"Chelsea never wanted to make a midseason managerial change. When they mapped out the season and set Champions League qualification as the baseline target nobody envisaged that Calum McFarlane, the under-21s manager, would be leading out the first team at Wembley in May. Yet everything fell apart when Maresca walked away on New Year's Day."
Chelsea have shown a pattern of upsetting stronger opponents, including a Club World Cup win over Paris Saint-Germain last summer. They built an unassailable 3-0 lead by half-time and disrupted the European champions through tactical planning. A similar approach could be relevant at Wembley for the FA Cup final against Manchester City. The situation is complicated by managerial uncertainty, including the possibility of Enzo Maresca leaving Chelsea for Manchester City if Guardiola steps down. Chelsea’s season deteriorated after Maresca left on New Year’s Day, following a historically poor league run and unrest within the dressing room. Calum McFarlane has returned as caretaker but has not produced meaningful improvement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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