da aviator aposta： It's been a case of one step forward and two steps backwards throughout 2023-24, and now their campaign is teetering on disaster yet again

da betobet： Chelsea have been no strangers to a so-called ‘blip’ in the modern era, with a trophy-laden 20 years punctuated by off-seasons – infamously finishing 10th in 2015-16 and fifth in Antonio Conte’s ill-fated second campaign in 2017-18. But this feels different; off the back of their worst campaign in decades under the shared tutelage of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, there are not the shoots of recovery many had hoped would spring when Mauricio Pochettino was appointed in the summer, charged with ushering in a new era.

Having tumbled to 12th by the end of 2022-23, the Blues find themselves down in 11th amid a dire run of results and overall form that has seemingly plunged the club back into the malaise that had engulfed it before the Argentine tactician’s arrival.

While those previous blips prefaced yet more success as Chelsea remarkably recovered to claim silverware as early as the following season, in 2024 it feels as though they may have passed the point of no return; the club is wallowing in mid-table again and facing the prospect of another season without European football, the players are reportedly still disillusioned despite a summer clear-out that was supposed to raise their low morale, there is a toxic atmosphere at Stamford Bridge as the fans spit blood from the stands, and faith in the big-spending Boehly-Clearlake ownership is withering.

So, with all of that in mind, how the hell do you fix Chelsea and arrest the slide towards mid-table obscurity?!

Getty'Building from zero'

It’s unfathomable now that there was an air of positivity around the club as recently as a fortnight ago, but consecutive narrow victories over Crystal Palace, Luton Town and Fulham only papered over the cracks. Pochettino and Chelsea have been launched back to square one of their project following consecutive humiliating defeats to Liverpool and Wolves, with eight goals shipped in the process.

The impressive victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup offers something of a reprieve, but seven months into his tenure and with only gruellingly slow progress being made,the Argentine is a man under pressure already.

“We always need time and we are building from zero,” he reasoned ahead of facing Villa in the fourth-round replay. “Sometimes it looks like you move forward, but sometimes you need to go back because some problems appear. You should think it is going to be good, but after it, it is maybe better to go for [something else]. It always takes time. Look at the project of Manchester City or Liverpool. It’s always about time. It’s about time and about a very clear leadership like Pep [Guardiola] or Jurgen [Klopp]. It’s so clear from there you build all these projects.”

AdvertisementGettyBide their time?…

The problem Pochettino has, however, is thathe is notably not Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, and while his CV might be impressive, he cannot currently claim to hold a candle to two of the greatest managers to ever grace the game. They have both overseen successful transitions at Man City and Liverpool, respectively, without ever taking such large steps backwards, so drawing such a comparison becomes a flimsy defence when demanding more time.

He certainly hasn’t yet earned the same adoration from the fans, who are perhaps yet to fully accept him given his deep-rooted bond with London rivals Tottenham. Indeed, Ange Postecoglou’s exploits at his former club – where the Australian has galvanised an underperforming, overhauled squad and is guiding them expertly through a transition – are also doing him no favours.

There are, though, plenty of extenuating circumstances that dictate that Pochettino should indeed be given the time he craves; Chelsea’s endless, crippling injury problems are chief among them, and after a summer of such upheaval, it was always likely to take some time for him to piece things together.

"I always told you the reality from the beginning, we were not playing with too many players because they were injured,” Pochettino said ahead of the Villa clash. “At the end, important players need time. We were not lucky. Maybe other teams with different projects perform better than us. But it's difficult to explain and justify all the situations that happen in our club.”

Then there is the latest, significant revelation that beggars belief: Chelsea’s decision-makers are hesitant to sack Pochettino because of the compensation that would be required to relieve the coach and his staff of their duties, with the Blues already at risk of breaching both UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules thanks to their wild spending since the Boehly-Clearlake takeover. Simply farcical.

Getty…Or pull the trigger?

Todd Boehly and Co proved last season that they have inherited Roman Abramovich’s itchy trigger finger, andthe manager is unlikely to feel secure despite that financial safety net- regardless of how many pally messages the American billionaire sends him in the wake of a defeat.

But where, realistically, could Chelsea turn next? Their options are already limited mid-season, and even at the end of the campaign the job will surely be seen as a poisoned chalice given the struggles of revered coaches such as Tuchel, Potter and Pochettino.Recently-linked Xabi Alonsowill surely pick between former clubs Liverpool and Bayern Munich over taking the reins at Stamford Bridge, while Zinedine Zidane seems to be in no rush to return to management. Other young, exciting coaches such as Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Michel of La Liga’s high-flying Girona will likely also have loftier ambitions.

One name, of course, stands out among the early reported candidates: Jose Mourinho. There is no doubt that his re-appointment would unify a disillusioned fanbase, with supporters desperate for a manager who understands the club and can drill that elusive winning mentality into a young and inexperienced squad. In all likelihood, though, his third spell would end badly, with the Portuguese not boasting a strong track record of working with young players, and his recent dismissal at Roma did little to dispel the feeling that his powers are on the wane.

Chelsea is not a club accustomed to giving managers time when the going gets tough, but the current circumstances may necessitate patience – and, given the lack of alternatives, Pochettino is arguably still the best man for the job on paper – even if that is not reflected in the league table. According to , it has always been the intention to review his position at the end of the season, and that is probably for the best given how much the Blues drifted after Potter was dismissed last April.

Getty ImagesA change of shape?

Given a stay of execution, albeit by default, what can Pochettino do to salvage what remains of another dreadful season by the Blues’ historically high standards? Speaking after the Wolves debacle, he suggested he may look at his tactics – which have inevitably come under some scrutiny.

"We can't give up and we are going to work hard to try and change, maybe take some decisions to find a different way," he said. "If it is not working this way, we need to move on and try to find a different type of solution.”

According to the , that could entail a return to the back-three shape that has delivered silverware for Chelsea under both pioneering Conte and Tuchel. The Blues still have plenty of members of the squad who are comfortable playing in that system, and the intention would be to provide more defensive stability amid Thiago Silva’s recent struggles, while Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez – who have proven to be somewhat lightweight in midfield – will have more muscle behind them. Ben Chilwell is also undoubtedly at his best as a wing-back and has struggled badly in a flat back four of late.

The attacking configuration of the team remains to be seen, but Pochettino will hope that a long-term switch can have the same transformative effect that it had when Conte adopted it in 2016, with Chelsea going on to win the league after an indifferent start.