Neville has been discussing Chelsea's title predicamentplaceholder image
Neville has been discussing Chelsea's title predicament | Manchester United via Getty Imag
Gary Neville has been discussing Chelsea’s current dilemma as they look to become title candidates.
Gary Neville has been discussing the dilemma Chelsea find themselves in as they look to take the step from being a top four team to one capable of fighting for the Premier League title. For all of the criticism early in Todd Boehly’s reign, Chelsea have done some smart recruitment over the last 18 months.
The Blues have built an ultra-talented and young squad that, in theory, will offer the club quality for years to come. The idea is that Chelsea paid premiums to sign young talent in the hope of avoiding much bigger fees later on if those players live up to their potential.
It’s both a profitable model and one that can lead to on-the-pitch success if enough of those young talents prove to be hits. So far, Enzo Maresca’s young squad look good enough to secure another Champions League qualification, with Chelsea on course to achieve that feat, but they still look some way off the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Chelsea are still vulnerable to mistakes in big moments, and that is only natural given the youthful-nature of their squad. That’s why Neville believes Maresca needs to be handed a sprinkle of ready-made quality to help take this team over the top.
“I just wonder whether Maresca could just change the model slightly, he’s been brought in to work with these players, but you do need an experienced spine. You watch Chelsea first half and they look like an academy team that’s playing in a participation game. It’s not really a serious, aggressive, horrible fixture. You watch them in the second half and they look like a thrill.
“If you had some more experience down that spine and some higher quality in certain positions they would be a very different proposition.
“They’re doing well together, but I get the feeling like they’re not going to get to where the ownership want and it’s not the fault of the manager or the players. I think they should have built a squad to win now. They built a squad to grow. The problem is you grow and you grow and you’re never quite there because the other teams are cold hearted killers at times.”
Chelsea look pretty committed to their current model, and it may be tougher to change than on the face of it, given the spending restrictions the club may face after a few years of big spending. But the other important part of Neville’s verdict is the part that relates to Maresca and his ability as a coach, serving as a reminder to those who have suggested the Italian could be sacked on the back of some frosty words from him over the last couple of weeks
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