everybody talks too much" - Thiago Silva dismisses criticism over Chelsea's managers, says players 'must also take responsibility'
Chelsea have seen four different head coaches this season. The Blues kicked off the 2022-23 campaign with Thomas Tuchel at the helm. The German boss was sacked early in the season and replaced by Graham Potter.
Thiago Silva speaking post #CFC CL exit: “This might be my last ever Champions’ League match. It hurts to say that.” This was the subject I focused on in this on the whistle piece from @TheAthleticFC: theathletic.com/4425578/2023/0…
Potter managed to survive only seven months before being sacked by the club. Bruno Saltor briefly took over the role before Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Despite major changes to such an important role, Silva insists the players must be held accountable for the club's dismal form this season. The Brazilian said:
"Everybody talks too much about replacing managers. I think we, as players, must also take responsibility. We have had three managers this season, plus a fourth with Bruno where we failed to win. We have lost today and with Lampard we have failed to win. Everybody is talking about the manager but we must look at what has been done wrong and try to change."