Sometimes you just don’t know where to look, and I don’t mean when you are on the benches in the Houses of Parliament. Right now at the Bridge after the defeat away to Everton and the recent home loss against Arsenal, there is the odd nervous look over our shoulders at the Gunners and Spurs, as they both make late runs to try to pip us at the post for a top-four spot.I would still far prefer to be in Chelsea’s position than theirs but there is no doubt our north London neighbours both have a whiff of hope in their nostrils. It may well be that we only win this particular race by a nose, but I reckon we would put up with that when everything is considered. It is not only the Chelsea way, but it underlines that although we are sneaking the odd look back over our shoulders, most of the time just now everyone at the club has their eyes trained on a much bigger and longer-term prize up front.

The new ownership race is the most important thing in the long term for the football club and we all know that backing the ‘right’ horse in this one is what we really need to keep our eyes on.I do not have a specific runner in this race to back right now. Apart from the fact that the club’s website is for once absolutely not the right place to show a preference if there is to be a fair outcome, I will be honest and admit that I don’t think I (nor anyone without all the relevant inside information) can give a perfectly informed and totally balanced view of the runners and riders.

Impressive numbers

At this crucial moment we must hope the powers that be, which could be the current directors, the treasury and all the bidders, have the long-term best interests of Chelsea Football Club at heart. There are concerns yes, but serious worries, not really. In reality there are many around the football world who are rightly envious of the interest and the finance that Chelsea FC has tempted from the market.The past two decades as well as the longer history of the club makes it an incredibly interesting investment on so many levels. I hope that we and the new owners get what they want and deserve out of the deal.

The dilemma for most of us is that we just want it to be over and done with as soon as is reasonably possible. We all know the unhelpful effect it is already having on Thomas Tuchel’s planning for next season and maybe now it is starting to have a more noted effect on staff down the line. The numbers since the sale announcement are still impressive by most standards however. Of the 15 games Chelsea have won 10 drawn one and lost four.

Real concerns in the past

The players cannot however keep ignoring a story that is dominating the Chelsea narrative. I well remember the worries and concerns that eventually fed through to the dressing room when way back in the 1980s there was a complex running debate over the ownership.I have a memory of a ‘totaliser’ in the stadium showing how much had been promised for the ‘fighting fund’ to save the Bridge. When you consider the sums involved back then and compare them with the value of the bids now it is bordering on laughable, but no one was smiling about it then amid the concerns as then chairman Ken Bates consistently warned in his programme notes about the possible dire consequences.

I was interested in and had studied economics and accounts to degree level, but even I was doing my utmost to ignore a fight that I could have no effect on. But, and it is a big but, there was a nagging doubt, uncertainty and even fear from some of the players, and even more so in the wider staff, however much you tried to stay focused on your own job.Security and certainty are rarely bad things to have at a football club and that is the case now. This delay is not an abuse of anyone. As we all know ‘act in haste and repent at your leisure’ is more than just a cliché, it is a serious and sensible warning, but many fans who rarely missed games have not been able to go. There are people who worked for and at the club whose jobs have been impacted and some may even be lost forever.It was very noticeable at the weekend how a club that can be focused on one single aim can lift the 11 out on the field. Goodison Park and the Everton fans were a force to be reckoned with and certainly helped the players in their moment of dire need. That was the sight of an entire institution focused on one thing, winning.

Much to play for

I do hope we are entering the finishing straight with our ownership situation however it ends up, as it is helping no one. It is a complicated business, but one that must be sorted soon. Fortunately, it can still be a fabulous, memorable season for the football club.A top-four finish, the FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, two domestic cup finals with hopefully one we will win, and the women’s team on the cusp of winning the league title again and playing in their FA Cup final isn’t too shabby. Under the circumstances and the uncertainties, we should be massively proud of what the players and their management have achieved.

Hopefully as many of our fans as possible can be there in the stadiums to witness Emma and Thomas deliver the trophies before the end of the season. I’ll be sitting in front of the TV at home just like the vast majority of our followers around the planet, hopefully celebrating these successful days, but also by then with any luck a secure and certain future too. In fact, I might be celebrating the changeover even more than the trophies, it is that important.