Chelsea fans could be forgiven for viewing the 2024/25 Premier League season with more than a little trepidation.
With the five-time Premier League champions rated as the fourth favourites to win the title before the start of the campaign, expectations are understandably high at Stamford Bridge.
However, a 4-1 defeat in a pre-season friendly against Celtic highlighted the size of the task facing new manager Enzo Maresca this term.
Maresca’s comments after the dismal Celtic defeat would not have filled fans with confidence about Chelsea’s title chances.
“Off the ball we need to improve things,” Maresca said. “You can see sometimes we confuse when we need to play short and when we need to play a little bit longer, but that is part of the process.
“We maintained a high line but when the ball is not under pressure, you need to drop. We are still confusing some things on the ball and off the ball. It is normal in this moment when we are trying to do something new.”
Chelsea dominated possession against Celtic, but sloppy defending hindered their hopes of securing a much-needed confidence booster ahead of the new season.
Maresca insisted the Blues would be ready for their opening game against Manchester City, but a 2-0 defeat has immediately put them on the back foot.
One of the biggest concerns surrounds Maresca’s suitability for the managerial role, with the Italian yet to prove his credentials in the Premier League.
While he guided Leicester City back into the top flight at the first attempt last season, a close inspection of his record paints a worrying picture.
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The Foxes won just six of their final 14 games in the Championship, leaving many of their fans questioning his risky tactical methods.
Having built momentum towards the end of last season, Chelsea’s decision to replace Mauricio Pochettino with Maresca was a major surprise.
Co-owner Toddy Boehly has made a series of questionable decisions since acquiring the club and parting company with Pochettino may prove to be another one.
Chelsea’s scattergun approach to transfer business has shown no signs of abating this summer, which has further fuelled the uncertainty at the club.
Despite this, Maresca’s squad must put the Man City defeat behind them and build some momentum over the next few weeks.
After splashing the cash over the past few transfer windows, it is imperative that Chelsea demonstrate they can be genuine title contenders.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola claimed last November that Chelsea would be fighting for titles again soon, and the club must live up to those expectations.
Some fans may argue that forcing their way back into the top four would represent progress and a strong case can be made for this.
However, given the investment made in the squad since Boehly arrived at Stamford Bridge, anything less than a title challenge would constitute failure.
