Think about the causes of dysfunction last season - injuries, adjusting to a new system, general youth and inexperience. All 3 remain.

As we ponder what to expect from this year’s squad, we must set our expectations realistically. The appointment of Enzo Maresca brings tremendous possibility with his focus on inverted fullbacks, but it means that yet again the squad will have to adapt to a new playing style. Meanwhile, Reece James, who Maresca had hoped to feature in this system, is once again suffering from some hamstring soreness; although injuries have plagued Chelsea for the past two season, though, it must be said that the skies are currently clearer than they have been in quite some time. Lastly, management has finally found the sense to bring in some players of a slightly more mature vintage - Tosin Adarabioyo, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Pedro Neto - but this remains a very young team overall, with plenty of inexperience and players that still need to prove themselves. If only there were enough room on the roster to give everyone a chance to develop…

Don’t mistake my caution for cynicism, there is much to be excited about. If Cole Palmer’s Chelsea performances weren’t enough to establish his legendary status, his performance in the Euro this summer left no doubt that he is one of England’s rising stars, keeping their national team relevant until the final whistle. Simon Johnson I thought put it best when he said, “Palmer is why you watch football in general, let alone Chelsea”. And speaking of the Euros Marc Cucurella was one of Spain’s standout players, delivering a vital assist to win the tournament and continuing his spectacular form from where he left off last season. I’m quite excited by new arrival Pedro Neto, who I think is a huge upgrade over Mykhailo Mudryk, and it’s exciting to see so many players returned from injury and eager to pick up where they left off.

There’s two views on this - either it’s still too early to render a verdict, transitions take years after all, or the ownership has long since worn out it’s welcome and already proved its incompetence.

I’ve been in the former camp for much longer than the average Chelsea fan, and I admit I still think we need just a bit more time, the results of this season for example. And yet, I have moved much more towards an outright condemnation of the ownership group, especially after the manner in which they’ve forced out players like Trevor Chalaboah.

The problem they’ve created for themselves is a sense of adriftness, of prioritizing commercial gain over a sense of pride and in the club. How many more players can be bought and sold before the people in charge finally admit they’ve been gambling this whole time? Frighteningly, for a club built on money, this could all end in financial disaster.

Ultimately the best clubs build stability into their formula, and this ownership group has done exactly the opposite, prioritizing flashy transactions and knee-jerk reactions to bad form. I appreciate that they have continued to set the bar for excellence very high, but their strategy to attain that level of excellence has fallen painfully flat.

Alas, if only it were all so sunny. If it wasn’t already clear, one of Maresca’s biggest challenges this season will be in figuring out his best squad of 11. He didn’t have everyone in pre-season, with some well earned vacations after the Euros and some players like Nicolas Jackson working through some minor injuries. He won’t have much time to figure it out either, with the pressure of results always weighing heavy on a new manager, let alone a Chelsea manager. I’m grateful that Europa Conference League play may provide some vital moments for players like Mudryk to develop.

Defensively this team already looks highly suspect. We’ve sidelined Conor Gallagher, meaning that extra defensive hustle will have to come from somewhere, and the starting Center Backs still look uncomfortable in their roles, perhaps due to injury rust and hopefully not due to a lack of skill.

It pains me to say it, but the closest comparison for how to evaluate Chelsea’s season may come from long-time rivals Manchester United. Unlike Chelsea, United kept their manager for another season (although they tried to switch him out), and they’re anchored by a proven and talented attacking midfielder in Bruno Fernandes. Like Chelsea, they have a host of youngsters who they hope will develop into the next generation’s superstars. And they’ve also struggled tactically, looking absent or incoherent for large spells and frustrating their fans with underperformance.

I think it’s fair to say that both Chelsea and Manchester United have been in roughly similar situations over the past couple years - both clubs suffering from some chaos but with plenty of money and talent around them to stay near the top of the table. So who will rise and who will fall between them? United already has the edge, finishing higher in the table last season and snagging the FA Cup out from under Manchester City, a respectable season all things considered. Chelsea meanwhile, finished last season strong but had no real results to speak of, losing the League Cup final to Liverpool’s B-Team.

This season will give final clarity to Chelsea’s overall strategy and ownership competence (see sidebar). In a best case scenario, Chelsea does turn the ship around this season, finds comfort in Maresca’s new system, and establishes a clear starting 11 who are all performing at a consistent elite level. On the other hand, it appears much more likely that this season will again be frought with chaos, with only Cole Palmer delivering consistency while results and performances roller coaster up and down. At least this time I’m mentally prepared for the disappointment.