Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Calum McFarlane is highly regarded at Chelsea but has been subject to jibes about his lack of experience as well as conspiracy theories.

Those who know the 38-year-old say he has found aspects of the sudden limelight difficult, particularly during a period of anger among Chelsea supporters.

McFarlane has tried to avoid showing too much of his personality publicly, although an exception came after he led the Blues to Sunday's FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds. He spoke with emotion, describing it as "the best day of my career by an absolute mile" because his family support Chelsea, while Reece James pushed him forward to receive applause from the fans after the match.

At other times, he has looked to defend himself from criticism.

One social media video questions his and his staff's links to influential Chelsea recruiter Joe Shields, accusing them of benefiting from "nepotism". It has been viewed more than 600,000 times.

The video does not mention that McFarlane worked at Fulham, Crystal Palace and Norwegian club Tromso, who were playing in the Europa League when they promoted him to first-team coach. A family illness later saw him return to London to work closer to home at the Kinetic Foundation in his native south London, an organisation for whom Shields is wrongly said to have worked.

McFarlane returned to the professional game a few years later at Manchester City's academy, working alongside Shields and academy director Glenn van der Kraan. They brought him and his assistants Harry Hudson and Dan Hogan to Chelsea this summer, with McFarlane joining from Southampton under-21s.

However, their collective lack of a Uefa Pro Licence - the highest coaching qualification - has been criticised in further social media posts and videos. It has also been noted that others within the academy, including youth mentor and legend John Terry, hold the qualification.

Questions remain about the academy more broadly, following the departures of long-serving figures Neil Bath and Jim Fraser and the introduction of a new vision.

The new leadership has, however, made a strong start, becoming the first English club since Manchester City in 2023 to win both the under-21 and under-18 league titles in the same season.

The latest news and views on the Blues in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

We've had a few questions around the chances of 24-year-old Nicolas Jackson's return to Stamford Bridge via our Ask about Chelsea form.

Bayern Munich have said they are unlikely to sign Jackson on a permanent basis after his loan spell. That means the Senegal international will, at least initially, return to Chelsea.

From there, he could be offered a place in the new manager's squad, sent out on loan again or sold.

Assessing which option is most likely is difficult without knowing who the head coach will be and what their plans are.

It is well known that Bournemouth nearly signed Jackson six months before Chelsea, a move that would have seen him play under managerial target Andoni Iraola.

However, during his previous spell at Chelsea, Jackson's personality caused friction with former head coach Enzo Maresca and members of the club hierarchy, who remain in place.

Chelsea also still have striker Liam Delap on their books, teenage forward Marc Guiu and established starting option Joao Pedro, while Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha is set to join in the summer.

Along with Jackson, at least two of those players are likely to be sold in the summer.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Chelsea's chances for European qualification as they currently sit eighth in the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Sal: No chance! With Liverpool and Manchester City yet to play, and 10 points behind fifth place, we would be lucky to even make top half of the league!

Steve: No, I don't think Chelsea will qualify for Europe. All the teams around them are in form. Chelsea are not at the races presently.

John: Absolutely will not secure a Champions League place, nor do we deserve to either. Hopefully it'll be the wake-up call for the owners, but I rather doubt it... wonder how that "landmark" sponsor deal is going.

Steve: The best we can hope for is the Europa League and frankly, I'd rather we missed out on that and focus on building some real momentum in our domestic league and competitions. From the four games we have left, I can see maybe four points, six at best, which I don't think will give us enough to reach sixth place. Gutted at no Champions League but given our season, we don't deserve to be there.

Scott: We may scrape the Conference League but that is all we deserve. Maybe that - or nothing at all - will convince our owners to change the youth only policy of recruitment and get some experience in the building.

Kenneth: Hopefully not until we're a proper football club again.

James: I feel now that given the league form the only chance of playing in Europe next season is by winning the FA Cup which will not be easy. That said if the players can turn in the sort of performance they did against Leeds then who knows.

Vick: We will get Europe by winning the FA cup. Come on Chelsea.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

How much will Liam Rosenior be paid by Chelsea after his sacking? That question has been the subject of several submissions sent in via our Ask about Chelsea form recently.

Chelsea have informed Rosenior that he will not receive a full payout for the remainder of his six-and-a-half-year contract, signed in January and reportedly worth £4m per season.

Such break clause arrangements are standard across top-level football but that clarification followed reports that Rosenior could receive as much as £24m following his departure.

