At the start of the season, we all wondered what type of Chelsea we would see this year. A new era under Mauricio Pochettino, no European football to contend with, an exodus of players, and even more heavy spending from the owners.
We’re over a quarter of the way into the Premier League campaign and there are still many unanswered questions. The chaotic start under Todd Boehly’s ownership doesn’t seem to have completely settled just yet.
After spending more than £1 billion in three transfer windows, his best business may be acquiring the man in the dugout. Chelsea’s results and performances have underwhelmed and lacked consistency up to this point, but there have been signs of progress and the powers that be must stick with Pochettino in order to restore glory.
Last term, Chelsea finished in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1996 and fans will want to forget those perils in a hurry. The players who lived and played through it will feel the same.
That is arguably one of Pochettino’s biggest tasks – repairing the damaged morale that appears to have rippled through the squad. The Argentinian boss couldn’t be a better fit to change that.
He’s a player’s manager, very personable, with natural warmth and an energy to drive people to achieve success together. When he was appointed, he hosted a barbecue for the players and their families. His aim? To make Chelsea feel more than just a football club, but like a family.
He’ll put his arm around players, and in a squad with a surfeit of young talent and signings new to the league, that’s exactly what they need.
We saw Pochettino’s protective side come to life when a supporter confronted Nicolas Jackson during the Brentford loss. Pochettino intervened, later telling the media that fans need to show patience with the 22-year-old Senegalese forward.
Of course, you can understand some of the frustration – putting chances away has been a problem for Chelsea. However, they haven’t had a consistently fit frontman all campaign. Christopher Nkunku is yet to make his debut after picking up an injury in pre-season, while Armando Broja hasn’t been readily available and Jackson needs time to adapt.
Injuries have been a significant problem to contend with at both ends of the pitch. It’s no simple task to find your best line-up when at one stage there were nine first-teamers queueing to use the treatment table.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Although Chelsea aren’t where they’d like to be in the table, you can see a clear playing style – something that was non-existent last term. They move the ball faster and create more chances, plus Cole Palmer, one of the bright sparks, has really hit the ground running.
The former Manchester City forward has scored goals, created opportunities, and his close control and ability to receive the ball in tight spaces has been eye-catching. Raheem Sterling seems revitalised under Pochettino, Conor Gallagher has stepped up as the captain in Reece James’ absence, and we’re beginning to see real quality from Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Pochettino now has to find a way to beat teams that sit back against them. Chelsea tend to perform better against sides who keep the ball, but struggle to break teams down. That’s been evident in several of their home matches.
After beating Luton, their maiden home win of the season, they suffered back-to-back defeats at Stamford Bridge to Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa. Blowing a 2-0 lead with 13 minutes to go to draw against Arsenal proved Chelsea’s performances still aren’t the finished article. Despite a dominant first-half display against Brentford, the Blues lost that match to add more concern to their home form.
They now need a good run of results and a statement victory to make their mark – no mean feat with a difficult run of fixtures pre-Christmas. We may have a better idea of whether Chelsea can challenge for Europe once we head into the New Year.
Pochettino hasn’t done much wrong since arriving back in London – he’ll need time and trust to make this a success. He’s the third managerial appointment under Boehly, and Chelsea will be hoping it’s third time lucky.
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