Mauricio Pochettino's job at Chelsea has, in a way, gotten easier as the injuries have ramped up in the final stretch of the season. Against Tottenham last week there were only 10 fit senior outfield players, and one of those was 20-year-old Alfie Gilchrist, who started the year in the academy.
There wasn't much choice in the selection, but the 'circumstances' which Pochettino is keen to remind people of actually aided the togetherness, or so it seems. Now, with just three games to go, there is plenty to play for.
Chelsea are within reach of qualifying not only for Europe, but possibly the Europa League. For much of the year that has seemed like a pipedream, though never too far away mathematically.
It has been inconsistency letting them down, the sort of thing that sees draws to Burnley, Brentford, and Sheffield United even during a positive run of results. Pochettino has said that is simply where the club is, and when they're good, they're very good.
Harnessing that into something regular has always been the challenge, especially with a group of young players learning on the job. It's no surprise that after eight months they are better than they were after four.
Injuries and setbacks have helped, then, in the sense that relationships have started to form. Rotation has been less possible, and players have to an extent been forced into form.
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Just how many the head coach would now be looking to switch up on a weekly basis isn't obvious either. Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher have a strong record together this season so breaking that
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