The thing, or one of the many confusing and tricky things, for Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea right now is just how hard it is to know what this team could be doing. The very foundation of his squad is built on promise, untapped potential and what might be. How, then, do you measure success now?
Pochettino has taken steps to change some of the glarring issues of last season, dealt with the largely lethargic players that formed a true embarrassment in 2022/23. The issue is that now there is nothing really to compare to.
Chelsea have been so far away from their glory days for the past six years that saying this side would be beaten up by Didier Drogba and his man mountain teammates that formed an impenetrable core over ten years is underplaying the difference. This is, so far, a failed revolution at Chelsea that has been on it's way to something more flimsy for years, only accelerated by poor decision making under Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital.
The rebuff for most of this is that Pochettino, despite tricky circumstances, isn't getting the best out of his players. The thing is, what is the best? Chelsea's squad is so fugazi that there is no genuine marker for achievements. There are expectations but they are founded on hope and, largely, the past.
There is very little evidence — almost none in some cases — to suggest that collectively or individually Chelsea have a group of players any better than being mid-table. Sure, Thiago Silva has achieved great things but there is no precedent for a 39-year-old to be playing this many minutes as an outfielder for an elite team, or even a challenging team.
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