01 Jul 2025 18:56:19
When Enzo Maresca became Chelseas head coach last summer, those who had studied the Italians tactics at Leicester predicted his appointment would accelerate the end of Ben Chilwells time at Stamford Bridge. "Enzo doesn't play with a left-back, " a source said. "Chilwell won't be able to do what Enzo wants. He just won't play him. "

The prediction was spot-on, with Chilwell quickly discounted from selection. It was nothing personal, though. The logic was merely that Maresca does not play with a conventional back four in possession but wants one full-back inverting and the other shifting inside to play as an extra centre-back in a 3-2-4-1 system.

It is far from foolproof, as anyone who saw Malo Gustos disastrous first-half turn as an auxiliary midfielder in the Conference League final against Real Betis will confirm. Yet Maresca has his way of playing and is comfortable without overlapping full-backs. He has often had speedy wingers playing high, tasked with going one-on-one against a defender. Marc Cucurella has been the inverter from left-back. Instead of being a rampaging force from right-back, Reece James has often drifted infield.


The effect is numerical superiority in the middle. The drawback is that wide players become isolated in Marescas team. Chelsea often struggled against low blocks during the second half of last season, particularly if it was a back five, and there was a lot of discussion about whether Marecas football was overly rigid.

Qualification for the Champions League became a grind. Chelsea finished fourth and won the Conference League but there was an issue to address. How to be less predictable? Ponder that for a moment and the decision to derail Newcastles move for Brighton forward João Pedro becomes easier to understand.

There will inevitably be accusations of stockpiling. The attack was already well stocked before Liam Delap joined from Ipswich and a deal for the Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens was agreed. there's also Estvão Willian, who joins from Palmeiras after the Club World Cup, and suggestions that Chelsea could sign another forward. They continue to monitor the Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho and like West Hams Mohammed Kudus because of the Tottenham targets ability to play in three positions.




Delap and Gittens were far obvious moves than João Pedro, though. Delap was needed to provide healthy competition for Nicolas Jackson up front and Gittens fills a hole given that Chelsea need at least one right-footed left-winger. The left-footed Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke are uncomfortable fits on the left. They prefer cutting inside from the right. Estvão is another left-footer who cuts inside.

Chelsea know something has to give. Geovany Quenda, another gifted young winger, joins from Sporting next summer. No wonder Chelsea will listen to offers for Madueke. A mission to trim the squad is under way; the arrival of João Pedro in a deal worth more than £50m is expected to result in Christopher Nkunku leaving.

Nkunku scored the winner when Chelsea beat Benfica in the last 16 of the Club World Cup but he is not quite right for Maresca. João Pedro is regarded as a better profile than the France forward and João Félix, who is also out of favour. Perhaps he will complement Cole Palmer, lifting the creative burden on Chelseas main man. Palmer needs opportunities to rest. It is going to be another gruelling campaign and Chelsea are mindful about the Champions League increasing the demands on their squad.

Maresca will have to rotate more in the league and he will benefit from having different modes of attack. There is no point having an array of speedy wingers if they are effective only in transition. Chelsea need different angles in attack. They are probably not going to get much intricate link play from Delap, who is more of an old-school No 9. Jackson is better at dropping off, turning and playing reverse balls as he did for Netos goal against Los Angeles FC but is more chaotic.



João Pedro offers a different profile. He presses well, drops deep and could play with Palmer as a second striker. The Brazilian was adept at receiving possession and releasing Brightons wingers with clever angled passes. He could do the same for Gittens and Neto. Chelsea will hope they are signing a player who can draw negative opponents out, move defences around and create space for others. It is not the obvious move, but it feels like a canny one.



It is about options and collaboration. Neto has three goals in three appearances at the Club World Cup and is loved at Chelsea for his work rate. João Pedros output at Brighton was nothing spectacular 30 goals and 10 assists in 70 appearances but Maresca wants his attack to share the load and become more versatile.

It helps to explain why Maresca has experimented in the US, hitting on a 3-2-4-1 in possession against Benfica, with Palmers role as an inside-left leaving space for Cucurella to maraud. Predicting Chelseas starting XI will become almost impossible. The system will be complex, leaving no space for someone of Chilwells profile. Sometimes it could be heavy on wingers, at other times there could be two No 10s. For a shape-shifter such as Maresca, it seems variety is the spice of life.

