SUMMARY
- Chelsea has shown subpar performance the 2023-24 season, they are currently in 9th place in the Premier League, far from the European spots.
- Mauricio Pochettino blames the club's injury crisis for their poor performance this season.
Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino have had a troubling 23/24 season. The club’s performance on the pitch has been significantly below par despite signing a plethora of players. Chelsea is 9th in the PL table after 30 games and is quite distant from the European spots.
As a result, Pochettino’s coaching methods have been severely criticized by fans of the West London club. However, it seems that the Argentine manager has finally identified what has gone wrong with ‘The Blues.
🔵 Pochettino: “Imagine if we’d played in Europe this season, with all the injuries? Oh my goodness!”.
“With a squad that is always between 8/10 players missing in every single game… If you add more games, we would struggle a lot”. pic.twitter.com/sdvLe5yNMW
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 14, 2024
The 52-year-old believes that it is the club’s injury crisis that has derailed its progress in the 23/24 season. Pochettino declared that it is very difficult to manage a team where an alarmingly large number of players are constantly injured.
He said, “Imagine if we’d played in Europe this season, with all the injuries? Oh my goodness! With a squad that is always between 8/10 players missing in every single game… If you add more games, we would struggle a lot”.
Chelsea has been missing some key players throughout the season and that has hampered the consistency of the club’s performance. Considering the circumstances, Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t believe that ‘The Blues’ are capable enough to compete in the continental competitions.
Chelsea has faced a deep injury crisis in the 23/24 season
When a club with the budget of Chelsea performs poorly, certainly a lot of fingers point towards the manager. Also, the West London club has been pretty ruthless with its managers, firing them the second, they prove to be inefficient.
In such a club, it is only justifiable that the club’s injury crisis is the only thing that has saved Mauricio Pochettino’s job. The 53-year-old has never had a fully fit squad throughout the season and this has forced the coach to try out different combinations in almost every other game.
One of the brightest players for Chelsea in the 23/24 season, was its new signing Christopher Nkunku. The Frenchman always showed glimpses of his talent whenever he was on the pitch. However, Nkunku has already missed the majority of the season due to injury.
Reece James was substituted off in the 27th minute with an apparent injury for Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/8pa0pCZheA
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 10, 2023
Reece James has been another missing star for the club. The 24-year-old club captain has suffered problems with his hamstring and isn’t expected to be returning to action in the 23/24 season again. Ben Chilwell is another Chelsea wing-back that has been injured for months now.
Romeo Lavia has been out of action for quite some time, missing 43 games in the process. The same can be said for the defender Wesley Fofana who tore his ACL in June 2023 and hasn’t returned ever since.
Moreover, many important squad players such as Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill, etc. have all been in and out of action. Certainly, Chelsea’s injury crisis has been one of the worst in soccer history.
Christopher Nkunku’s injury has got Chelsea very worried 🤕 pic.twitter.com/xTv8HgCe8m
— GOAL (@goal) January 13, 2024
However, for a manager to completely avoid taking responsibility for his club’s failure and blame it on injuries is very unheard of. Mauricio Pochettino should have acted strong with his words, to provide strength to the Chelsea fans as well. Now, it would be a huge task for the Argentine manager to resurrect the club when all its players are fit.
Chelsea has dealt a huge blow by the long list of injuries
The long list of injuries means that the club is likely to miss out on European soccer for two consecutive seasons. Once considered to be title contenders for the UEFA Champions League, is now battling mid-table mediocrity. Chelsea finished in a miserable position of 12th in the 22/23 season, and risks not bettering its position in the current season as well.
What has been more deplorable about the club’s performances is that the West London club has one of the biggest squads in the Premier League. Chelsea’s ranking as the 3rd most valuable team in the PL doesn’t satisfy its finishes in the League over the past few seasons.
Your Premier League table after another dramatic weekend 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/3XJc93KmvF
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 8, 2024
Considering its position in the PL and a lack of European soccer, ‘The Blues’ might not be able to attract talented players in the future. The players won’t be too satisfied with Chelsea’s project if the club’s performances do not improve. The 2-time UCL winners could even miss out on some important squad players who might want to exit soon.