How do Chelsea rebuild for next season’s WSL?

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ByEmma SandersBBC Sport women’s football news reporter

It’s an unusual position for Chelsea to be in with one game to go in the Women’s Super League and no silverware on the line.

The Blues are heading for their worst season since 2018-19, ending a six-year stranglehold on the WSL.

It is a stark contrast to last season when they swept up all three domestic trophies, going unbeaten in the process.

They lost their FA Cup semi-final to recently crowned WSL champions Manchester City on Sunday and were knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal.

So what does the future look like for Chelsea?

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Manager Sonia Bompastor’s debut season could not have gone any better but it has been a snap back to reality this year.

Her job does not appear to be in danger, with sources at the club insisting she is being backed despite growing frustration within the fanbase.

In February, following a humiliating 5-1 defeat by league leaders Manchester City, she said she would be “happy to go” if the board thought it would be the right thing.

While external noise increased, mainly from a vociferous section of the fanbase, she was supported by the club.

In fact, five days after that defeat which left them 12 points adrift of the WSL leaders, it was announced Bompastor had signed a new deal until 2030.

While that contract renewal had been in the works for a few months, the timing of the announcement felt pertinent.

A month later, Chelsea beat Manchester United to lift the Women’s League Cup.

The former Lyon head coach, who picked up the baton left by club legend Emma Hayes, has a reputation and a CV to back up her credentials.

Although this season has been hugely disappointing, there are contributing factors outside of her control.

Bompastor has repeatedly highlighted the squad’s lack of depth, insisting it is not what it was last season, largely due to injury but also reduced transfer activity.

Of their five summer signings, only Ellie Carpenter and Alyssa Thompson are recognised starters. In January, they made no further additions.

England forward Lauren James was not fully fit until the second half of the campaign, striker Sam Kerr was also returning from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury that kept her out for two years and Colombian star Mayra Ramirez has not featured at all this season.

Injuries to centre-back Nathalie Bjorn, full-back Niamh Charles and striker Aggie Beever-Jones have also proven disruptive.

Adding further salt to the wounds was the shock departure of well-respected former head of women’s football Paul Green, who left Chelsea after 13 years.

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Pressure has undoubtedly built stress for Bompastor and that has come to the fore on occasions this season.

The 5-1 defeat by City was the catalyst for her comments on squad depth and the first hint that she was battling with club decision-makers.

She was defiant following a 2-0 win over Tottenham but admitted it had “been a difficult time” for her on a personal level.

She was later frustrated after a 3-1 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final in which controversial decisions by the officials marred the tie.

Having failed to make up the deficit in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, Bompastor went one step further, receiving a red card as she questioned referees for a hair pull on Thompson by Arsenal defender Katie McCabe.

With emotions high at full-time, she pulled out her phone in a post-match interview with BBC Sport and replayed the incident to back up her complaints.

Bompastor has not used these frustrations as an excuse, admitting the season has “not been good enough”.

Asked if rival teams have narrowed the gap and if the Blues have stood still, Bompastor said: “Yeah. Everyone is working hard to make sure they catch up with us.

“This season has shown that. To be honest with you, this season from us is not good enough with our ambitions.

“I’m a manager that will always give clarity at the start of the season, saying we want to win the four titles. When I give you that clarity, I always give you the opportunity to question that.

“Other managers might just say ‘we try our best’, but at Chelsea this is not good enough. I’m not happy with the fact I can’t help the team more than I have this season.”

Bompastor already has one eye on the future after admitting she expected a “transitional” campaign.

The Blues have emerged as favourites to sign Manchester City’s star striker Khadija Shaw on a free deal in the summer, with the club hoping to be active in the window.

“We will review everything then look at the future with a lot of ambitions, but also solutions to be able to fight back to win the league,” said Bompastor.

“We have been already doing that for quite a long time. Some of the things that happened [this season], I’m not really surprised.

“We want to make sure next year we are fighting for the title again.”

ByNizaar KinsellaChelsea football reporter

Senior figures at the club view Bompastor as one of the leading tacticians in women’s football and that is one of the reasons why they back her.

The decision to move on from Green – who worked closely with Hayes and is regarded internally as a club legend – was taken as part of an effort to ensure continued progress in an increasingly competitive WSL.

Chelsea’s new women’s sporting director, Phil Radley, has experience across both the men’s and women’s games and speaks multiple languages.

He has a legal background, a skillset designed to allow Bompastor to focus more on on‑field matters and less on the administrative work.

Radley was appointed following a competitive executive recruitment process led by Bloom Sports Partners and was interviewed by women’s chief executive Aki Mandhar alongside co‑sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Mandhar has already been involved in recruitment matters, alongside long‑standing club employee TJ O’Leary, who was recently name-checked by Bompastor.

Going forward, they will also play all of their WSL home games at Stamford Bridge in a move the club hopes will mark the start of a new era.

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed

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