{Ed001's Note - who wrote this? They deserve to be credited mate.}

1.) 01 Jul 2025
01 Jul 2025 19:39:19
RPD, I really enjoyed your post.

I was very critical of EM’s lack of tactical flexibility for a period of last season. In my opinion he did change tactics a few times towards the end of last season. For that was a dose of pragmatism.

At the CWC he has tried different tactics and in the first 45mins against Benfica he changed our shape three times.

2.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 02:15:33
Maresca was fairly flexible tactically st the start of the season too, I believe in our first game against Liverpool we actually played with standard overlapping wingbacks and there were minor changes for the following games, one inverting one overlapping etc but after about matchday 7 or 8 the changing pretty much stopped.

3.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 08:32:08
I believe that’s from a Jacob Steinberg Guardian article.

{Ed001's Note - thank you Dwado. Someone has taken the time to write this, they deserve to be credited!}

4.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 09:40:35
ED01, it was an article by Jacob Steinberg in the Guardian. I thought it was well written and deserved a share.

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, but you need to credit the writer when you do that please. Otherwise you are just stealing their work from them, without anyone knowing that it was them.}

5.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 09:41:46
Really good post RPD.

6.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 10:03:50
Fully understand ED01 and point taken. Thankyou.

{Ed001's Note - thanks for your understanding.}

7.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 10:58:11
Very interesting article from Jacob Steinberg and good to read it.
I particularly liked reading JS take on what Pedro might bring to CFC having not previously understood thethinking behond why we signed him.

Might have also been good to have had JS's take on where overall he thinks CFC are right now - compared to main rivals say - ie does he see us as capable of challenging for major titles or what gaps did he feel CFC still needed to fill. EG re exeperienced CB say or GK. re our striker options already signed good enough/ experiened enough? Then there's a matter of the effect of going deeper in club world cup on next season's (soon with us! ) campaign.

Ed001 I think you've already suggrested we needed a bit more experience in the squad plus an upgrade on GK but what do you think about CFC's attacking options and overall likely performance in EPL say? likely between 3rd and 6th? or.?

{Ed001's Note - on paper, you would expect it to be another fight for 4th this season coming. It should be a top 3 of (in no alphabetical order as I am not wanting to jinx anything) Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City. If you had a good, solid, reliable keeper, then I would put you fighting for 2nd/3rd. You will always have the capability to score goals, which will carry you most of the way and put you in the mix.}

8.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 11:51:44
I’m holding fire in my always accurate (haha) premiership finishing position until this window is firmly shut.

9.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 12:02:15
Thanks for this well considered opinion Ed001 much appreciated.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

10.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 13:21:22
I think there are still several issues to resolve before we can seriously be considered challengers, I don’t see us bringing in any players who will significantly improve the squad but who knows things might change. At this point, I would say we will finish 4th to 6th next season.

11.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 17:35:19
Just for the attention of anyone interested, Jacob Steinberg has written another piece about Chelsea in the Guardian – this time focusing on Colwill's development and leadership in the squad. Mirrors a lot of the questions that have been discussed on here recently.

12.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 18:53:53
Edw, towards the end of last season and when the chips were down, he produced solid performances and showed leadership.

We can’t have too many leaders.

13.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 22:33:16
Agreed Tom. I think he's benefitted massively from the presence of Tosin and Chalobah (two of the only more 'senior' players we've had this year) . Like a lot of our players can sometimes seem more petulant than 'winner mentality' (expecting to get decisions and furious when he doesn't), but certainly is improving to head towards being the player we all have hoped he'll become. Did you read the article?

14.) 02 Jul 2025
02 Jul 2025 23:08:17
Edw, no I haven’t managed to yet but I try and find it online.

15.) 04 Jul 2025
03 Jul 2025 22:58:08
I think a solid place somewhere in the top 4, with the main challenge being Newcastle, even though they seem to be struggling to land targets. Villa to fall back a little, Spuds and ManU continuing to languish.