August 19th 2024.
During the recent match against Manchester City, Chelsea's forward Nicolas Jackson was not at his best, according to Jamie Redknapp. Despite the team's extensive spending on new players since Todd Boehly took over, Redknapp believes that there are still two key areas on the pitch that have not been properly addressed.
The start of Chelsea's Premier League campaign was marked by a 2-0 loss against Manchester City, with Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic scoring the goals for the reigning champions. This defeat came amidst a busy transfer window for Chelsea, with ten new players joining Enzo Maresca's already large squad. In fact, the team currently has 43 players on their books, and some notable names like Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Romelu Lukaku, and Armando Broja were all left out of the matchday squad. Even Raheem Sterling, who has expressed his desire for clarity over his future, was not included in the lineup.
After the match, fans and pundits alike raised questions about the team's performance and certain areas that may need improvement. Redknapp, who was analyzing the game on Sky Sports, noted that Chelsea's starting eleven seemed disjointed at times, almost like a group of strangers playing together for the first time.
The former Liverpool, Tottenham, and England midfielder also pointed out that Maresca still lacks a top striker and a good goalkeeper. According to Redknapp, both Nicolas Jackson and Robert Sanchez failed to impress in their respective positions. He even went as far as to say that if City's goalkeeper Ederson had played for Chelsea, he would have struggled due to the team's lack of organization.
Redknapp believes that playing in a well-oiled machine like Manchester City is much easier for a player, as they know their role and have a sense of calmness and assurance. However, with Chelsea, it seemed like a group of strangers were thrown together, making it difficult for them to play as a cohesive unit.
The lack of cohesion and organization in Chelsea's squad can be attributed to the club's frantic transfer window, which has seen them spend over £1.2 billion on new signings. Despite this massive investment, Redknapp believes that they still haven't filled two crucial areas on the pitch – a top striker and a good goalkeeper.
In fact, Redknapp was baffled by Chelsea's transfer activity this summer, and he believes that Boehly's departure from Stamford Bridge before the final whistle was a clear indication of the situation at the club. According to Redknapp, the American has made Maresca's job virtually impossible with the questionable transfer business.
Redknapp also pointed out that with such a large squad, it will be challenging for Maresca to find his best starting eleven and get the team to play the way he wants. This challenge will only be compounded by the fact that many players will be unhappy with their lack of playing time.
The former midfielder also mentioned that the most successful teams in the Premier League have a squad of 24-25 players, and Chelsea's attempt to reinvent football by having a larger squad may not be the best approach.
In conclusion, Redknapp believes that Chelsea still has a long way to go before they can compete with the top teams in the league, and their questionable transfer activity has only made the manager's job more challenging.
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