I don’t know how many points Chelsea FC (CFC) will need to secure UEFA Champions League football next season – a must do surely not least for financial reasons though our SDs can always sell some of our best young prospects (I see the media have suggesting Santos may go this way in the Summer) to balance the books – but a poster on chelsearumours.co.uk (Tom) thought 68 points might be enough ie 5 points more than last season?
We are currently on 43 points after 24 games. If CFC under Enzo Maresca (EM) were to repeat the form of Leciester City under EM in the last fourteen games of last season – in which Leicester Won 6, Lost 7 and drew one – we would finish on 62 points i.e. one less than last season. Presumably not enough though you never know given there may be fifth place qualification.
Of course, this a silly exercise of a rainy Monday morning in February. But it’s brought on by my current feeling of extreme uncertainty about what to expect from a seemingly still stubborn EM and the diminished squad over the last 14 English Premier League games. Also, the recurrence of shock mixed with anger I felt at massive changes last summer again. including sacking of yet another manager that followed what had seemed to be a pretty decent and confidence boosting end to last season. Caicedo and Gallagher offering us considerable midfield control at least and allowing others, notably Palmer, to flourish.
We are all hoping we can go on another good run again, but the ever leaky defence now added to by misfiring attack makes most of us worried. Thinness in midfield after this last transfer window now too. Lavia may potentially be better than Gallagher and potentially a CFC legend, but just how many minutes do we expect to get from him before season’s end?
CG – though I don’t want to jinx him at Atletico – remarkably injury free given ground he covered and tackles he made. How many minutes from Fofana who had a pretty decent partnership with (a now not looking quite so good but is he fully fit?) Levi Colwill earlier in the season? Can Fofana recover in time to play a meaningful and effective role this season? Same could apply to Benoit Badiashile who looked good before first season injury. Then there is the question of how many minutes can we expect from a still far from back to best Reece James. And where is the specialist LB cover for Cucurella (playing on loan at Crystal Palace or Juventus)?
More questions – Will EM continue with using the inverted full back system that has made Gusto look far worse than he did last season when he was one of our stand out successes? Will Jackson be both fit and effective? Will Guiu recover from injury in time to offer an alternative target man in box striker (albeit raw one) option?
Perhaps the injury list is better than last season, but Mauricio Pochettino (Poch) must be credited for doing pretty darn well under the circumstances of not having Lavia or Fofana for any games (i think) and James for hardly any. Plus many more injured besides. Ironically the injury to Enzo Fernandez allowed Poch to let Gallagher and Caicedo shine (in relative terms) as a midfield combo (probably much to the chagrin of the SDs who had wanted to sell Conor Gallagher for some time) as Ed001 has also pointed out.
OK, so winning the League – and if we can’t do that when we are odds on favourites, (we really will look stupid) would secure us UEFA Europa League football at least!
Hopefully the FA cup loss to Brighton and Hove Albion (BHA) was a cunning plan laid by chess playing EM to lull BHA into underestimating us before we show our true potential and beat them in the league on Friday night and go on a winning run again!
We fans have to love in hope!
Written by JBS February 10 2025 11:58:46
