Can Chelsea emulate their 2016/17 season performance next year?
Chelsea are a complete conundrum of a football team. At their best, the Blues have dominated the Premier League and beaten Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to the Champions League crown.
At their worst, the West London outfit are dysfunctional and a tragic operation to watch from top to bottom. Chelsea are currently enduring a period of dysfunction following Todd Boehly’s takeover last season and have fallen by the wayside in the Premier League, slumping into the bottom half of the table with seemingly no plan for the future. Their stock for the next campaign is pretty low indeed.
That said, it could be a time for bettors to use available offers to back them to turn their situation around in the odds for the Premier League crown.
Although it might sound a little strange to consider the Blues to be title contenders, Chelsea have risen from despair in the past to conquer both the Premier League and European football. Interim manager Frank Lampard is certainly not the long-term solution, making the next full-time managerial appointment a crucial one for Boehly after sacking both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, the latter just months into his tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Boehly’s predecessor Roman Abramovich had no issue hiring and firing managers, but it did not lead to a culture of stability at the club. The issue continues to plague Chelsea, who need a man at the helm to breed a positive atmosphere that allows the undoubtedly talented players to thrive.
Repeating 2016/17 Season
Chelsea were equally off the boil in the 2015/16 season when they cycled through two managers over the course of the campaign, one year removed from winning the title. Jose Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge ended abruptly when the club languished in 16th place in the Premier League.
Guus Hiddink was brought in for his second spell in interim charge of the Blues, and guided them to a 10th place finish, losing only three games in the top flight in the second half of the season.
Then, Antonio Conte arrived and immediately elevated the standards at Stamford Bridge. His team stormed to the Premier League title in the 2016/17 season, beating out Guardiola’s City to the crown. Chelsea were largely flawless over the course of the campaign, securing the title with 93 points, their second highest tally in Premier League history.
Chelsea fans would have been hopeful of the start of a dominant era under Conte, but the club were quickly surpassed by City and Liverpool before Conte was sacked at the end of the 2017/18 season after beating Manchester United in the FA Cup Final.
Chelsea need the invigorating approach of Conte with their new man in charge, without the theatrics that the Italian has brought to every managerial position. To become a dominant team in the Premier League once again, the Blues need to find the right balance, and it might not be as hard as supporters believe.
Finding The Right Solution
Julian Nagelsmann has already ruled himself out of the equation to become Graham Potter’s replacement at the Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino has been heavily linked with the role and would be a natural fit for a young squad that needs guidance from an experienced coach.
Pochettino nurtured Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min, allowing both players to become world-class operators for Tottenham, securing their first appearance in a Champions League final in 2019.
The mark against Pochettino is the lack of trophies he has to his name. Spurs blew their best chance to win the Premier League in 2016, failing to beat out Leicester City for the crown.
Although they produced an excellent run to reach the Champions League final, they failed to lay a glove on Liverpool in a 2-0 defeat. Pochettino did win the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, but their continued failures in the Champions League resulted in his dismissal after only 18 months in the dugout.
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At his best, Pochettino can be inspirational and play attractive football with young players. However, his record against Guardiola is not overly inspiring. He’s won only four out of 22 matches against the Spaniard’s teams, including four defeats in seven in the Premier League. Pochettino’s record against Klopp is even worse, winning only one game out of 11, including the Champions League final defeat.
Alternatives to Pochettino include Vincent Kompany, who has excelled in guiding Burnley back into the Premier League at the first attempt. But, it would represent a huge gamble to turn to another former Premier League star without a huge deal of managerial experience.
Talent
Although it might not seem like it this season, Chelsea have an abundance of talent. The Blues just need the right man to find a cohesive system to bring out the best in the players on the field. The difference in their squad from their 2015/16 failure compared to one year later when they lifted the Premier League crown was minimal.
Conte knew how to configure his team into a successful system that conjured success on the field. Guardiola and Klopp similarly shaped their respective sides into dominant forces, making a mockery of their predecessors.
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have proven that it can be achieved over time, especially with young players. Even Unai Emery and Eddie Howe at Aston Villa and Newcastle United have allowed their players to thrive, elevating both teams up the Premier League table.
So, it will not take much for a new manager to come into Stamford Bridge and revive the fortunes of the club. Chelsea are likely not going to be competing in Europe next season, so, like Conte in 2016/17, the Blues will be unencumbered compared to their rivals who are concerned by their European exploits. This was key to delivering success in 2017. As other sides tired down the stretch, Chelsea were allowed to storm their way to the crown.
Chelsea are unlikely to find the same level of success as 2017, although stranger things have happened. If Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez, David Datro Fofana, Kai Havertz, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Mason Mount, among others, gel on the pitch under the guidance of a manager that can harbor a positive spirit,
Chelsea can dream of emulating Arsenal and challenging for the crown. However, it will be a tough job for whoever inherits the dugout left from the mess of the 2022/23 season.
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