Former Premier League Champions Chelsea are seeking redemption after a disastrous campaign last season. They finished 12th in the Premier League – their worst campaign since 1994. Although Chelsea ended the campaign with Frank Lampard in charge, Graham Potter did most of the damage, as he was in charge of 28 Premier League games at the club from September 2022 to April 2, 2023. With Potter in charge, Chelsea managed only seven wins, seven draws, and eight losses last season.
Chelsea appointed Pochettino last summer in what was a breath of fresh air for both parties. Pochettino had just left the PSG job, while Chelsea were looking to reboot after their poor campaign last season. Unlike Potter, who got a five-year deal, the Chelsea board were more cautious with Poch, handing him a two-year deal.
Pochettino and his young army
When Todd Boehly acquired Chelsea, the plan was to assemble a crop of young players with potential, who would grow with the club and eventually achieve success.
When Potter was coach, it looked bleak for Chelsea. Although, the argument could be made that he had a bloated squad. The dressing room could hardly contain all the players and would have been difficult for him to monitor most of the young players who needed attention.
Nonetheless, since Pochettino has taken over, most of the players seem to be coming into their own slowly. Nicholas Jackson now has more confidence on the ball, albeit his finishing still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella have improved massively, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have developed some chemistry in midfield, while Conor Gallagher now plays with some swagger about him.
Pochettino has been key in this improvement. Despite the numerous mistakes that the players have made, Pochettino has never lashed out at them in public to help their confidence. Even Fernandez, who was in the team a few months before Pochettino was appointed, has been impressed with the work that his compatriot has done.
“When I arrived, it (Chelsea) was quite a mess; there were many players. Mauricio gave order and identity to the team,” He told DSports.
“The work ethic is different. He changed everything, and the truth is it’s positive. The team is more serious and hard-working. That’s important for day-to-day, and when the weekend comes, you can see the difference.”
How well has Pochettino performed?
This season, Chelsea have been quite average. They had a poor start to the season, picking just three wins from their first ten games. Within that period, they suffered losses to West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Aston Villa.
In fact, in the first half of the season, the Blues lost eight of their first 18 Premier League games. They were languishing in the lower half of the table. Aside from the previously stated games, the other games they lost were against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Manchester United, and Newcastle.
However, since the turn of the year, things have started to look up. They have lost six games this year, with just three of those coming in the Premier League. The other three losses were against Manchester City in the semifinal of the FA Cup, Liverpool in the final of the EFL Cup, and Middlesbrough in a dead-rubber EFL game.
For a club like Chelsea, sitting seventh in the Premier League is far below their standard. But looking at where they are coming from, there seems to be clear improvement. The first half of the season was pretty poor, but they seemed to have clawed their way back. It is no surprise that Chelsea tickets have seen an increase in demand since the turn of 2024.
As earlier stated, the players have grown with the season. Cole Palmer has grown to become one of the best players in Europe. He has been almost celestial for Chelsea, recording 22 goals and 10 assists in 32 Premier League games.
Noni Madueke has also improved significantly in the second half of the season, registering five goals and three assists across all competitions since the start of the year.
The Blues defeated Brighton to brighten their chances of reaching Europe. They will host Bournemouth in their final Premier League game of the season and it looks as if they can get into one of the UEFA competitions. Chelsea could finish as high as 5th if other results go their way.
One cannot deny the fact that injuries dealt with the Chelsea squad this season and it took them a while to get going. It is now clear they have a settled formation and that has seen their performance and results improve over the last couple of weeks. For a side that spent most of the season in the bottom, a place in Europe could just be a perfect reward for their late push.
Is there any glimmer of hope for the Blues?
As stated earlier, finishing outside the top four is below Chelsea’s standard, especially as clubs like Aston Villa and Tottenham sit above them. Nonetheless, there have been solid improvements since last season. The club looks like they have a working system now, they have been getting wins under their belt, and the confidence has grown. Most importantly, the players have faith in the manager.
When Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal five years ago, he finished eighth in his first two seasons. And in his third season, he finished fifth. However, there has been a massive turnaround at the club in the last two seasons, as they have pushed Manchester City hard for the Premier League title.
When even the legendary Pep Guardiola moved to City, he finished fourth in his first season despite the array of stars available to him.
With the growth that Chelsea has shown, if they can support Pochettino in the transfer market and sign better young players to fit into the system, there is a high possibility that there will be more improvement at the club next season.
Moreover, if Boehly and the Chelsea board believe in their model of signing young players, they should have the patience to give a manager time- especially one who has shown signs of improvement.
