Lianne Sanderson says ‘questions will be asked’ of Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor after FC Twente draw | OneFootball

Former England striker Lianne Sanderson says “questions will be asked” of Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor after a disjointed performance saw the Blues stumble to a draw against FC Twente in their Champions League opener.

Chelsea’s Women’s Champions League campaign began on a disappointing note as they were held to a draw by FC Twente, prompting former England striker Lianne Sanderson to question manager Sonia Bompastor’s approach to the match.

Speaking on Disney+, Sanderson did not hold back in her assessment of Chelsea’s performance and the tactical choices made by their new boss.

What Leanne Sanderson said about Chelsea and Sonia Bompastor

The Blues entered the game as heavy favourites, but they failed to live up to expectations.

Sanderson summed up the mood among supporters by saying, “Questions will be asked of Sonia because this is the competition all Chelsea fans want to win. It’s only one game but you look at other teams, like Barcelona, and they got off to a flyer.”

For Chelsea, who have made the Champions League their main target this season, the result was a setback. Despite dominating possession, the London side struggled to find rhythm and cohesion, something Sanderson attributed to Bompastor’s team selection.

“Bompastor made too many changes. It looked disjointed. Too many changes, the chemistry wasn’t there. A lot of the players that started had minimal minutes,” Sanderson observed.

The Blues made seven changes with only Ellie Carpenter, Millie Bright, Sandy Baltimore and Aggie Beever-Jones keeping their place from the side that drew with Manchester United. Beever-Jones was unable to find the back of the net against Twente but was named the WSL Player of the Month for September.

Her comments reflect growing concerns that Bompastor may have rotated too heavily, disrupting the team’s usual fluidity.

The former Lyon manager has been trying to implement her own style since taking charge, but Sanderson believes this particular experiment did not pay off. “Fans will feel frustrated. Twente deserved that. Most people expected Chelsea to go on and win it, so fair play,” she added, recognising the Dutch side’s resilience and organisation.

Bompastor still ‘trying to find her best XI’

While it’s still early in the season, Sanderson warned that such results can put pressure on even the most experienced coaches. “Ultimately, Bompastor is going to have to make some difficult decisions in all competitions. She is still trying to find her best XI. She can’t keep everybody happy.”

Sanderson concluded her criticism by suggesting that Bompastor underestimated the opposition. “Tonight, it was the wrong team selection. They took Twente lightly and Twente deserved it more.”

With tougher games on the horizon, Bompastor will need to act quickly to lift the team’s confidence and show that this result was just an early slip, not a sign of bigger problems behind the scenes.