Five talking points from Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the USA

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The US tour for Chelsea before the season ended with a loss of 2-1 against Real Madrid, adding to their previous defeats in the tournament.

After only managing to secure one victory and one draw in their disappointing five-game tour, Chelsea will need to reflect on their performance moving forward. Here are the main highlights from their time under Enzo Maresca this summer.

Enzo Maresca's Fresh Look

Chelsea's poor defensive record in their five pre-season matches raised major concerns.

This is mostly due to their new possession-oriented approach to the game, which has resulted in numerous errors being made in defense.

The blog pointed out that Chelsea has been giving up a lot of goals because of simple mistakes on defense. Trying to start their attacks from the back has only made them easier to score against.

With that being noted, the recently selected manager Maresca has ample time for his strategies to develop, considering their successful implementation at Leicester, resulting in their promotion to the Premier League.

Chelsea is about to start the season without one of their important players as it looks like they will be joining Atletico Madrid soon.

Gallagher sat out of his team's pre-season tour to rest after the Euro 2024 tournament.

However, the young player regularly played in games for Chelsea last year under Mauricio Pochettino. Now, his upcoming exit from Stamford Bridge has contributed to what has been a somewhat disappointing pre-season for the team.

Reece James Isn't A Good Fit For Maresca's System

Maresca's possession-oriented strategy relies on the energy and movement of his full-backs, who are required to push up when attacking to form a three-man defense line, but also drop back quickly when the team loses the ball.

As he works on improving his physical condition following a tough previous season plagued by injuries, James has not been performing up to his usual level during Chelsea's pre-season. He is finding it challenging to adjust to Maresca's tactics.

Malo Gusto will begin the season playing at right-back while James is suspended for the first three matches. He is still getting used to his new duties.

Apart from the challenges associated with Maresca's football approach, there is also a worry that some players are already feeling exhausted before the season has started.

During Chelsea's tour in the US, players have had a busy schedule with a lot of games packed into a short period of time.

Maresca acknowledged that the pre-season for his team has been challenging and suggested that their preparation may not have gone as planned.

"Playing five matches within two weeks and a total of 17 to 18 days is quite a demanding schedule," Maresca explained to BBC Sport.

"We didn't do the usual training session before playing the games as we usually do in a regular season. Instead, for some games, we only prepared by watching videos or using the tactical board."

Defeat By Manchester City

There is nothing to be ashamed of by losing to the champions of the Premier League in a warm-up match.

However, looking at how Chelsea were defeated by City on August 3, it will be challenging for Maresca to instill faith before his second meeting with Pep Guardiola this upcoming Sunday.

After losing 4-2, Chelsea needs to start this season with a stronger performance.