"I literally have no idea what a good season would be" - Former PL star on Chelsea ahead of 2024/25 Premier League season
Former Premier League star Robert Huth said that he couldn't predict the outcome of Chelsea's 2024-25 league campaign. The three-time Premier League champion said that there was more chance of the Blues being in a relegation battle than a battle for a top-four finish.
Huth was a graduate of Chelsea's famed Cobham academy and played for the senior team between 2002 and 2006. He made 62 appearances for the Blues, lifting back-to-back Premier League titles in the process (2004-05 and 2005-06).
When Ladbrokes asked Huth about his predictions for his former side's campaign in the 2024-25 season, he was clueless. However, he did confirm that he believed that a top-four finish was out of the question, saying (via Metro):
"I literally have no idea what a good season would be for Chelsea. It could be anything; I really have no idea. It could be bottom five, it could be bottom half of the league, but I just can't see them pushing for the top four. That's the only thing I'm sure of; there are definitely four better teams than Chelsea in the league right now."
Huth claimed that he would have been more confident in the Blues' chances if Mauricio Pochettino wasn't sacked towards the end of last season, adding:
"It might have been different if Mauricio Pochettino was still in charge… based on their last 15 games last season, I thought Chelsea were really good. I was excited. I think they won eight or nine of their last 16, and when you finish a season strong like that, you've got a spring in your step, you know what you're working towards, and you're finally starting to believe in the manager's work."
"It would have been a much more realistic target, to reach the top four, if Pochettino was still there. But as for here and now, I don't know… I really don't have a clue," Huth concluded.
Pochettino was sacked in May 2024, and Leicester City's 2023-24 EFL Championship-winning coach Enzo Maresca took over the Blues.
"There are so many unanswered questions" - Former Chelsea defender Robert Huth apprehensive about Blues' 2024-25 campaign
Robert Huth said that there are 'many unanswered questions' for new manager Enzo Maresca to solve in the 2024-25 season.
In an interview with Ladbrokes, the 37-year-old German said (via Metro):
"First of all, I don't even know what their starting XI is. That's one big issue, you know. You've got all of those loaned players coming back, too… are they going to be in the squad? Are they going to be shifted out? There are so many unanswered questions for Chelsea and Maresca to solve. Is Enzo Fernandez going to be in the team? How would that affect the other lads?"
"Honestly, I’ve just got no idea what happens this season; I've got a few friends who are Chelsea fans and they'd give you the same answer… they're just going to see how it goes. Give it five or six games, and see where they're at," Huth noted.
The west London side will take on reigning champions Manchester City in their opening game of the season at Stamford Bridge on August 18.