According to Metro, Former Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has concerns over Chelsea’s young squad this season. Lampard praised the new Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, for adding fresh and young blood to the squad this summer. However, this youthful Chelsea still needs time to settle on the big stage. Chelsea were looking like a world-class team after beating Wolves by six goals to two. However, the Blues suffered a 2-1 loss to Servette in the Europa Conference League. This inconsistency is something that will hold them back from winning major trophies this season.
Chelsea continued their poor performance against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Chelsea managed to get an early lead with Nicolas Jackson’s goal. However, Eberechi Eze’s second-half goal ended the game in a draw. Frank Lampard stated the new manager and plenty of young players in the squad will lead to inconsistent performances for some time. The forwards of Chelsea are not clinical enough to give them a clear advantage. Lampard also emphasized the importance of old and experienced players as the backbone of the squad. However, Lampard saw improvement in the Chelsea squad and atmosphere from last time. There is less negativity in the squad and players are willing to put more effort in the games.
Enzo Maresca’s decision will haunt Chelsea
The problem of having a lack of experience is due to the arrogance of Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca. The manager told senior players like Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell, they are not included in Chelsea’s plans for the season. However, Chelsea managed to sell Raheem Sterling to Arsenal on the deadline day of the summer transfer window. The Gunners were exploring the transfer market for a winger to give competition to their star boy Bukayo Saka. Arsenal missed out on their transfer target Nico Williams earlier this summer.
The sale of Raheem Sterling was a logical decision by Chelsea. The English winger was one of the highest-earning players in the squad alongside Romelu Lukaku who joined Napoli. However, English left-back Ben Chilwell is still in the club. It looks difficult for the player to get game-time under Enzo Maresca this season. The defender was linked with Manchester United on the deadline day of the transfer window. However, the Red Devils decided to wait for the return of Luke Shaw from the injury with enough options in the squad currently.
Tough times ahead for the Blues
Chelsea and Enzo Maresca will need to find their form soon. The Blues have a tough run of fixtures ahead before Christmas. Chelsea will be playing six matches in the qualification round of the UEFA Conference League due to the new format. Chelsea also has tough fixtures in the Premier League as the Blues will face Liverpool, Brighton, Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Manchester United before Christmas. Losing these games can put Chelsea out of European qualification for next season or even worse, in the relegation zone. The relegation jokes are still fresh in the minds of Chelsea fans from their horrible last season.
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino managed to get the squad going in the last matches of the season. Chelsea is still suffering from the injuries of Romeo Lavia and Reece James. Enzo Maresca will be losing a lot of players due to the international break. The manager will hope the players stay fit during the international break. Chelsea will face Bournemouth in the first game after the international break. Till then, Enzo Maresca has a lot of work to do with the Chelsea squad. The Blues are in eleventh place on the Premier League table currently after three games.
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