Morning all.

When Mauricio Pochettino arrived at Chelsea, great things were expected of his team/squad. The club had spend numerous of millions of pounds on new players both young and old and Poch, well he was the man to get them back into the big time. Things haven’t quite gone to plan though, assuming there is a plan. 9th place and 27 points off the league leaders in April is far from what I’d imagine Chelsea’s fans expected.

Sometimes you have to go down before you go up in football which has certainly been the case for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, although I’m pretty sure he’d have got Arsenal football club to where it is today a lot quicker had the club been able to spend as much as Chelsea in such a short period of time.

But football is strange, or rather a managers journey is. O’Neil has changed Wolves in just a year or so without a bottomless money pit, Emery has Villa playing very well, and again without an open chequebook whereas Utd are still struggling to find the right formula and have done ever since Fergie left. There are many other success stories in the game just as there are many not so successful but my point is, sometimes money alone isn’t enough just like any one manager, regardless of his history, isn’t always the right appointment at the time.

At Chelsea though, time isn’t something always afforded to a manager, certainly not the amount it’s taken Mikel Arteta to assemble the squad he has now which is still far from being perfect. Logic alone suggests that because a handful of players have played so few minutes during this season. Still, that’s a conversation to have during the summer transfer window.

It was back in February I read something about Pochettino although I can’t remember where I read it, but it was something about how Pochettino’s teams were dysfunctional – his final few months at Totts were not good and at PSG it was just as bad. At one club he cited egos as the problem, the other, a lack of spending. The suggestion was that he should go as neither of the above excuses apply at Chelsea. That’s football fans though isn’t it, or is it just Chelsea fans because they’ve not got used to not having the success Roman Abramovich paid so dearly for?

Had Chelsea been able to find the back of the net on Saturday, I’m sure it would be them facing Man Utd in the FA Cup final next month but it seems that’s their problem, inconsistency. Nicolas Jackson had three big opportunities against City but missed them all.

In too many games we are very competitive but the problem is the consistency that we show. It is about maturity, to know the quality of the group of the players that we need to improve for the next season – Pochettino said after the game

It’s often next season isn’t it but with the group of players Pochettino has, I’d be surprised if next season wasn’t better than this one for Chelsea. If he lasts that long of course.

Chelsea are not only inconsistent but they are unpredictable too. One week they can put six goals past Everton, the next they can draw 2-2 away at Sheffield Utd. They beat Man Utd 4-3 at the beginning of this month but drew 2-2 against Burnley at home in March. They are unbeaten in eight Premier League games (W4, D4), scoring at least twice in each of their previous six.

Underestimate them at our peril because if things click for them tonight in this London derby, we could be in trouble.

Going back to the game on Saturday, Man City, regardless of looking knackered, bossed the possession and shots statistics. I didn’t watch much of the game but by all accounts, Chelsea focussed on stopping City and hitting them on the break and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Poch use a similar tactic tonight against us. If he watched the Villa game, Poch will know that if his team keeps Arteta’s team quiet for the first half, it’ll be all to play for in the second.

Mikel Arteta’s team has to start fast and impose themselves on the game early. Don’t let Chelsea get into any kind of rhythm because often, when the opposition gets going, we struggle to regain any kind of control, let alone rhythm of our own. We really don’t want to be getting to 87 minutes with Eddie Nketiah coming off the bench and expecting him to score an equaliser or winner. On last nights evidence, there’s more chance of Jurrien Timber doing that. His goal for the under 21’s last night was an absolute peach. I jest of course, well, a little.

Catch up in the comments..

 

 

 

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