Can Chelsea realistically be title contenders next season?

Can Chelsea realistically be title contenders next season?


This has already been a season of up's and down's for Frank Lampard's Chelsea but is surprisingly heading towards a possible successful campaign. With Chelsea currently sitting in 4th on the verge of scrapping a Champions League spot and heading to a FA Cup Semi-Final for a 10th time in the 21st century, I am asking if Chelsea can realistically challenge for the title next season?

Surprise season so far... 

Chelsea have been a surprise for most pundits and Chelsea fans this season, beating the likes of Manchester City, Ajax, Tottenham home and away, plus newly crowned Champions, Liverpool.

For a team to come off the back of a transfer ban, losing their best ever player to wear a blue shirt in Eden Hazard and hiring a clearly inexperienced manager, the odds seemed against Chelsea this season...but we all know how well Chelsea can cope opposing the odds.

Frank Lampard's youth has been a breath of fresh air this season, bringing in a new energetic style of play for eager fans to cheer the development of their players. Something barely seen in the Roman Era.

The intertwine of experience from Chelsea legends such as Azpilicueta, Willian and Frank Lampard have helped mould the maturity of first team starters Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour and Reece James, creating a hungry and fearless Chelsea team for the future.

The season still isn't over yet for Chelsea. A fight for 4th or 3rd place is still up for grabs and even silverware can still be achieved with the FA Cup. Wouldn't be a normal season for Chelsea if it didn't end with some sort of celebrations of a trophy, would it?

Squad improvements

With the introduction of emphatic youngsters also brings inexperience and mistakes. This is of course is no shock when playing early 20 somethings and what realistic Chelsea fans would of been expecting.

Even though these young starlets have shocked the Chelsea board with some world class performances, the squad still needs an in depth boost of personnel.

Chelsea have already made it perfectly clear with their rivals of next seasons intentions, signing RB Leipzig’s highest ever goal scorer in Timo Werner and practically stealing Ajax Champions League Semi Finalist, Hakim Ziyech, for £33 million.

But the Chelsea hierarchy are yet to stop flexing their muscles just there with Leicester full back, Ben Chillwell, heavily linked to the club as well as West Ham star (and Mason Mount best friend) Declan Rice.

My opinion

The target for the this season was just to see the development of youth. I personally had no expectations of anything spectacular to happen apart from a possible 2015/16 season repeat.

My standards were low but they seem to rise every time I watch Chelsea play. Seeing how Frank Lampard has tactically out played his former master of Jose Mourinho (twice), besting footballing genius, Pep Guardiola, and tackling champions, Liverpool, out of the FA Cup. This gives me an enormous amount of hope and interest of what else Lampard is capable of achieving at Chelsea.

Now he has the backing of the Chelsea board, I wonder how else Lampard can tactically take down these serial winners next season. Although this time, it will be his squad.


I am quietly confident that next season we can actually compete with these big dogs. We have shown we can go toe to toe and now with a window where we can spend, why can’t we turn a few heads?

To do this, we MUST spend for defensive back up. The partnership of Christensen and Rudiger just doesn’t feel reliable enough to challenge realistically. We need a leader to grapple those youngsters and able to take control of that defence...Koulibaly?

Back up is also needed on Chelsea’s left flank, where we currently have a left wing back playing left back. As much as I love Marcos Alonso, he is not reliable or good enough to play in this position. A concrete left back is needed. Targets Ben Chilwell or Argentine, Tagliafico could be the answer.

If signings can be made for that Chelsea back line, we will be contenders.

No matter what happens this coming year, you have to admit Chelsea football clubs future is becoming increasingly more exciting....

Follow me on Twitter @Blog1905 (StamfordBlog1905)



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