Chelsea fans make feelings on Todd Boehly clear in Aston Villa clash

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Feb 2024 20:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea fans were heard chanting Roman Abramovich's name during their away game at Aston Villa.

The Todd Boehly era at Stamford Bridge has been nothing short of a disaster, with north of €1 billion spent on new players since the Clearlake Capital takeover of the club in 2022. The previous owner, oligarch Roman Abramovich, was ousted in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the eye-watering investment in the club under Boehly and company, optimism at Chelsea is minimal and things again look bleak this term, with the club mired in mid-table in the Premier League (again), though there is still a chance for silverware with Mauricio Pochettino's side facing Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final later this month.

Nevertheless, Mauricio Pochettino is under pressure and if he were to be sacked, he would be the third permanent head coach to get the boot since the Boehly takeover. It's very reminiscent of Roman Abramovich's approach to the club's management, the main difference being that the Russian billionaire was mostly successful with his trigger-happy style.

Chelsea fans chant Abramovich & Silva

In light of the club's recent results crisis, some Chelsea fans have been left clamouring for a return to what they perceive to be the "good old days" and the Blues' away supporters certainly made their feelings on Boehly clear during the FA Cup clash with Aston Villa on Wednesday.

Prior to Conor Gallagher scoring his first goal of the season, Chelsea fans were heard chanting the name of Abramovich, which was clearly meant to provoke Boehly. Intriguingly, they also chanted the name of Thiago Silva before kick-off.

Silva was dropped for this game at Villa Park with many believing that it was due to his wife, Belle, essentially calling for Pochettino to be sacked after the Blues were battered 4-2 by Wolves at the weekend. In a tweet that is still live on X, she wrote: "It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late."

Before kick-off, Pochettino insisted that the Brazilian was not in the starting line-up on performance grounds. Clearly taken aback by being asked about Silva, a flustered Pochettino said: "I am professional...I always pick my players because of performance and balance."