Legendary former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry has made a bold prediction ahead of the Premier League opener between Chelsea and Fulham. The pundit is confident that the Blues will falter in their opening match due to a lack of organisation and cohesion within the squad.
The French maestro emphasised that he is judging Chelsea strictly on the quality of football displayed during pre-season:
If you've been paying attention to Chelsea throughout pre-season, you should know what to expect in the match against Fulham. Chelsea are simply not ready. Their performances have been inconsistent, and the team still looks bewildered; I don't see enough class or organisation to believe they can cope with a well-drilled Premier League outfit. Fulham will look at this Chelsea side and see a brilliant opportunity. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Fulham comfortably beat them.
Henry also urged Chelsea fans to realistically assess the impact of the new coaching staff:
Chelsea fans are talking non-stop about Xabi Alonso and the new project, but a new head coach isn’t going to turn a young squad into a top team overnight. If Chelsea play against Fulham as they did during pre-season, they could find themselves among the worst teams in the league this season. If I’m wrong, I’ll be the first to admit it. But right now, I’m backing Fulham for the win.
