In stark contrast to this time last month, the mood around Chelsea at the moment is a good one.
Enzo Maresca has overseen three wins on the bounce, including an incredible result at home to defending Premier League champions Liverpool.
However, while the team has generally been performing well, there are a few players who continue to underwhelm.
Chelsea-1
One of those is undoubtedly Alejandro Garnacho, and therefore he should be dropped for someone previously compared to a young Callum Hudson Odoi.
Garnacho's slow start to life at Chelsea
It would be fair to say that the signing of Garnacho was not universally welcomed by the Chelsea support.
garnacho
After all, while he's an undeniably talented footballer, he doesn't have the best of reputations and left Manchester United on poor terms.
Unfortunately, while there have been glimpses of the talent who racked up 21 goal involvements for a terrible Red Devils side last season, they have been nothing more than that, glimpses.
Garnacho in 24/25
Appearances
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Goal Involvements per Match
Minutes per Goal Involvements
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Overall, the Argentine international has been somewhat disappointing, as in his six appearances thus far, totalling 273 minutes, he has produced a grand total of zero goals and zero assists.
Worse yet, while some of the games have been against top opposition, he also failed to turn up in the EFL Cup game against Lincoln City and offered very little against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Garnacho
In fact, he was so underwhelming against the Tricky Trees, that he was taken off at half-time with a combined expected goal and assist figure of just 0.01, no key passes, just seven accurate passes, zero shots and a match rating of 3/10 from the Standard's Dom Smith, who wrote that he 'ran down blind alleys and failed to produce anything dangerous.
In short, Garnacho is showing no sign of improving, and therefore, Maresca should take him out of the team for the game against Ajax.
The player who should replace Garnacho
Two names might stand out as potential replacements for Garancho against Ajax: Jamie Gittens and Estevao.
However, the former has arguably been just as disappointing so far this season, and the latter is primarily a right-sided player and deserves another start in his favoured position.
Therefore, Maresca should do what he did against Benfica and bring Tyrique George in from the start, but instead of playing him up top, put him out on the left.
george
Now, it would be fair to say that the young Englishman hasn't exactly blown anyone away this year, but it's equally true that he has shown more in his limited minutes than the former United star.
For example, he was the one who saved the club from a massively embarrassing defeat to Lincoln by scoring and assisting a goal.
On top of that, he has also simply looked more engaged and threatening in games, which could be down to him being an academy graduate or him having a better attitude.
Moreover, despite being just 18 years old at the start of last season, the academy gem, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson once described as a "young Hudson-Odoi," was able to amass a tally of three goal involvements in 12 Conference League appearances.
Finally, while Ajax are not going to be pushovers, they are also going to be one of the easier Champions League opponents the West Londoners face this season, so it makes sense to give youth players a run-out in these fixtures.
Ultimately, George might not end up being a better player than Garnacho, but at the moment, he is offering far more, and therefore, MarEsca should start him against the Dutch giants.