Is it really only 7 months since new Chelsea owner came out with this about Newcastle United?

The end of May saw Todd Boehly lead the takeover at Chelsea.

The change of ownership finally happening, with the disgraced Roman Abramovich belatedly forced out.

Todd Boehly and his business partners paid £2.5bn to buy Roman Abramovich’ shares, as well as declaring their commitment to investing another £1.75bn into the club.

Very shortly after getting control of Chelsea, Todd Boehly was keen to go public and talk about what he believes the future holds for the Premier League.

The new Chelsea owner believing that most of the existing PL owners don’t realise just how big the opportunities are going to be to bring in ever greater revenues in the future.

Todd Boehly speaking to Bloomberg News 15 June 2022:

“They (Premier League clubs) don’t realise how big their opportunity is.

“Let’s get a hold of our destiny and think about how to optimise this.

“The big six will become the big seven with the Saudi deal for Newcastle.

“There is going to be opportunity for everyone to win.”

It was interesting what Todd Boehly had to say back in June last year, just after gaining control at Stamford Bridge.

Especially when he went out of his way to mention Newcastle United.

Whatever else Todd Boehly had to say and/or predict, me may well have got this one right.

Only seven months since that Todd Boehly interview, we are now past the halfway point of the season and here we are…

Newcastle United in third, ahead of Man Utd on goal difference, three points and a game in hand on Tottenham, 10 points ahead of Liverpool who are in ninth, whilst Chelsea also 10 points adrift of NUFC and just clinging to a place in the top half of the table as we head into February.

Maybe not the start to life at Chelsea that Todd Boehly was anticipating…

The new Chelsea owners certainly haven’t sat back and taken stock of their situation, before making any major decisions.

Their first transfer window saw all Premier League records broken, some £270m spent by Chelsea, then after losing two of their first six Premier League games, Todd Boehly and his fellow new owners sacked their Champions League winning manager of not too long ago.

That £1.75bn the new owners had pledged to spend is certainly not going to burn a hole in their pockets, because as well as the massive spending on players, considerable compensation paid to Thomas Tuchel and his people, then the same to Brighton for Graham Potter and his people.

Having won only two of their last 11 Premier League matches, picking up 10 points, the Chelsea fans unsurprisingly not happy.

The belief of Todd Boehly and friends clearly appears to be a belief that they can spend, spend, spend their way out of this mess…that arguably they are absolutely responsible for.

The astonishing spend has gone on, this table below shows the highest spending clubs in World football this season (up to 25 January 2023), I’m not sure who Chelsea have added since then…

Chelsea have committed to an estimated ridiculous €555m (£490m) spending already this season under Todd Boehly and friends, signing 15 players.

This is more than double the amount spent by the second biggest spender: Manchester United (€272 million (£240m) for 7 players).

West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers complete an all-Premier League top five.

When it comes to the top 14 highest for transfer spending this season, only three are not English.

Newcastle United are one of the 11 Premier League clubs in this top 14 but a world away from the likes of Chelsea and even Man Utd.

The NUFC figure (14th highest) so far this season when it comes to transfer spending is €144m (£127m), although it is expected  that Anthony Gordon will shortly be arriving from Everton.

Even with that signing, Newcastle United operating very differently to Chelsea.

Money is being spent, signings are being made, but…as though there is a plan behind it at St James’ Park.

Whereas you look at Chelsea and you just see what appears to be total chaos. As though the thinking is if you buy enough obvious big name / big fee signings, then eventually it will prove successful.

You do have to wonder just how much say Graham Potter has in all this, or indeed Thomas Tuchel with what went on in the summer.

Whatever anybody might have to say about Newcastle United, it is quite clear that when it comes to player recruitment, Eddie Howe is the main man, supported by Sporting Director Dan Ashworth.

The experts trusted to do what they are paid for, rather than interference on transfers as appears to be happening elsewhere…

Interesting to reflect that Newcastle United’s entire defence, keeper and back four, their combined cost is less than what these Chelsea owners paid for Wesley Fofana than this entire NUFC back five cost. Indeed, the same with their keeper Kepa, who was bought during the Abramovich days.

Anybody claiming Newcastle United are currently where they are now, simply due to money…well, it just isn’t reality is it.

Only a fool would believe there was any other reason for Todd Boehly and the new Chelsea owners getting involved, other than in the belief that in the future they will make all that money back and more.

Todd Boehly clearly believing that Premier League clubs are generally undervalued at the moment, hence the willingness for he and his business partners to commit a total of £4.25bn to their Chelsea project.

Crazy stuff for many people to hear, especially when you consider that Chelsea only get 40,000 crowds and don’t even own their own ground.

Especially when they bought Chelsea at a time when Todd Boehly stated ‘The big six will become the big seven with the Saudi deal for Newcastle.’

Then declared ‘There is going to be opportunity for everyone to win.’

Whatever else Todd Boehly believes to be the case in terms of how money can be made, surely regularly finishing top four and getting Champions League football year after year has to be part of that financial jigsaw.

If he is right and there are at least seven clubs that are competing for those four places, then a minimum of three are going to miss out each season.

Of course, to make matters even worse for Todd Boehly and Chelsea currently, the team they are seemingly committed to strip of all their best players, continues to look a more likely Champions League qualifier than Chelsea…Brighton currently two points and a game in hand clear of Graham Potter’s new club.

As we know at Newcastle United to our cost, having the right people running the club and making key decisions is an absolute necessity.

The misery of the Mike Ashley years taught us all how things shouldn’t be done, now we are seeing just maybe the start of what could be possible, when you have an ambitious professionally run club at St James’ Park.