Pochettino's Chelsea could be exciting, yet frustrating

Chelsea fans would like to forget that the 2022-23 season even existed. They finished 12th, their worst ever Premier League finish and were at the end of jokes from rival fans and media pundits. The new ownership seemed to make blunder after blunder and had little resemblance to the ruthless winning machine that the club was under Roman Abrahamovich.

Mauricio Pochettino's arrival was under the scanner with him being a former Premier League manager with Tottenham Hotspur in recent times. The debacle of the previous season seems to have distracted Chelsea fans away from Pochettino's arrival. But what can we expect from Chelsea under the management of the Argentine? Will he take the Blues back to the top, or will it be another case of so close, yet so far?

Chelsea's pre-season form has been promising

Chelsea's pre-season results have gotten the fans much excited. They have scored 10 goals in three games, more than they managed under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard since January.

The transfer window has seen Chelsea getting rid of a lot of players and creating a dressing room that is manageable. Players like Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku, who have no future at the club are not part of the pre-season tour ensuring that the team has no baggage to carry.

Pochettino also seems to be dealing with media duties in a very confident manner. His focus on winning in his first ever interview (seen on Chelsea's official website) made every fan happy as they are unused to the word process. The way Pochettino expressed his displeasure against the officials in the first pre-season friendly against Wrexham did not go unnoticed. Chelsea fans lapped it up happy seeing the fighting spirit they associate with so much.

Chelsea have been exciting on the field, and it looks like Pochettino is managing to get his idea of football across to the group. The fans have a right to be excited, but should also be realistic that this season, and possibly the next one could frustrate them. One has to look at Arteta's Arsenal team's journey to relate to how much time a young squad takes to come close to success.

Lack of experience in the squad a worry

Chelsea have the youngest squad in the entire Premier League, and the lack of experience is a factor that could bother Pochettino. Experience ensures that the team knows how to win in difficult times, to keep one's nerves and navigate difficult phases in the game. Such a youthful squad also means that there will be mistakes made, with some of them being major enough to frustrate the fans.

Chelsea fans will have to make peace with this fact. Players like Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling, Reece James and Ben Chilwell are the current most experienced and senior most members of the squad. There is a dearth of players between the prime ages of 25 and 30 who are Premier League experienced, and who could guide a young squad during challenging times.

For now, these young players have to step up, especially the attacking unit. Nicolas Jackson has impressed in the pre-season, along with Christopher Nkunku and Mykhaylo Mudryk. It will be expected of Raheem Sterling to step up and Noni Madueke to continue his good form from last season. Pre-season should not be compared to the league itself and it is highly unlikely that Pochettino will make that mistake.

Defense is another area that is of concern. Long term inury to Wesley Fofana means that they are short in the right-footed centre-back department. The absence of a defensive midfielder is standing out like a sore thumb and Pochettino will be wishing that it gets sorted soon. Brighton managed to score three goals in the pre-season friendly against the Blues who could only score three goals against a 10-man Seagulls.

Pochettino is known for his attractive brand of football. Having being honed under from the 'Marcelo Bielsa School of Football,' he focuses intensely on high-pressing and fast counter attacking football. The first three pre-season games have shown that he is tweaking his philosophy to suit the modern game and his squad. His use of Cucurella as inverted full-back and using Malo Gusto as a right sided centre-back in an in-possesion back three were evidence of these tweaks.

But a very young squad and lack of experience in the centre of the pitch may cause the Blues to lack control of games and give away goals. It will be interesting to see how Pochettino uses such moments to make his squad learn and grow tactically. An exciting end to the transfer window might give that little bit of impetus to the team as a whole to achieve a good season.