Chelsea have two goals this season: securing a place in the Champions League and winning the UEFA Conference League.
If coach Enzo Maresca achieves both goals, his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge can certainly be considered a success. However, the dissatisfaction of The Blues fans is at an alarming level after a series of poor performances.
Former Chelsea legend Jody Morris expressed his feelings after his team lost 0-1 to Arsenal in the London derby: "This was a terrible match. We have been overwhelmed by Copenhagen twice and today we have been overwhelmed by an average Arsenal team."
In the 1-0 win over Copenhagen, the Blues failed to get a shot in the first 45 minutes. This is the first time they have reached this sad milestone in the European Cup since November 2013.
The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge has become quite boring in recent months. This became a headache for Maresca because of the clear disconnection between fans and the team.
The Italian strategist pointed to the stands to thank fans in Chelsea's narrow 1-0 victory over Leicester. However, it seems that there has been no response from the Blues fans.
Maresca calls himself a student of Pep Guardiola, with whom he worked at Manchester City. Therefore, Maresca's possession-based style is very complex and depends on the implementation of small details.
With Cole Palmer's influence seemingly weakening in recent months, Chelsea have been quite rigid in their playing style. The Blues' players lost confidence and felt like they were afraid of making mistakes on the pitch.
That is a far different picture from themselves in December last year when Chelsea ranked 2nd in the Premier League after a 4-3 victory over Tottenham. Maresca's attack has continuously scored goals and is considered to have a chance to compete for the championship.
Although Maresca certainly cannot avoid criticism, Chelsea have made steady progress under this strategist. And it is undeniable that there are limitations in working under Chelsea's current model with many uncertainties.
Despite Chelsea's heavy spending in recent years, they still lack a world-class goalkeeper, centre-back and striker. sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart will be tasked with selling players this summer to increase Maresca's procurement budget.
Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Armando Broja, Carney Chukwuemeka, Renato Veiga and David Datro Fofana are among those who could leave. Interest in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Benoit Badiashile will also make Chelsea consider.
But it is also naive to expect a strong strategic change from the Blues' board in the coming time. Recruiting Sporting CP's pair Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo shows Chelsea want to continue building the future instead of prioritizing the present.
