22 hours ago, Gol15 said:

If not good results, at least produce quality content such as this one which is so far the highlight of the season:

Conte's facial expression gets me every time 🤣

In short: avoid relegation and improve key areas like defence, attack and shot conversion. 

I expect a Champions League final appearance and probably a win. That's what we do with mid season manager changes.

But seriously, my expectation is simply that I can actually enjoy watching us play reasonably entertaining football.

Top Four finish in Prem. & minimum quarter final Champions League, one domestic cup final.

Incidentals:

Find/develop/create  a 20+ goal per season striker

make Stamford Bridge a fortress ( in terms of defeats max 1 for rest of the league season)

 

In the past we have done quite well with new managers coming in during a season. Conte in particular, Di Matteo to some extent, and of course Tuchel. I feel in these instances the football coached was very one dimensional, seemed to work well at first and take quick effect, but then when other teams figured us out it all started to become quite labored and ultimately fell apart. Don't get me wrong, would love to see some trophies this year, but not back on the manager merry go round in two years. I'd far sooner see something more sustainable coached into the team, even if it does take a bit longer to see results, that is providing we get top 4, anything higher or anything decent in the cups is a bonus. 

On 09/09/2022 at 08:26, Jackbuchanan said:

In the past we have done quite well with new managers coming in during a season. Conte in particular, Di Matteo to some extent, and of course Tuchel.

Conte didn't come in during the season.

He was announced as our new coach in April 2016 when Hiddink was our interim, but he was still coaching Italy at the time. His first match as head coach was at the start of the 2016/17 season.

Realistically, top 6 and either FA or league cup final appearance. For me this season is a rebuild for next year already.

I'm struggling to grasp what this season even is. 

A write off?

A transition?

A rebuild?

You don't win the Champions League, CWC, spend 250m and then try and claim this season's failures is pinned on one of those categories. 

 

My thoughts haven't changed. Top 4 and a trophy. 

5 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Realistically, top 6 and either FA or league cup final appearance. For me this season is a rebuild for next year already.

Anything outside Top 4 is a complete disaster in my opinion. Especially with an inexperienced coach like Potter at the helm I think that could lead to a very extended period out of the Champions League.

Not to mention that Tuchel had this team as a very real challenger for the CL trophy in both seasons. Top 4 should be the absolute minimum in my opinion. And if he can't progress from the group that's a big black mark on him already despite the poor start in Zagreb.

Survive the relegation battle, minimum of 17th place or he will be in trouble.

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I'm struggling to grasp what this season even is. 

A write off?

A transition?

A rebuild?

You don't win the Champions League, CWC, spend 250m and then try and claim this season's failures is pinned on one of those categories. 

 

My thoughts haven't changed. Top 4 and a trophy. 

We're always in transition, as long as I can remember. It's the T word being dusted off when our results disappoint, together with the dreaded WUC (wake-up call). I personally would like an even keel once in a while, but it's Chelsea, and Chelsea don't do even keel. So I aim for a maximum heart rate (at my age) of 170 during any match this season.

I think 6th will be a good position and best we can realistically hope for. There are 5 managers that are proven to be better than him and maybe 2 or 3 of them we can compete with their squads. 

I won't be surprised if we end up in the 7th to 9th position though. We may have the players, though questionable, but at the moment I'm backing the ability of players more than that of the manager to see us through. 

I'm really happy the pool game got cancelled and his next fixture should be against an easier opposition. Palace I think. Nothing would be more damaging than the draw followed up with a loss to start his tenure. 

The mentality of our players is such that if they're not in the top 4 conversation come the world cup or Christmas time, then it's over. 

Start playing football.

Unfortunately I still believe our manager is in over his head...he will come good if given time, hes smart enough to adapt, learn and overcome but definitely in over his head at this moment in time.

 

13 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

I'm struggling to grasp what this season even is. 

A write off?

A transition?

A rebuild?

You don't win the Champions League, CWC, spend 250m and then try and claim this season's failures is pinned on one of those categories. 

 

My thoughts haven't changed. Top 4 and a trophy. 

If Boehly truly is playing the patient, long term game then he will accept less than that as long as the quality of football shows signs of progress. But I can understand that a lot of fans will be disappointed if we miss out on top 4 and don't compete for the main trophies.

In the past we have replaced managers with short term aspirations in mind and that is partly why we have been in this continual cycle for years. I don't know if Potter will ultimately deliver the success that owners and fans want, and it is a risk. But equally if we were to have appointed somebody like Poch I suspect we would have been back where we started a year or so down the road.

It's Chelsea, I doubt whatever expectation set on Tuchel will change. Whether we will get there or exceed it is another conversation. I have no idea how this season will go, but since Boehly signed Potter for 5 years, at least give him a good go of couple of seasons and take whatever results as they are.

It is still very hard to see Potter given masses of time if he can't get the team going. 5 year deal is an indication of long term but I can't see us finishing 7th 2 years in a row and let him continue for another season.

7th, nothing so far has made me believe Potter to be the man to carry us to a Top 4 and trophy

The more I think about it, I reckon Potter is either mad or just wanted the pay rise because he is flogging a dead horse with the squad he’s inherited. I’d be absolutely stunned if we finish top four. It’ll take him five years of transfer windows just to get a squad that can seriously challenge for a trophy. But he’ll be fired long before that.

This season, sixth is realistic, maybe fifth round of the FA Cup, out next round of League Cup and first knock out round of the UEFA cup.

Our form since beginning of  Jan 2022 says 6th, no reason to believe at present we will improve other than relying on teams above us(in the form table) having a similar dip. 

On 08/09/2022 at 16:35, Snedger said:

But seriously, my expectation is simply that I can actually enjoy watching us play reasonably entertaining football.

I just noticed my previous post and I’ve already lost hope of that, unless I can learn to find comedic defending entertaining.

Sixth is very optimistic I think. We have a mid-table manager at best and mid-table is the best we can hope.

The whole  Tuchel situation  was horribly mishandled - he obviously wasn't having a great time but people get over that and he is easily one of the best in the world.  Anyone who believes Boehly has the long-term interests of the club at heart is kidding themselves too. He is in it for the money and the awful thing is that he could end up wrecking a great football club in the process.  As the season goes on all this will become horribly clear to supporters and we will have a role to play. It's called voting with your feet. It may be difficult to stay away  but it's the only thing people like Boehly understand! And why haven't we heard from Daniel Finkelstein? I thought he was on the board as a lifelong supporter and a voice for the rest of us. 

I only hope I'm proved wrong! It will be a pleasure to eat my words. 

 

3 hours ago, Deino said:

7th, nothing so far has made me believe Potter to be the man to carry us to a Top 4 and trophy

yep, the evidence of that one game and a few interviews is all we need.....

5 minutes ago, dkw said:

yep, the evidence of that one game and a few interviews is all we need.....

Well for starters he made the same team selection as Tuchel did and employed almost exactly the same style with near perfect copy of the results.

The only tactical difference right now is he put Sterling in his best position, isolated 1v1 against the opposing fullback

I'm still waiting to be surprised

 

7 minutes ago, Deino said:

Well for starters he made the same team selection as Tuchel did and employed almost exactly the same style with near perfect copy of the results.

The only tactical difference right now is he put Sterling in his best position, isolated 1v1 against the opposing fullback

I'm still waiting to be surprised

 

Not true.

Tuchel would never have been so negligent to start Azpi and Silva in a back 4.