I know this subject can create debate and people will have different views on it. You can also argue that this Chelsea team we have now does contain more experience because some of the players we signed in young, have now grown up a little and matured, thus having more senior appearances under their belts and more experience. Young players get experienced eventually, right? It’ll all come together eventually, right?
But I wanted to write something after Enzo Maresca’s little rant, or snap back to the media last week. He is seemingly fed up of anyone questioning Chelsea’s young squad. I mean, he surely has to expect questioning along those lines though, no? Also, Maresca actually WANTED more experience added to his squad in the summer, just like Mauricio Pochettino also asked for before him. So deep down, he also knows that any top successful squad needs more balance.
Enzo Maresca said in his presser on Friday:
“We are always talking about experience when we drop points but when we beat Barcelona and drew with Arsenal, no one is talking about experienced players. This was not the reason..
“Who was the most experienced player for us in the week? Tosin. Did he play good? So it is not about experience.”
He clearly doesn’t read this site. I talk about experience whether we win or lose 😂.
I get why he’s frustrated. Some reporters can often ask silly questions, it can all get too much sometimes. I also get his point on Tosin, who he then dropped completely out of his squad for Bournemouth.
Experience does NOT guarantee you success and it also does not guarantee you are getting a top and consistent player. There have been countless examples of this.
But personally, I don’t like when someone claims ‘experience’ isn’t everything by giving an example of an ‘experienced’ player that hasn’t worked out. I could give you countless examples of where it HAS worked (Thiago Silva as one).
You buy the RIGHT experience. Nothing wrong with a youthful squad but do it with balance. Do it with more leaders and experience from the off, but buy the right experience. Buy proven Premier League players, ones who have been there and done it, add them to the quality young players you are signing, and watch it all come together much quicker and sooner than it has. It’s almost 2026 and we aren’t challenging for a title, we have spent too much money for that not to be the case, it’s that simple for me.
I don’t want to hear anything Aubameyang or Sterling. Talk to me about Zola and Ballack. It’s about scouting mentalities as well as talent. Extensive research and bringing proven leaders, not just some names who have some experience.
We will get there with this squad, I don’t think we’re as far off as Gary Neville says we are. But I will always question why they wouldn’t want to have gotten there sooner by building a more balanced squad. I get it, older, better, more elite players cost more and will demand more wages – we don’t do that anymore, that’s not how we recruit. It’s just the new Chelsea way. It does have benefits, sure. And if we get there eventually, then does it truly matter? That’s another debate. But I’d have skipped out these painful and inconsistent seasons we have witnessed and do it all quicker with more proven leaders added into our squad, but not just free agents from Fulham, but elite additions. That’s what we have lacked. We still lack a spine to this team and many of the players we have signed still have question marks over their heads. Are they truly good enough? I’m not completely sure yet.
Chelsea’s owners have spent a lot of money building this squad but we aren’t title challengers. They have a lot of belief in what they are doing. But the bottom line for me has always been that if they built this squad with more balance, we’d have already been challenging again.
