Chelsea has received a lot of criticism in recent years. Ever since Roman Abramovich was forced into selling the West London club, and Todd Boehly alongside Clearlake bought the club, the spotlight has been brighter than ever. Every move, every trial and error, as well as every triumph has been put under the microscope.
The new era under the Americans has had its ups and downs. And whilst Chelsea might be one of the biggest clubs in the world, the expectations placed over a completely new regime have been a bit unrealistic to say the least. Expecting a management team that has been completely revamped and a squad that has been completely revamped to hit it right off the back is unrealistic.
Boehly’s and Eghbali’s approaches have been questionable especially as they’re quite different to Abramovich’s philosophy, as well as their competitors. In an evolving world, and an evolving sport, different approaches should be welcomed, and naturally, given time.
New Signings Showing Growth
Chelsea has signed a lot of players in the Todd Boehly era, and they too have been under the media’s microscope. All the players the club have been signing have been quite young, with no over 26 years of age signings.
Cole Palmer is their star signing of the new era. He had an instant impact and is still arguably the team’s best player. His impressive debut season has earned him a spot in the Ballon d’Or nominations list, as well as a good number of other individual awards.
Christopher Nkunku is another big signing. However, he has spent most of his time as a Blue injured. Despite that, his on-field time has been impressive, with the balloon celebration being a constant feature whenever the Frenchman is on the pitch. Nicolas Jackson, another addition to Chelsea’s attack has also grown a lot, with the striker scoring more goals in a season than the previous number 9, Kai Havertz.
Malo Gusto, Pedro Neto, João Félix, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho are amongst other new signings that have made their mark at Chelsea. For one, a loanee from Manchester United, Sancho made his Chelsea debut in Chelsea’s game against Bournemouth. Playing the entirety of the second half, Sancho made a good impression and even provided an assist to match-winner Nkunku.
Instant impact. 🪄#CFC | #BOUCHE pic.twitter.com/RSFcYJdqAp
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 14, 2024
Maresca’s In-Game Management
Chelsea had their good and bad days with Mauricio Pochettino. However, one thing that remained unpopularity consistent was his in-game management. Oftentimes, the substitutions from the Argentine would take away from Chelsea’s game rather than add to it. More times than they’d like, Chelsea’s second-half performance was poor, especially in comparison to their first-half performance.
Enzo Maresca is still instilling his coaching style into his Chelsea squad. Naturally, it will take time before his identity begins to really reflect in Chelsea’s games. However, one thing that has been a positive change from Pochettino’s approach has been his in-game management. Rather than substitutions, dampening Chelsea’s chances, they are now strengthening the team.
A good show of this was presented during Chelsea’s win against Bournemouth. For a few fixtures now, Chelsea have struggled whenever they play Bournemouth away, and last weekend’s game was a struggle too, despite the win. Bournemouth were often the better team on the pitch, giving the Blues a hard time.
What really changed Chelsea’s game was when substitutions were brought in. For one, Sancho who had come in at halftime, and Nkunku who had come in the 79th minute were the combination that gave Chelsea their match-winning goal.
Moving Forward
There are clear signs of growth. Players who initially struggled to show their worth are finally proving themselves. For some of the Chelsea players, we are seeing the best of them yet under Maresca. New signings are also making their mark, and early. But this is only the start. The room for growth is massive, especially under the right manager. In time, Maresca could prove to be just that.