Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling is confident in the squad's ability to come together and thrive under the guidance of new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Despite a rocky pre-season tour in the United States, where Chelsea suffered three defeats in five matches, Sterling remains optimistic about the team's future.
The Blues are currently adapting to Maresca's methods, with the Italian tactician having used the American tour to experiment ahead of the fast-approaching 2024/25 season.
With just over a week until the season kicks off, there's a sense of urgency for the players to adjust to the coach's strategies.
Sterling, who clocked up more than 300 minutes on the pitch during the tour, has emerged as a key figure, especially after Thiago Silva's departure to Brazil earlier this summer. Now at 29, Sterling is the most experienced outfield player in the Chelsea ranks.
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He's convinced that it won't be long before the team starts to gel under Maresca's leadership. The England international said: "Focused on trying to help the team in all the ways I can, on and off the ball that is important as a collective.
"Attacking-wise we have some great players and we need to gel that together. I do see great potential within the team. The group is young but with the players we have we have to mature really quickly, which we are.
"You can see the good football we are playing at times and we need to simplify certain things and the results will come our way to compete."
Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season tour on a sour note with a 2-1 loss to Champions League titans Real Madrid in Charlotte, exposing once again the vulnerabilities of their high defensive line - a recurring issue throughout pre-season.
Maresca has been actively working to eliminate what he calls a "habit" lingering from Mauricio Pochettino's tenure last season. "It is a problem we are trying to solve from pre-season, since day one," the Italian admitted after the game at the Bank of America Stadium.
"One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high. It's something we are trying to work on.
"Today, offensively, we are there - the patterns are there. We created chances. The problem is defensively; when I say defensively I don't just mean the defensive line, but in general, all the players.
"It's a habit. We are not working on defensive lines so high. It's a habit from last year, or years ago; I don't know.
"We are trying to drop the defensive line a little bit, usually about four or five metres, just to have some advantage. Last year, we already conceded many goals with this problem. Hopefully we can solve it very soon."
Sterling's verdict comes after former Chelsea defender William Gallas tipped Maresca to be sacked before 2025. "Even though it’s pre-season, I’m concerned about Chelsea and I’m concerned when I look at the squad," Gallas told Genting Casino.
"Despite all the money they’ve spent, the squad still isn’t good enough to qualify for the Champions League, they have so many players and they still need more quality.
"Could Enzo Maresca be sacked before Christmas? Anything can happen in football. I hope to see him stay until at least the end of the season and get that opportunity to show what he can do.
"But it’s always going to be the same problem, if he doesn’t have the right players and team to compete in the Premier League then it will be incredibly difficult for him.
"Not just with Chelsea but all Premier League owners, they have no patience anymore."
