Alistair Bruce-Ball

Neither have worked out.

Although you could argue that Chelsea had a successful season last season, qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Club World Cup.

But certainly with Liam Rossini, I think it was...

apparent pretty early on that he just wasn't going to be the man to take the club forward so absolutely yeah you know the the the the ownership structure there and the leadership group there have to take semblance of blame for um and responsibility for what's happened today whenever a big chelsea story breaks you always need the wise words of pat nevin the former chelsea winger delighted to say he joins us on five live sport this evening as well

So, Pat, when you heard that news this afternoon, when you got the call from us, were you at all surprised?

And we'll often say, won't we, Pat, sometimes when, you know, like Thomas Frank at Spurs this season, oh, the job was too big for him.

Oh, you know, they gave him a chance.

No, right.

he's absolutely right in that there isn't the top level experience, I guess, in that squad to try and nurture these or help these younger players, these talented younger players along.

But from what I understand, and the proof will absolutely be in the pudding in the summer, that they want to target, and I think they haven't identified the lack of leadership in the squad as an issue.

And from what I understand, they do want to target, and this would be a shift away from their current recruitment model, they want to target more experienced players to help that younger group, the younger core of players that they have there, develop.

And if they can, I'm not making excuses for them, but if they can get that recruitment right this summer, I still believe that there is a

there is an attractive core of younger players in that squad that would benefit.

So we've got Pat Nevin, Sammy Mottbell with us.

We'll hear the views of a Chelsea fan in a second.

Curtis Davis sitting alongside me in the studio tonight.

You played with Liam at Hull and you, like Pat and Sammy, will have heard this news this afternoon.

Harsh or inevitable?

How do you see it?

I have to have my two hats on this.