Struggling Chelsea have ‘foundation for success’: interim boss McFarlane

Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane said the Blues have the “foundations” for success after Sky pundit Jamie Carragher called them a “broken club” following a disastrous Premier League run.

The former Liverpool defender spoke out after Chelsea suffered a sixth straight league defeat to Nottingham Forest on Monday.

Chelsea have dropped to ninth in the Premier League and their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League appear to be over.

But McFarlane, who took charge after Liam Rosenior was sacked last month, was optimistic about Chelsea’s future ahead of Saturday’s match against Liverpool.

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«It’s Jamie’s job, he’s an expert, he has to give his opinion and I respect that. That’s his job and that’s what he’s there for. I can only speak about my experience at this club,» McFarlane said on Thursday.

«And I think there are a lot of foundations for this team to be successful. We’re not in the best shape right now, we’re not performing the way we should be, but I do think there’s a foundation for this team to be successful.»

The England coach, whose team beat Leeds last month to qualify for the FA Cup final against Manchester City, denied his players had downed any tools as the season enters its final weeks.

«The performance was not good enough, we are in a very bad period at the moment,» he said. “The Leeds gig was a glimpse when we thought we could build on that, but we couldn’t.

«But I see these guys every day, every training, every meeting, in the gym. They are in a good place to attack games. We just haven’t been able to translate that.»

McFarlane said teenager Jesse Derry would miss the rest of the season after being stretchered off in the 3-1 defeat to Forest following a sickening clash of heads, but he said the signs were “positive”.

Published on May 7, 2026