Chelsea flops return to Brighton knowing grass isn’t always greener
Always good to see old friends, isn’t it? And Brighton hosting Chelsea at the Amex gives Albion supporters the chance to welcome back a host of former Seagulls.
Sorry, did I say old friends? What I actually meant was money grabbing snakes. Marc Cucurella. Moises Caicedo. Robert Sanchez. All forced through transfers from Brighton to Stamford Bridge in the most undignified of manners, burning their bridges with the Albion in the process.
Paul Winstanley went on gardening leave to get his move to Chelsea. Sam Jewell is the latest to do likewise. There would be even more ex-Albion employees on show had Graham Potter not bombed so hilariously.
The entire coaching team Glow Up took with him to West London – other than Ben Roberts and Kyle McCauley – are now also out of work. Very rich. But out of work.
Whilst you can almost excuse the actions of young, spoiled footballers like Cucurella, Caicedo and Sanchez in the way they behaved, Potter should have done better.
This is a bloke with a masters in emotional intelligence. You do not need a degree to know that comments like “If I wanted a nice easy life, I would have stayed at Brighton” are likely to rile up Albion fans.
For Potter to then feel shocked and upset that Brighton supporters had taken so much joy out of thrashing Chelsea 4-1 on his first return to the Amex was bizarre. I would ask for my money back for that masters if I were you, Graham.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has taken 11 members of staff from Brighton so far. Every single one left to get rich and thinking the grass was greener. Only to be hit by a very rude awakening not long into their ‘dream move’ to Chelsea.
Cucurella went from Albion Player of the Season 2021-22 to laughing stock. Sanchez is second choice goalkeeper behind Djordje Petrovic. With Chelsea looking to bring in a new number one, Sanchez will drop further down the pecking list this summer.
Caicedo has admittedly picked up in recent months after a slow start to life at the Bridge. But he is still nowhere close to justifying the British record fee of £115 million Chelsea paid for his services.
Lest we forget Boehly’s initial offer was £65 million. Tony Bloom managed to get almost double what the brainless American billionaire started the bidding at.
In total, Chelsea have given Brighton over £225 million since the summer of 2022. That outlay has put the Blues just nine points above the Albion in the table. £25 million per point.
Chelsea fans from Lagos to Dakar crow on social media about how their club is now putting Brighton in its place.
How far the once-mighty Blues have fallen that success for the most expensively assembled squad in football history is now being three places above a club who were playing at a rented athletics stadium in League One 15 years ago.
The Blues’ spending under Bohely has topped the £1 billion mark. They have zero trophies to show for that so far. Gary Neville coined the phrase of the century when he referred to Chelsea as the Billion Pound Bottle Jobs earlier in the season.
When you look at the money involved, Brighton should not be able to compete with Chelsea. It is why a third defeat of the season against Mauricio Pochettino’s side would not come as a shock.
Chelsea should be beating the Albion. Just as they should last season. Except, of course, they were a shambles. Having never beaten the Blues in a competitive game before, Brighton completed a league double.
The first win was undoubtedly fired by the desire to put one over on the head coach who walked out on the club a month earlier.
The second came with Potter gone but the Albion still having a point to prove at the home of their asset strippers, whilst also chasing down the impossible dream of European football.
Roberto De Zerbi talked in the aftermath of the 3-0 defeat at Bournemouth about the Albion lacking motivation. Since then, Brighton have beaten Aston Villa and taken a point from Newcastle United. They look like they have their mojo back.
There should be no lack of motivation ahead of facing the Chelsea. This is the club with the rich owners who have pillaged everything not nailed down from the Amex.
The club with Cucurella, Caicedo and Sanchez, who all left in the most classless way imaginable. Sanchez you may recall went onto goad the away end after the 3-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge in December, before being confronted by Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Chelsea arrive at the Amex having won three games in a row and are eyeing up a top six finish. It is the least they should expect having flashed all that cash.
Not only would a Brighton victory be against the odds, but it would spark a meltdown from Chelsea fans and leave those mercenaries who walked out on Brighton for Boehly’s dollars humiliated once again.
As Kevin Keegan once said, I would love it if we beat them. Love it.
