Why I'm Beginning to Believe in This Team

I felt belief. I felt home. I felt a connection to the team.

Watching the the away game against Manchester City, was for me, an experience I’ve not had watching Chelsea for a long time. I felt something I’d not felt for years.

I felt belief. I felt home. I felt a connection to the team.

I felt pride.

I was proud to be associated with this group of players. Proud to see them representing my club. Fighting for the badge, and for each other against all the odds.

It felt like Chelsea again.

To me it was the most significant performance we’ve seen from Chelsea since the takeover in June 2022. Now you can discuss tactics and coaching issues all day - and there are a few to be sure. But the reason I felt how I did was for the first time, I could see a Chelsea time fighting for each other, fighting for the shirt, and dare I say it, fighting for the manager.

For the first time in a long time, I saw character in a Chelsea team.

The photo above is an example of this. The group getting together, motivating each other, stirring each other up, with a collective determination not to lose the game.

You saw players celebrating every minor victory. Every tackle won. Every clearance made. Every goal prevented. Even when Manchester City got their equaliser, heads didn’t drop. In fact it sparked them into action and they had some chances before the end and ensured Chelsea took at least a point from the game.

Manchester City are the best team in the world right now, and were on an 11 game winning streak. Their attack is so strong they were able to leave Bernardo Silva on the bench. We were playing at their ground, where we have 5 league defeats and only 1 win since the title winning season of 16/17.

Before the game, most of us expected a defeat. So to perform as we did in the first half and be leading - and probably deserve to be leading by more - was a superb performance. Even in the second half as we tired and City became stronger, we kept them out till the 83rd minute, and even then they scored via a deflection.

Mauricio Pochettino to me, wasn’t hired for his tactical nous. He was hired because of his expertise developing young players, implementing a culture at a club, building a team spirit and collective, family atmosphere, and building character.

That’s exactly what we saw against Man City, and I think in the two games before.

After Wolves it was a low point. Everyone was down. Everyone wanted Pochettino sacked. Maybe in the past, he would have been. Maybe in the past, players would have downed tools and got him sacked.

But not this time. If anything, the low points, the criticism and leaks from the usual suspects in the media, seems to have created a “them against us” spirit in the squad, and united them in support of each other, and their manager. Then the performance against a full strength Aston Villa away from home, seems to have given the team confidence and belief in themselves and each other.

We then came back from a poor first half performance against Crystal Palace, and being a goal down, to win a game in the last few minutes. Again, a sign of growing character and team spirit.

Then, of course we had the game against Manchester City, where we saw this growth in character and belief come to fruition even more.

I believe what we’re seeing in front of us is a young side starting to believe in themselves and developing the mentality which all top sides need. You’re seeing them grow in character and maturity. You’re seeing a good spirit in the squad, a willingness to fight to the very end.

Credit goes to the sporting directors. They saw the toxicity in the squad, the player power, big egos, and toxic culture we’ve had in the club in recent years - and they purged the squad of it last summer. We know they also were careful in terms of the characters they brought in too. I’m the first the criticise the sporting directors for their failures, but in this respect, I think they got it right.

It’s just the beginning, and there’ll inevitably be more setbacks as you have with all young sides. There’s still more work to do tactically, and to improve the squad.

But that will come. One of the core foundation stones of any successful team is character, belief, team spirit, a never-say-die fighting spirit which gets you results against the odds, and last minute winners.

That, I believe, is starting to manifest itself in this talented young squad. It gives me hope that we might just have a chance of winning the league cup on Sunday.

Whatever happens on Sunday though, if that growth can continue, I’m confident Chelsea will be back where we belong, sooner rather than later.

The Score