Chelsea may be in the midst of a transition, albeit a very expensive one, but they are 90 minutes away from a cup final in Mauricio Pochettino’s first season in charge.
The Blues will have to come from behind to beat Championship side Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge this evening, having lost the first leg 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium.
In a season where they are not competing in Europe and are ninth in the Premier League despite spending over £1billion in transfer fees since Todd Boehly took over the club in 2022, the Carabao Cup could represent the beginning of a new era.
Certainly, Pochettino wasn’t over-egging the pudding when he described tonight’s game as the ‘biggest’ of Chelsea’s season and it would go a long way to silencing any doubters over his position as well.
Chelsea still at a ‘transitional stage’
The frustration among many Chelsea fans is that the Blues are still at a ‘transitional stage’ despite spending so much in transfer fees.
Sure, the fact Pochettino is their fourth different manager inside 18 months means a transition has been necessary but their recruitment hasn’t been good enough.
The signing of Cole Palmer has been one of the few bright spots but talkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist feels their other big name recruits need to do more to push Chelsea to the next level.
Hayden Hackney STUNS Chelsea as Middlesbrough take the lead! pic.twitter.com/VVHGjjaYgO
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 9, 2024
“I think Chelsea need an out and out centre forward, but they’re also at a transitional stage where they need to get rid of players, and a few of them,” McCoist told talkSPORT Bet.
“They would need to bring in four or five players that would go straight into the team to dramatically change them, so I can’t see it being a massive window for Chelsea.
“It’s probably factually correct to say that Cole Palmer is the only Chelsea player to have come in and justified his price tag. I’ve been so disappointed in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. I’m looking for more from them for a quarter of a billion pounds!”
Boro legend backs former side to put spanner in Chelsea works
As such, there is genuine belief from the Middlesbrough end that they can come away from West London this evening as Carabao Cup finalists.
Certainly that is the view of Boro legend Fabrizio Ravanelli, despite Michael Carrick’s men currently sitting 11th in the Championship table.
“I think we have a big chance because Middlesbrough at this moment have confidence,” Ravanelli told Bitcoin Casinos.
“They have a possibility to make history and get back into the final. We know it is very hard to go to Chelsea and get to the final, but in football everything is possible.
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“Chelsea are a fantastic team, but have many, many problems especially when the team needs to win the game because the defence has a lot of problems.
“I see the games on Italian television and Chelsea have a lot of problems with their defence. If Middlesbrough defends well, on the counter-attack they can score.
“A 1-1 draw to put Middlesbrough into the final – definitely. Me and my family will sit on the sofa on Tuesday night and watch the game in our Boro shirts to push the team into the final because it is on Italian television. This is 100 percent certain.
“I want to support them at home as they try to create more history and make it to the final. This time they will win against Chelsea to go to the final. This will be great for the fans and also the chairman because Steve Gibson has sacrificed a lot for this team. He is fantastic.”
Carabao Cup success would be huge for Pochettino and ‘inexperienced’ Chelsea
Nonetheless, despite the turbulence and uncertainty that has underpinned the first six months of his reign, it would undoubtedly be a successful season for Pochettino if Chelsea could win the Carabao Cup.
It would bring silverware back to Stamford Bridge after a two-year trophy drought since winning the Club World Cup in 2022, and would also guarantee a return to European football via the Europa Conference League.
Certainly, former Blues favourite William Gallas thinks it will prove to be a big milestone for an ‘inexperienced’ Chelsea side.
“The biggest issue with Chelsea is that they don’t have experience,” Gallas told Gambling Zone.
“When someone says they are naïve, that’s because they are young and they make mistakes and when you play for a big club like Chelsea, you have to be ready straight away.
“Experienced players around you will be different but right now there are more young players than experienced players. The starting XI against Fulham, how many experienced players were there? Maybe one or two in Enzo and Thiago Silva, who else?
“It’s a big problem they have – maybe Raheem Sterling too – but it’s not enough for a big club like Chelsea.
“Normally, Chelsea would beat Middlesbrough and get through to the Carabao Cup final. But they will have to beat Liverpool in the final and that’s another story.
“If they win the Carabao Cup and qualify for Europe, then there’s no question that he has been a success this season. For a first season that would be a success.”