Chelsea, currently in the 10th place, are 11 points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, and former Blues star Nevin believes the West London side will need a couple more years before heading back into Champions League contention.

WHAT NEVIN SAID ABOUT UCL HOPES

Speaking to BestGamblingSites.com, ex-Chelsea and Everton star Nevin said: “Last season, I thought that buying all of these youngsters was a risky strategy. There’s very little Premier League experience there, and I thought that the team wouldn’t be good for at least two seasons. I still stick by that. I have served as a chief executive before, and if I was at Chelsea, I wouldn’t expect this team to get into the top four this season. Instead, I’d expect them to go out, learn, and develop a work ethic. I know it wouldn’t happen overnight.

“Everybody knows that this team cost £1 billion, and that’s the complication. The expectations of the fans are high, and the amount of money spent on the squad will always be something hanging over them. At no point this season have I thought this was a top-four team. I never thought that before the season started, either. Perhaps in two seasons’ time, or next at the very earliest, this team could challenge. You never know. At the moment, Chelsea look short of being a top-four team.”

WHAT NEVIN SAID ABOUT POCHETTINO

After seeing the back of Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard, the fans expected the Argentine manager to wield his magic and transform the team, just as he had done with Tottenham. Instead the tactician has thus far struggled to turn the Blues into a cohesive unit, and they look fractured and disjointed despite being almost half-way into the season. However, Nevin has put his weight behind Pochettino and believes the inexperience in the Chelsea squad must shoulder the blame rather than the manager being the scapegoat.

”I’d say Pochettino still is the right man for the job, especially when you consider how many new players have arrived. I’m not sure how many were his choice,” he continued. “I wouldn’t say I’d pick a different starting XI as it seems to make sense to me. There are, however, a number of young players. Caicedo is quite young, and though Enzo Fernandez is only 22, he’s hardly inexperienced. Mykhalio Mudyrk, Nicolas Jackson, Levi Colwill, and Axel Disasi all lack significant Premier League experience, and the bench is a very young one in Premier League terms.”

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea are yet to achieve single-digit ranking in the Premier League this campaign. And their job doesn’t get any easier as they will make a trip to Goodison Park next Sunday to take on a resurgent Everton, who will be flying high after thrashing Newcastle United 3-0 on Thursday to climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since their points deduction.