Ben Foster couldn’t believe what Chelsea did when Wrexham had the ball in pre-season friendly

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Ben Foster is really impressed by a new-look Chelsea side going into the new campaign, especially after playing against them in pre-season.

There’s been big changes at Stamford Bridge during the past couple of months, with Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival in the manager’s dugout the biggest of them all.

We now have a lot of intrigue to see if Pochettino can improve a side that greatly underachieved last season.

The early signs from the pre-season matches is that Chelsea are going to play with a lot more intensity this year, something that you usually associate with the Argentine head coach.

Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster played against Chelsea in their first ever match under Pochettino last month.

It’s very interesting to hear him highlight what the Blues did out of possession in the pre-season game. He’s explained that Chelsea pressed so aggressively whenever Wrexham played the ball into their full-backs.

“For Chelsea this season, it’s an absolute free hit. It’s such a good swing at it. They’ve got a new manager. They are going to be a threat this year with Pochettino and the way that he plays,” Foster told The United Stand.

“We played them in pre-season. They are happy for our three centre-backs to have the ball, but as soon as it went to one of the wing-backs, oh my god, you should see how quickly they pressed it. It was phenomenal.

“They’ve got so many triggers because they’re all being coached properly now. They know exactly what to do. As soon as the ball went out to the wing-backs, bang, they were on us just looking to nick it. The forwards would then try to get the second ball. It was frightening.

“Chelsea not having Champions League matches to worry about is a massive bonus for them as well.”

We’re expecting to see a young Chelsea side this season that are a nightmare to face with their running power and high energy.

This is a very exciting Blues group with a lot of youngsters, so there’s going to be some teething problems early into the process.

We’re confident Pochettino can get results on the pitch with this squad, though.

Incidentally, Jamie Carragher has predicted on The Overlap that Chelsea will end up finishing fifth in the Premier League this season.