A new season, and so far at least, the same Chelsea. It’s been a disappointing start to the Blues 2023/24 campaign, as a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest places them in a familiar 12th place in the Premier League table after four league matches. Despite a very active transfer window where the West Londoners were once again the talk of the market for their big money spending and massive outgoings, the results on the pitch continue to leave more to be desired.
The arrival of Mauricio Pochettino and the relatively successful preseason has not translated into the season. While early signs were positive, it’s clear that the Argentine will have his work cut out for him in order to transform this young Chelsea side into contenders for the future. If Pochettino is the man to achieve that success with the Blues, there are key adjustments he will need to make to steady the ship before the return from the international break.
3 key adjustments for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea team
1. Formation Change
Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical preference for a 4 at the back system, especially the 4-2-3-1 formation, has been a recurring theme throughout his coaching career. Hence, when Chelsea played most of their preseason matches under Pochettino in a 4-2-3-1 it came to no surprise. The impact of the Argentinian’s tactical tweaks became evident in a much more fluidly attacking Blues side that totaled 13 goals in five preseason matches.
Nevertheless, in all of his first five official matches for CFC so far, Pochettino has opted for a surprising shift to a 3-center-back system. While the gaffer and players like Thiago Silva have asserted that the formation actually transitions predominantly to a four at the back, the reality remains that the presence of three centre backs alongside two predominantly defensive-minded fullbacks has impacted the Blues output going forward.
For the past three seasons, Chelsea’s problem has been scoring goals, not its defense. Those games where you go one or even two nil down to a mid-table Premier League side will happen. However, the league’s elite such as the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal can recover from those deficits because they have the attacking players able to make the difference up top. Pochettino’s stubbornness to continue to play three centre backs for all of the Blues Premier League matches so far, has left the likes of Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson unaided in attacking possessions.
Although injuries have had a part to play with the gaffer’s approach, the return from the international break and the new addition of Cole Palmer along with youngsters Noni Madueke and Mhykhailo Mudryk need to be given the chance to fix this struggling attack. Ideally a return to Pochettino’s tried and tested 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-3-3 with more emphasis on attack orientated play will bring the Blues the much-needed directness and fluidity going forward.
2. Trusting the Youth
Chelsea are cashing all their future in on young talent. While some may question the transfer strategy, the truth is the club are in this for the long term. For CFC’s youth stocks in attacking positions such as Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Cole Palmer they will need to play important pieces in the Blues attack not only for the future but now. There should be no reason why Ben Chilwell is the club’s only attacking outlet from the left flank while Madueke and Mudryk are on the bench. Although it may seem risky, there’s really no other choice, Pochettino will need to trust his youngsters. The only way for them to develop would be to get consistent minutes because eventually their quality will prove dividends.
Mudryk in particular is a player that the fanbase knows has the potential to be a world class player in this CFC team, yet he will need more consistent starting minutes. Since the Ukrainian’s £88.5m arrival at Stamford Bridge, he has yet to hit the ground running due to a mix of injuries and inconsistent playing time that haven’t allowed him to build confidence in blue.
Since his time at Spurs and Southampton, Pochettino has been known for his youth development and ability to get the best out of his young players. That reputation needs to continue at Stamford Bridge and it is the perfect breeding ground for so with the plethora of young talent in the squad.
3. Emphasis on Attack and Finishing
Chelsea currently rank fifth in the league for shots taken this season and are among the top five teams in both passes and possession. Brighton have conceded more goals than CFC this season yet the seagulls are sixth in the table three points away from first place while the Blues are in 12th.
The statistics and the eye test would suggest that the West Londoners look like a top club for just about every phase in the game until it comes to their output in the final third. Mauricio Pochettino is as helpless as the fans that watch the games in terms of physically helping the players put the ball in the back of the net during a match. Yet, if not already in place, there needs to be more emphasis on finishing and practicing in game attacking scenarios in training so that come matchday our players have the most confidence in front of goal.
Top teams need to score a lot of goals, there’s just no way around it. If the Blues want to return to the glory days of contending for and winning titles, we need to become a competent attacking side. Granted Pochettino is indeed the ideal candidate to implement that style of football, hopefully with a healthier squad to his disposal and a formational shift to deploying more of our younger attacking players, the Argentinian can fix the conundrum that is Chelsea Football Club.