Chelsea’s strong start to the season surprises many, including pundit Jamie Carragher.
Enzo Maresca, who took over as coach this summer, has led Chelsea to a top four spot in the Premier League. The team has also won all their matches in the League Phase of the Conference League.
This strong start gives Chelsea a great chance to secure a spot in the Champions League for next season. They have several important matches coming up that could help them maintain their position.
Hiring Maresca was a bold move since he had only one season of experience as a head coach. However, he did lead Leicester City to win the Championship and return to the Premier League.
The decision to let go of Mauricio Pochettino was controversial. Carragher was critical of this move when he shared his predictions for the season earlier in the summer.
He expressed concerns about Chelsea’s transfer strategy, urging players to think twice before joining the club. Carragher said, “Chelsea have just got to stop buying players, and players have got to stop signing for Chelsea.”
He questioned why players would choose Chelsea, suggesting that long contracts were the only reason. Carragher advised players to sign shorter deals with clubs where they could prove themselves.
Initially, Carragher predicted that Chelsea would not finish in the top six and would struggle under Maresca. However, after 12 league games and 22 points, he has changed his view.
Now, Carragher believes Chelsea could finish in the top four, a significant shift from his earlier stance. He acknowledged their impressive start, saying, “They have been better than I thought they would be.”
Carragher noted that Chelsea’s early exit from the Carabao Cup and their current European competition could work in their favor. He believes they have a good chance of winning the Conference League, as their opponents are not very strong.
He also mentioned that Maresca has been using the second team in every match, which he thinks will continue. Given their performance, Carragher finds it hard to exclude Chelsea from his top four predictions.
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