“Chelsea enter garbage time before New Year — Why haven’t they changed coach Yet?

 

Chelsea coach Maresca also dropped a large number of points during last year’s Christmas fixtures, and this year the situation has not changed at all. In fact, Chelsea are the team that has lost the most points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. In the early morning match against Bournemouth, they fell behind, then squandered the lead again, eventually scraping a 2–2 draw. The half‑rotated lineup in the first half left the defense in chaos; if not for Sánchez repeatedly saving dangerous shots, they would have already lost. Rigid squad rotation, with changes every match, has not guaranteed good form or reduced injuries. In reality, the weakened lineups and absence of key players often leave the team trailing and out of control, forcing the coach to bring on the main players to fight back, which ends up being counterproductive.

In the Premier League, points are earned by beating weaker sides, while against stronger teams the basic principle is simply not to lose. Maresca seems not to understand this, showing his limited level. Against strong opponents, his approach is nothing more than man‑marking, relying on physical effort and fighting spirit, with no tactical innovation. Chelsea’s goals now come only from occasional chances and flashes of individual brilliance, with no tactical execution. The match against Aston Villa was the same: Villa brought on three attacking players in the second half to stretch the wings, Rodgers dropped deeper to organize, and the central striker attacked through the middle. Immediately they created numerical superiority and quickly overturned the score. In this match, Chelsea’s full‑backs and center‑backs were all second‑choice, riddled with holes, leaving the central defense loose. Colwill was never reliable, so conceding goals was inevitable.

When Maresca substituted Cole Palmer, who had scored, the stadium erupted in boos. Some fans shouted: “You don’t even know what you’re doing.” This sums up the team’s problem. The squad is already formed and only needs reinforcement in a few positions to have title‑contending strength. Yet in the whole of December they won only once, and this season Chelsea have already dropped 15 points from winning positions. They cannot be called a strong team, and before the New Year they have already entered Premier League “garbage time.”

In the end, they will have to rely on a few cup competitions to save face, but given the current state, the chances look slim. The club once sacked the accomplished coach Tuchel, then replaced him with Potter, Lampard, Pochettino, and now Maresca—none of whom had experience leading a big club to success. Each appointment has wasted Chelsea’s time, while the club and fans cannot simply lower their expectations. This season, several mid‑table clubs have changed coaches and seen clear improvement. By Chelsea’s tradition, what are they still waiting for?