Chelsea secured the ticket into the UEFA Conference League group stages despite a 2-1 defeat to Swiss outfit Servette in Geneva.
Enzo Maresca’s minions had won the first-leg 2-0 in London last week, and took an early lead on the night thanks to a Christopher Nkunku‘s early penalty to establish a 3-0 aggregate lead.
However, the host fought back through goals in either half from Jeremy Guillememot and Enzo Crivelli to go one goal within of leveling on aggregate. Fortunately for the Blues, they managed to hold on to avoid what would have been an absolute disaster.
The early days of Enzo Maresca, despite the club capturing some of the youngsters around, they’ve struggled to maintain consistent results. Ten games into this era, six in pre-season included, Chelsea has only been able to secure three wins.
They were unable to beat Wrexham, embarrassed by Celtic in the United States. They lost twice to Manchester City, a team that tasted no win against them in their two league meetings last season under the watch of Mauricio Pochettino.
The results would not have raised much eyebrows had Chelsea not picked up in the run-in last season under their former Argentine boss, when they stayed unbeaten in their final six games, winning each of the last five.
In fact, Chelsea’s three losses in their final 20 games of last season came against teams in the top three. Arsenal and Liverpool in the league and Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup semi final, a somewhat controversial game.
It is acceptable that Pochettino is now in the past, but what is not acceptable is that the club appears to not progress from the state the Argetine left them in, instead, they are regressing.It is not surprising that Chelsea is struggling and it is neither because they do not have the right players to see games out against minors nor because they do not have the expertise of a manager, but too many cooks spoil the broth.
Too many cooks spoil the broth at Chelsea
The decision to sign too many players at Chelsea took away the excitement of signings new players, and turned it into anxiety. Even the fans sometimes find it awkward to enjoy the arrival of a new player because they are just too many, and they wonder how they’ll all fit in at the club.
An oversized squad makes it difficult for the manager to build a consistent starting eleven, leading to constant rotation. This lack of stability hampers the development of team chemistry, as players struggle to develop on-field relationships.
Chelsea’s current midfield options is a typical scenario that will give Enzo Maresca a serious headache while making selection. Even if the Italian is able to conclude on his most reliable options, the other players are just too good to settle for squad role.
Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all on the same squad. While only three, at maximum will start amongst these names and if Cole Palmer is played as the No.10, just two of them will make the starting XI.
Of course there are others unnamed and should they remain at the club beyond the transfer window, Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka will also demand minutes. The need for frequent changes will disrupt the flow and understanding between players, resulting in disjointed performances and a lack of consistency in results.
In attack, Joao Felix, Mykaylo Mudryk, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke make a fine crop. The imminent departure of Raheem Sterling and potential loan deals for the likes of Angelo Gabriel, Armando Broja, Datro Fofana and other youngsters will further balance the books.
However, Nicolas Jackson is the striker, currently. Chelsea has added Marc Guiu while Christopher Nkunku is also an option, when not played on the flanks or behind the main striker. The club is also keen to add a new striker before the summer transfer window ends and should they be successful in their Victor Osimhen pursuit, it then turns into another fracas.
In the wake of his impressive performance last weekend, Senegalese striker Jackson took to social media to insult former Chelsea midfielder and Nigerian legend Mikel Obi about his comments that the striker is not enough to take Chelsea places.
Imagine what happens to squad harmony when or if Victor Osimhen completes the move to Chelsea, where he will be odds on to start ahead of Nicolas Jackson.
Their bloated squad is seen as a top reason for their struggle as it makes it practically impossible to provide adequate playing time to all players, yet in the early days of the season. More drama will be expected to unfold as the season ages.
The atmosphere was great in their 6-2 away win at Wolves last weekend, but after falling in Geneva, again, the fact that continuous alteration of the squad will only lead to unsustainable results is highlighted. Inability to establish momentum will also not make them achieve the desired competitiveness.
The competition for spots can breed resentment and negatively impact morale, even so should Victor Osimhen arrive. Last season, there were several indications that players at some point prefer to do it all on their own. Maybe to claim all the credits or to convince the manager for more playime.
Chelsea’s current attack is stacked with so many talented players. Even with Raheem Sterling expected departure, the club will still be left with a handful of stars to field during the season. Unfortunately, the league is the only major competition available for them all.
Carabao Cup, Emirates FA Cup and the UEFA Conference League are the other competitions the club will be engaging in, but by the standard, those are just competitions where a club of Chelsea’s calibre is expected to give chance to Academy players. Limited or no chances will be given to the Academy players this season, unfortunately.
The lack of experience at Chelsea will also ask a lot of questions during the course of the season. Enzo Maresca can only hope that some of the players will be blessed with a good leadership acumen that will help them succeed as a group.
Aside their 32-year-old goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, whose only apperance for the club came almost three years ago, no other Chelsea player has hit 30 years.With English duo of Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell told to look for new clubs, the oldest players at the club are 26-year-olds. Christopher Nkunku, Robert Sanchez, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella.
While squad depth is crucial, there is a fine margin between having adequate cover and having too many players. To regain stability, the club must focus on trimming the squad to ensuring that every player on the book is integral to the team’s success.
Too many cooks spoil the broth and Chelsea can still amend the situation before the window closes. Ensuring the departure of some players not vital to the set-up will make the squad feel healthier, and increase the chances of winning, and maintain consistent positive results.
