Are You a Fan or Just Another Opponent in Disguise?
Let’s be frank. Before this season even began, most of us—if we’re being honest—had already written this Chelsea team off. Some gave up hope even earlier, during pre-season. The squad looked too young. The manager felt like a gamble. The system seemed shaky. There was no proven striker, and our injury list looked like a hospital log.
Ask yourself: who genuinely believed we’d be pushing for a trophy and a Top 4 finish by this stage? Very few, I imagine. And yet, here we are. Against all odds, we’ve made progress. It may not be perfect—far from it—but it is undeniably something. And yet, despite this growth, some of our own fans seem to have taken on the role of our loudest critics—not with thoughtful analysis or concern, but with a kind of defeatist pride.
Yes, it’s okay to demand more. Oliver Twist asked for more, and so should we. But let’s not act like the very issues we were once worried about have magically disappeared. Is the manager still learning on the job? Yes. Are the players still raw, inconsistent, and naive? Absolutely. Do we still lack a clinical, proven striker? Without question. And to make things worse, the one we’ve been managing with—Jackson—is now suspended. Yet even in all this, the team is still fighting, still standing.
So yes, go ahead and criticise. Demand more. Hold the club accountable. But how do you claim to love a club and still stand firm predicting its downfall with such boldness and zero remorse? That’s not constructive criticism. That’s sabotage wearing a Chelsea jersey. I scroll through fan comments and genuinely wonder: if this is what the so-called “die-hard fans” are saying, what exactly are we supposed to expect from rival supporters?
Sometimes rival fans talk about us with more hope and belief than our own people. It’s baffling. And it gets worse. Just before a game—maybe an hour to kick-off—you’ll see someone post: “We’re going to lose this one. No hope.” Then comes the endless rants: “Why is this player starting?” “The manager doesn’t know what he’s doing.” “This club is finished.” All before the match has even begun.
What kind of energy is that? What kind of support is that? It’s demoralizing—not just for the players if they ever came across such comments, but for fellow fans who still carry hope, who still show up because they believe the unexpected can happen. Frustration is understandable. We all feel it. But when did it become fashionable to wave the white flag before the battle begins?
I struggle to understand how someone can so confidently predict a Chelsea defeat and still claim they love the club. Love doesn’t speak in finality. Love doesn’t cheer for failure just to make a point. Love stays—even when it hurts. Even when it makes no sense. Real supporters argue with rival fans and never concede defeat—even when we’re down and out—because that’s the spirit of Chelsea. That’s the soul of sport. That’s belief.
But now we have fans hoping we lose just so a manager they dislike gets sacked. Others want certain players to flop so they can say, “I told you so.” Tell me—at what point did personal vendettas become more important than the badge?
Let’s be clear: criticism isn’t the problem. In fact, it’s necessary. We all do it. But the difference is in the timing, the tone, and the intent. Are your words helping to build or simply meant to tear down? Do you raise concerns because you love this club and want better—or because you enjoy being right when things go wrong?
Supporting a team doesn’t mean blind loyalty. But it does mean hope. It means standing in the storm with your flag raised, not throwing it in the mud. The fan who vents, who complains, who cries, but still believes deep down—that fan is the heartbeat of any real club. But the one who takes pride in predicting defeat and celebrates losses as proof of their online argument being right? That person, in that moment, has become an opponent. And if your voice sounds no different from that of a rival supporter, how exactly are we supposed to tell the difference?
Ask yourself honestly: what do I really want? Victory for Chelsea, or validation for my negativity? Because you can’t have both.
To those who still believe, who still hope, who still back this young team even with all its flaws and growing pains—thank you. You are the true soul of Stamford Bridge. You are the reason we rise again and again. And to the rest? Maybe it’s time to reflect. Maybe it’s time to ask yourself: why are you here, and what do you really stand for?
Because supporting Chelsea isn’t just about celebrating trophies—it’s about believing we can always win one, even when nobody else does.
#Puobabangna
By Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance from Eggu in the Upper West Region of Ghana