It is understood the settlement will be significantly lower than that figure, though the exact amount will remain undisclosed until Chelsea's next set of accounts are published next year, when one-off managerial dismissal costs are typically published on the government website, Companies House.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Chelsea have made "initial contact" with departing Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola over their managerial vacancy. (Football London), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

It's still all to play for in Chelsea's four remaining Premier League games.

The permutations for getting into Europe this season are complex but BBC Sport's Dale Johnson has broken them down here.

So will you be playing European football next season? If yes, why are you confident? If not, what can take you on to that next step?

Get in touch with your views here

Will Faulks
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea got a big result on Sunday against Leeds United, winning an FA Cup semi-final which was about more than just earning another chance to lift a trophy at Wembley.

The game brought a goal scored, a clean sheet and a win for the Blues. Those are three things the club have been desperately searching for in recent weeks. The confidence from such a win will be a huge boost in the remaining Premier League games this season. There may not be enough time left to force our way back in the right direction, but we at least go into those matches feeling we've got a chance.

After the abject showing on Tuesday, it was a relief to see Chelsea playing with some grit and determination. It was also a little galling as it showed just how much of their recent slump has been a simple case of players downing tools.

It wasn't all just a product of renewed effort, though. Interim coach Calum McFarlane made some useful tweaks to his tactics and to the team's overall philosophy to beat Leeds' potent (but fragile) high-press, and he put the best players he had available in their most comfortable roles.

Robert Sanchez kicked the ball long, made some good saves, and was well protected by his defence, while Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia blocked up the midfield and slowed the game in possession. If Chelsea had a left-winger in better form than the desperately poor Alejandro Garnacho, we might have seen something a little more appetising in attack too.

But regardless - Chelsea have won a game, confidence is coming back, Joao Pedro is fit and Reece James could yet feature against Nottingham Forest in a week's time. Things are certainly brighter than they were a week ago, even if the big picture remains gloomy.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on whether Chelsea's players had 'downed tools' in the final stages of Liam Rosenior's era at the Blues.

Here are some of your comments:

James: I would like to think that whoever is in charge, the players would give it their all. However, the reality is that clearly player power has a lot of sway. It is now obvious that, for whatever reason, there was no universal buy-in to Rosenior and that reflects more on the players than his managerial competence.

Tony: If you have ever had a boss that failed to inspire you, demotivated you by their ineptitude, then you may have not performed at your best, and maybe lacked the desire to succeed. If that is an experience you recognise, then you should understand to an extent what happened at Chelsea. The key responsibility of the head coach is to get the best from the team. Rosenior comprehensively failed to do that. The players shoulder some blame, but he shoulders more.

Peter: Analysis paralysis. Rosenior wanted to play a man-for-man system all over the pitch. The players neither believed nor understood the system and the results dropped off a cliff as soon as Rosenior tried to implement the strategy and tactics to carry his vision into effect. On Sunday, we saw no such system and played a formation and style the team understood and believed in.

Graham: Having the sporting directors run the playing side is a very poor way to run a Premier League club. Evidently, they make all the signings and decide on tactics, who will be selected and so on. None of them have any experience of managing a side, and it shows with the players they have signed and those they have allowed to leave. This situation has a lot to do with the current state of the club.

Peter: In reference to how players performed under Rosenior and how they performed after his departure, it goes to show that the players did not like his way of playing out from the back (boring). Against Leeds, they were playing more directly with the ball going up front a lot faster and this was why they got the win in the FA Cup semi-final. They were playing how the team and the fans wanted to see them playing.

When Liam Rosenior lost his fifth consecutive league fixture away at Brighton, the clock was ticking on his time as Chelsea manager.

On the latest episode of Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said "there was a distinct lack of effort from these Chelsea players" in the 3-0 defeat at the Amex.

"That is why people were questioning their character. I am not buying the fact that, just because they have had a result after Liam Rosenior has gone, that this Chelsea team is back in any way, shape or form. I still think they have got a long way to go," added Sutton.

Chelsea's 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win against Leeds United gave the Blues their first victory in nine games.

Now the spotlight has shifted from Rosenior's sacking and onto the Chelsea players as some accuse the young squad of having "downed tools."

Former Lionesses captain, Steph Houghton, believes players "did give in" and that it was going to be hard for Rosenior to find any momentum after his players were "massively outrun" by Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton.

"When you have a team that stops running it is so hard to get it back," Houghton said.

"These next four games are when you see what these players are about - having a young squad that lacks leadership, the type of players that are going to get hold of each other. In the last three to four months, they have really missed that.

"The automatic thing is to spit their dummy out, that's exactly what they did against Brighton. They have four games left under an interim manager that they all know will be nice as they know him from the academy. So it's easy for them. It's when the next manager comes in, they can't just down tools like they did against Brighton."

