Football Season Guide

Chelsea paid for their lack of clinical touch in front of goal in the first half of the 2023/24 season and their defensive frailties in the second half to finish sixth and clinch Conference League qualification. Mauricio Pochettino didn’t manage to sort out a big Chelsea squad, one which was the youngest in the league averaging 24 years 233 days. Pochettino parted ways with the Blues at the end of the campaign, with the club appointing young, but relatively inexperienced Leicester City boss, Enzo Maresca. A few squad players, as well as aged captain Thiago Silva, departed the club, with Chelsea bringing in talented players Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Filip Jørgensen and Omari Kellyman to add to an already youthful roster. At Leicester, Maresca lined up with a 4-2-3-1 formation and managed to win the Championship. We can expect him to continue his inverted full back tactic and play a 3-2-5 in possession with a double pivot and wingers high and wide. The Italian coach will have an extremely talented squad to manage, this being Chelsea’s main strength ahead of next season. It remains to be seen if he can unlock his players’ full potential. Meanwhile, the coach’s lack of Premier League experience is the obvious weakness here. Maresca will be called to earn the respect of what will probably be the youngest squad in the league for yet another season, which is anything but an easy task.