Why sacking Sonia Bompastor as Chelsea manager is not the right decision
Many believe Chelsea have not lived up to last season’s standards. According to Opta, Chelsea have underperformed their expected goals more than any other team in the WSL this season, scoring 24 goals from an expected 29. They have also managed just two shots on target across their games against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City have left the defending champions, who have won the Women’s Super League for the past six seasons, 12 points behind the leaders with eight games remaining. It is an unfamiliar position for a club accustomed to dominance, but it does not automatically justify a managerial change.
Following the 5–1 defeat to Manchester City, Bompastor made comments that some interpreted as blaming a lack of squad depth for Chelsea’s struggles. The French manager later clarified that she was referring specifically to injuries affecting key positions rather than the overall quality of the squad.
“I tried to say the squad depth has been affected by key players missing in key positions. That’s probably the main reason we are in this situation,” she said.
“English is not my first language, and maybe because of the language barrier, I didn’t express that clearly.”
Frustration among supporters has also been fuelled by Chelsea’s inactivity in the transfer window and the lack of contract renewals. However, these decisions fall outside the manager’s remit and sit with recruitment and the club’s ownership. The men’s team were also quiet during the same window. Bompastor herself admitted the club would have liked to be in a stronger position previously, acknowledging lessons learned and the need for more proactive planning going forward.
Sacking the manager after one poor run of results would be a reaction rather than a strategy. It suggests that Chelsea prioritise short-term reassurance over a long-term plan that was always intended to span multiple seasons.
Bompastor is the only manager to have won the Champions League as both a player and a coach. Chelsea’s domestic dominance was always going to end at some point. No club can plausibly win league titles indefinitely, and securing six consecutive WSL titles and a domestic treble last season remains an extraordinary achievement.
There is also the practical question of replacement. Unlike the men’s game, there are very few elite managers currently unemployed in the women’s game, and even fewer who would meet Chelsea’s internal criteria, including the desire to appoint a woman with top-level experience.
While the WSL title now appears out of reach, Chelsea remain in the League Cup final and the FA Cup, and are automatically qualified for the Champions League quarter finals. There are still realistic objectives to play for this season.
Injuries have played a significant role. Concerns should extend beyond the touchline to what is happening in Chelsea’s medical department.
After the City defeat, Bompastor stated she would be “happy” to leave if the club hierarchy felt she was no longer the right person for the role. However, speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur, she insisted she continued to feel the club’s support.
“I have felt the support of the club since my first day, and I do not feel under pressure. They support me. They support the players,” she said.
Chelsea’s injury list has been substantial. Mayra Ramirez has yet to feature this season and suffered a minor setback during rehabilitation just as she was expected to return to training, leaving her timeline uncertain. Sam Kerr has primarily been limited to substitute appearances as she continues her return to action. Aggie Beever Jones and Keira Walsh both missed significant time with ankle injuries, while Niamh Charles and Catarina Macario are still recovering from ACL injuries suffered in November 2024. Lucy Bronze continues to be assessed after feeling discomfort in the area where she broke her leg ahead of the Euros.
The club has been miserable at the centre-forward position. This was an area that arguably required reinforcement in January, alongside left back, something Chelsea have previously addressed decisively, most notably when they signed Ramirez for a record fee following Kerr’s ACL injury in January 2024.
This level of disruption matters more than it is sometimes acknowledged. When teams are missing leaders and regular starters, both results and performances inevitably suffer.
“I’m happy with the players we have available. We still have a lot of quality, but it doesn’t help when we are competing in four competitions,” Bompastor added.
“Sunday is significant. We are not used to losing two games in a row, and all the noise around Chelsea is crazy. Lots of things have been said about us, but we know we have the quality to bounce back.”
While the league title appears unlikely, Chelsea is not mathematically out of contention for European qualification or cup success. The season still offers opportunities to build momentum for next year, and sharp swings in women’s football are not uncommon.
Coaches should be judged not on isolated scorelines, but on how teams respond and evolve. An emotional mid-season managerial change would not rewrite Chelsea’s trajectory.
So what is really going on?
Last season, Chelsea collected a record 60 points in the WSL and went on the longest unbeaten run in league history with 34 matches. That run ended in December, and since then, they have suffered heavy defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City.
Chelsea had not lost consecutive WSL matches since 2015, underlining how exceptional the current situation feels. The standards at this club are uniquely high.
There were no significant summer departures among the playing staff or coaching team. Injuries have contributed to the downturn, but Bompastor still has a squad that most WSL managers would envy.
The underlying issue is not simply a lack of goals, but a tactical shift. Bompastor has increasingly used a system featuring three centre-backs and two advanced wing-backs. Speaking after the season-opening game in September, she explained the reasoning.
“It’s more about being unpredictable and being able to play with different systems. I think it brings some good possession of the ball and control, being able to play with a back three.”
In practice, this is designed as a back three rather than a back five, with Ellie Carpenter and Sandy Baltimore given aggressive attacking responsibilities to create width in the final third. This approach has often left Chelsea light in central areas, forcing the back line to sit deeper while midfielders push higher and broader, creating gaps between the lines.
When it works, the system allows Chelsea’s wide players to exploit space with speed and directness. When it does not, those gaps become exposed.
Many critics argue that the formation has been overly cautious, yet it has also left Chelsea defensively vulnerable. Bompastor has leaned into the idea of greater risk for greater reward, but in recent weeks, the balance has tipped the wrong way. The defensive gamble has backfired, and the attacking return has not compensated for it.
Chelsea’s attacking play has increasingly relied on the pace of Carpenter, Baltimore and Thompson, but has lacked central creativity to complement them. While few players can replicate Lauren James’ influence when fully fit, the absence of a reliable deputy has been felt. Kaptein’s adaptation to a more advanced role has shown promise, but it remains a work in progress.
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