By Ben Tattoo (9/1/26)
In his penultimate interview, Ben Tattoo speaks to fan of reigning champions Chelsea, about their season so far and how this could finally be their year in the Champions League
Can you tell me a bit about your history as a fan of Chelsea?
It started with my Dad. I didn’t have any choice in my Italian team and because he’s always been an Arsenal fan, I wanted to be a bit different.
So, I picked Chelsea, that was my history with Chelsea. That was around 2009. I started watching women’s football in 2012 with the Olympics, and then it stuck.
So that’s how we started, and then I discovered Twitter and built connections and friends around it as well.
Four or five times during the season, I try to come to London or for away games, and when the Champions League is on, that kind of stuff.
How did you feel about the summer transfer business?
I think Chelsea did a lot in January with Girma and Walsh. I think that was like the big thing and they addressed the needs, as we needed to refresh the squad. They started with the defence, and then they did the midfield.
In attack, I don’t feel particularly good about it and I think they left it late with (Alyssa) Thompson. I can’t blame them, you have to wait when you get a player like Thompson.
I think they could have done more maybe at left back and right wing. I think a lot of people would be pretty happy with Chelsea’s squad, but they are underperforming their expected goals (xG) a bit and not creating not scoring as many chances as last season.
How are you thinking about the season so far?
There’s been a lot of chat throughout the season obviously, with the loss against Everton. I’ve not lost my head, like other people have done, because I think we have to lose someday – it’s not realistic to keep winning everything.
The Champions League has been fine, which is what I think we need to win. It’s the big one. However, if you’re putting everything in one basket, you have to deliver.
You’re probably not going to get a weaker season for Barcelona after (Aitana) Bonmati’s injury and their squad limitations. It’s so thin. They’re going to be knackered by April.
Lyon are very well positioned, but I do think on paper we do have the best squad, it’s time to show it.
Do you ever have concerns or hear any grumblings from players that they’re not getting or see anybody language that you think, or they’re not getting much game time?
I don’t think Sjoeke Nüsken can be happy, that’s probably the big one. When she plays, she’s good. I saw her non-celebration when she scored the final goal against Roma. I think she does feel a bit hard-done by because she is not being played a lot.
Do you think it’s quite hard for young players to get in at Chelsea with their signing power compared to other teams? Lexi Potter for example?
Every time she’s come on, she looks ready to like to have minutes. I do think the fact that we’re not scoring is, like, it has an impact on her, because if when games are very tight, you may not want to bring on a teenager.
I think she could leave (in January), considering we’ve got (Orian) Jean-François as well. she can cover for Keira (Walsh). I do think she’s going to have a big role next season.
It’s been mixed for young players. Mara Alber, who we bought in the summer, she didn’t look ready in preseason, and she doesn’t get any minutes at all.
However, when you look at Wieke Kaptein and she’s basically a starter, so. I think players look at Kaptein and obviously Alyssa Thompson and they think, “that can be me”.
It’s not always going to be that way – Lexi Potter is not going to bench Keira Walsh. Yeah, you must be a bit realistic as well.
So it’s difficult and they’ve got some talented youngsters coming through, who are loaned out at the moment.
How do you think Chelsea will be doing for the rest of the season?
I do think the league is gone, even though Manchester City have bottled it before. I don’t see them realistically losing the league.
I don’t particularly care about the League Cup, if I’m honest. I don’t think any Chelsea fan would care about anything else if we do win the Champions League.
There’s the FA Cup; I do think a trip to Wembley is always good. If you get to Wembley, you’ve got to go!
If you could take one player from any other team who would it be, any player you want, stick them in the Chelsea Blue?
Probably Selma Bacha from Lyon. Niamh Charles – I feel a bit sorry for her because she’s almost too two-footed. She’s not the best left back, but obviously she’s not going to get in at right back as well.
She’s done well after coming back from injury last season, but I think Bacha would do really well for Chelsea.
Do you think Sonia Bombastor is the manager to take Chelsea to the Champions League?
I was against the appointment, but I had to shut up because she kept winning, you can’t say anything. At times she does things really well and then other times you think “why are you doing that?”
She’s quite a new manager because she doesn’t have that much experience. So maybe that plays into my thinking.
The problem is also – who else could we get? Tactically, I do think it would be easy to get somebody better than her. However, to manage the squad? She does this well and has shown that she can bench big personalities.
Let’s see how she does this season and see if she brings that Champions League home. Yeah, if she brings the Champions League like, you can do whatever you want (she laughs).
Follow Impetus on social media:
@ImpetusFootball on X, Instagram and TikTok.
impetusfootball.org 