Sutton added: "You still have a responsibility for that club to do the best you possibly can.

"The Chelsea players quite frankly should feel ashamed of how they played at Brighton."

, get the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

As the battle for places in Europe hots up in the Premier League, the race to shuffle papers to satisfy Uefa's bureaucrats has been just as intense.

This is because European football's governing body has strict multi-club ownership (MCO) rules.

Those rules could cause a team to be demoted from one competition to another, like Crystal Palace were from the Europa League to the Conference League last season, or miss out on Europe altogether.

Half of the Premier League clubs are now in some form of multi-club arrangement.

To many fans, Chelsea and Strasbourg may be the most obvious example of two clubs operating as one entity.

They are both under the BlueCo umbrella and if they do end up in the same competition, it will be a serious tests of Uefa's multi-club ownership policy.

On 17 February, four members of the board of BlueCo Alsace, the French club's holding company, stepped down.

They were Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, Chelsea's joint-sporting directors. James Pade and Jeffrey Wilbur, noted as Chelsea directors on the Premier League's public register, were also removed.

At UK Companies House, co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali stood down as directors of BlueCo Data Limited on 28 February. They are still on the west London club's board.

If the two clubs are permitted into the same competition, and following past precedent, it is likely they would not be allowed to trade players until January 2028.

Strasbourg are eighth in Ligue 1 and have a small chance of qualifying domestically - but if they win the Conference League, they will earn a place in the Europa League.

Uefa says that a European titleholder must get European football, but there is no clause to cover this in the MCO regulations.

Chelsea are in the FA Cup final - and if they win it, that would also result in Europa League football.

There could be a decision for Uefa to make.

Read more here

English striker Liam Delap, 23, wants to stay and fight for his Chelsea career as the club face big decisions over their strikers. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Chelsea have added former Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso, 44, and Fulham boss Marco Silva, 48, to their new manager shortlist. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United is a good distraction for Blues fan and content creator Rory Jennings, who is finding the attitudes of current Chelsea players are not "sitting right" with him.

The west London outfit sacked manager Liam Rosenior last week, but managed to secure an FA Cup final place under interim head coach Calum McFarlane on Sunday.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, Jennings said: "What doesn't sit comfortably with me is, the reason we've beaten Leeds United is because we showed heart, fight and tenacity. All of those words that should be natural for any football team, all of them were completely absent a few days ago when Liam Rosenior was manager.

"So something about this crop of players doesn't sit right with me, but it's hard for me to feel anything other than jubilant at the moment because beating Leeds is a dream come true."

Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, said: "I've been there as a player when a manager's been sacked and I'd felt sad, like I'm part of the problem and part of why they've been sacked.

"But I was watching the Chelsea players and I didn't seem to see that in them – there seemed to be a relief. I guess it happens, but that's where as a player you need to look at yourself as well."

On who should become Blues' next permanent boss, Jennings added: "The next manager who comes in after McFarlane has to be somebody who can unify Chelsea. I want someone who gets the club and knows the history and what the standards should be – I would have had John Terry now instead of McFarlane.

"I feel like the standout candidate now would be Cesc Fabregas but it won't happen. It's got Gary O'Neil written all over it."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It certainly felt as though Chelsea's players had 'downed tools' when watching them inside Amex Stadium during their 3-0 defeat by Brighton in Liam Rosenior's final match in charge.

Many in the dressing room were unconvinced by their former head coach, citing his lack of authority and communication style, with Spanish-speaking players said to have particularly struggled under him.

However, there is nuance to the debate, with individual players experiencing different issues during that period.

Some may have downed tools, others appeared short of confidence and - perhaps most damningly - there are those who simply may not be good enough to meet Chelsea's perceived ambitions, especially as injuries forced certain players into more prominent roles.

There were also comments from players such as Trevoh Chalobah, who suggested fatigue was playing a part, having featured in the Club World Cup, not being given a full holiday and enduring a shortened pre-season.

Throughout their five-game losing run, Chelsea were also failing to take chances during matches in which they enjoyed long spells of dominance, notably against Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City.

All of it contributed to the perception that players had downed tools.

But while that may have been the case in some instances, in others it may be a harsh judgement.

Now it appears Chelsea's players have issued something of a rallying cry following Rosenior's dismissal, and are attempting to unite behind interim boss Calum McFarlane after booking their place in the FA Cup final with a timely victory over Leeds United on Sunday.

Do you feel as though the players had downed tools? If so, does that frustrate you, especially if you think they will now unite behind McFarlane and potentially kick on to more success?

