Paul Merson says Chelsea’s lack of experience is a big factor in their inconsistent performance in the Premier League, but he believes they still have the talent to continue to do well in cup competitions.
Enzo Maresca’s side lost 2-1 to Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, leaving them ninth in the league.
However, they have a chance to bounce back with a win in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Wolves (live on Sky Sports), which Merson described as an important game for the Blues as they look to build on their Conference League and Club World Cup wins from earlier this year.
Melson said Chelsea are not a team capable of winning the Premier League at the moment and Maresca needs to continue achieving success in cup competitions as well as qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
‘Chelsea will be unstable’
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Paul Merson talks about Chelsea’s inconsistent performance in the Premier League loss to Sunderland as a ‘very young team’
Chelsea’s game against Sunderland was a bad day at the office.
Once you get to that point in the late game, you have to make sure you don’t lose the game. A point is a point. It propels you forward and maintains momentum.
Chelsea are a young team and that causes uncertainty. They are a cup team.
An inconsistent team performs well in cup competitions. In one-off matches, they are always enthusiastic and able to produce results, but they struggle throughout the league season. Over the course of a 38-game season, they won’t be a threat in the league.
That’s where Chelsea is. They have won cup competitions and may win this year’s cup competition, but with such a young team they will not be able to win a league title.
That’s the project for now. Their way is to buy young players, but that’s not how they win the league title.
“Does Chelsea want to win the Premier League title?”
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Free to watch: Highlights of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland
The project has been somewhat successful, but do Chelsea want to win the Premier League in the long term?
It’s like a roller coaster right now.
It can feel great one moment and not so great the next. When you don’t have an experienced head on your team, there’s always going to be some ups and downs.
Time will tell how the project develops.
Who will they sign in the next transfer window and summer? Will they continue to buy 21 and 22 year old players? Or are they looking to bring in a few older players with Premier League experience to provide that experience?
At the end of the day, it comes down to what the owners want, whether they want to win the cup or bring the title to Stamford Bridge.
“Chelsea’s team is still lacking”
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I like the options Chelsea have in the center of defence.
Trevor Chalobah and Josh Achiampong have performed well, but they are all young players.
I don’t think Levi Colwill would have been as good as he was without the help of Thiago Silva. It’s important for a young defender to have a foil like that to learn from.
That’s why I think Chelsea need to bring in an experienced defender to help the young players further develop.
Then there’s the goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez is a good shot-stopper, but I think he always makes mistakes.
In midfield they have the best player in Moises Caicedo, but up front I think the decision to let Nicholas Jackson leave has come back and hurts Chelsea a bit. Marc Giu couldn’t play his part against Sunderland.
It’s not enough to only touch the ball nine or 10 times when you’re playing for a strong team. João Pedro has also not been training much as he is dealing with an injury.
This leaves Chelsea with only a few days left and I think it shows that the team is not as great as everyone thinks.
“Maresca will want to win the Premier League.”
Enzo Maresca faces important game against Wolves on Wednesday
Enzo Maresca will be disappointed.
He will want to win the Premier League. That’s the real test.
You may lose more games in the Champions League than in the Premier League, but you can still continue to win and lift the cup. That’s why the league remains the holy grail.
Chelsea are under intense pressure to win trophies given the way the league has played out so far.
This makes Wednesday’s game against the Wolves important. It’s a big soccer match.
Chelsea would have moved into second place in the league with a win on Saturday, but they are currently ninth. This result puts added pressure on the Reds, especially as they also have a trip to Spurs next Saturday.
This project is based on winning trophies, we are not trying to win the Premier League. The Champions League will be difficult due to the high caliber of participating teams and ties becoming more than two legs as the competition progresses. Therefore, the Carabao Cup and FA Cup will remain.
The FA Cup relies heavily on draws, which is why the Carabao Cup is a good opportunity for Chelsea and why the Wolves game is massive.
“Chelsea need to keep winning trophies”
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I expect Chelsea to have their ups and downs, but they just have to be patient if they win.
They got some silverware last year, so there’s some understanding for now.
But Maresca will know he needs to keep winning this season. Otherwise, chaos will ensue.
That doesn’t mean Maresca has to go. He can only do what he can with the cards he is dealt.
It was clear he wanted a centre-half. He didn’t get one as the club brought in two more wingers.
For me, the team is not there yet. There is not enough balance and as I said before, you need experienced heads.
“The Spurs game is extremely important in the race for the top four.”
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We also have a big game against Tottenham at the weekend.
For the fans, this is Chelsea’s biggest game. It’s a game Chelsea don’t want to lose.
It’s also very important when it comes to the league. Chelsea must qualify for the Champions League next season.
The reality is that even if we win the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, we still need to qualify for the Champions League.
Cup competition and top four is a good season for Chelsea. Having cup competitions and no Champions League is not a good season. It’s that simple.
I hate to say that because I like to see my team lift trophies. As a player, give me a trophy any day.
But as a club we need to qualify for the Champions League if we are to continue our project and continue to attract the right talent.
Watch Wolves v Chelsea live in the Carabao Cup on Sky Sports on Wednesday. Kickoff 7:45pm