Get in touch here with your views

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah says the players must "take responsibility" and "reset" in a bid to save their season.

The Blues earned their first win - and scored their first goal - in five matches against Premier League opposition with a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds at Wembley.

The win came days after Liam Rosenior was sacked, amid widespread reports he had lost the dressing room, following a 3-0 defeat at Brighton on Tuesday.

Speaking about the criticism the players have faced, Chalobah said: "When a manager goes, it is difficult. You obviously spend time with them and work with them daily, so you have to adapt and reset again.

"We have to look at ourselves as players and take responsibility from now until the end of the season. It is about not making excuses, going again and trying to win our games."

Asked about Rosenior comments heavy criticism of the squad, Chalobah continued: "The past is the past. For us, it is about results and winning games.

"We still have the same players that we had at the start of the season when we were flying so it is not like we lose our abilities over night. It is just about resetting and getting that feeling and mentality back."

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who made a series of impressive saves as Chelsea kept their first clean sheet against Premier League opposition since January, praised interim boss Calum McFarlane.

"It was a bit of fresh air," he said. "Calum has always come in with a positive attitude, and winning today - along with the performance we put in - gives you a massive boost to keep going for the final four weeks."

When discussing fan reaction, he added: "I don't question the anger. It was important to give a bit back."

The Blues have four Premier League matches remaining, as well as an FA Cup final against Manchester City on 16 May.

We asked for your views after Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United on Sunday.

Here are some of your comments:

Keith: These players should hang their heads in shame. The difference between the Brighton game and this game, performance-wise, cost a man his job. Having said that... come on, the Chelsea!

James: Slightly more tense than I was hoping for but, nevertheless, job done and on to what will be a very tough final. Manchester City will no doubt be favourites but, as we saw in last season's final, anything can happen.

Chris: Much, much better but we still need to keep improving to get anywhere near a Champions League place or a result against City in the final. Caicedo is still kicking everything that moves and he needs to show some discipline. If we can keep improving from this result, who knows? As long as we keep going forward - and not backwards and sideways - we may surprise a few people.

David: Not pretty but we needed to win - it didn't matter how. We showed grit, determination and skill (not to mention the dark arts). About time!

Seb: As a Chelsea fan of 30 years, this is a team that I just can't remotely like. The gamesmanship, petulance and egos might reflect modern football (ugh) but it does ill to the legends of Chelsea - Vialli, Di Matteo, Zola etc - who won my adoration as a 10-year-old. We very well might go on to win the FA Cup but it doesn't feel the same somehow.

Valentine: It was a gritty performance from Chelsea. Congratulations to the lads.

Brian: Good, solid performance overall. Joao Pedro was outstanding - he is different class. Great saves from Sanchez to keep us in it. Need to play like this for the remaining games but so good to get to a final again, which we will win 1-0. Come on, Chelsea.

Paul: That is what a real manager can do for a team. Give them belief, not just talk a good game - and pick the right players at the back, not leave all the best defenders on the bench. The last manager didn't know what he was doing.

Image source, Express and Mirror

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Rob Green says Blues midfielder Enzo Fernandez "ran the game" against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final.

The Argentine was the matchwinner and game's outstanding performer, just weeks after being at the centre of controversy during Liam Rosenior's reign when he received a two-game internal ban for publicly discussing a potential transfer to Real Madrid.

"Chelsea are a product of the system they are in and modern-day football," said Green on BBC Radio 5 Live. "It's ugly but they have all the power and it was epitomised by [Enzo] Fernandez as he ran the game.

"It was down to him how they played. That is not healthy for a football club but, for Chelsea, it gets them to finals. Give a player an inch, they take a mile."

Calum McFarlane has been put in interim charge until the end of the season, but who will get the permanent job is still unknown.

"There's some good candidates," said former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison on the Football Daily podcast. "More will be available in the summer too.

"Andoni Iraola is leaving Bournemouth. Marco Silva might leave Fulham and he's a very good manager. Would Frank Lampard go back? I don't think he will and I think she should stay at Coventry, but it's not a bad shout.

"Oliver Glasner's name is in the mix too - and Cesc Fabregas.

"At Chelsea, the owners sign the players so they don't need a manager, they need a coach. Someone who will say 'yes' a lot.

"That's why they can't bring in someone like Unai Emery because he signs his own players and has control. Most managers won't like that, but they just have to get on with it because it's still Chelsea Football Club."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Former England midfielder and BBC Sport pundit Danny Murphy believes Chelsea utilised "an obvious tactical stoppage" in their FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United on Sunday, and proposes rule changes that can prevent it from happening.