Joe Cole has said a top-four finish and winning the FA Cup would represent a ‘fantastic season’ for Chelsea but warned an ‘appraisal’ of the club’s project is required if the Blues fall short.
Chelsea booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a 7-0 thrashing of Port Vale on Saturday. It was an important win for Liam Rosenior, whose side had headed into the international break after a run of four consecutive defeats.
Those results leave Chelsea outside the Champions League places in the league, and saw the West Londoners eliminated from Europe by PSG.
Despite that, former Chelsea midfielder Cole believes the club can still salvage their season.
“If Chelsea win the FA Cup this year and qualify for the Champions League, that has to be regarded as a fantastic season,” Cole told The Athletic.
“That takes them to the summer, and the people at the top should look at the plan, the key performance indicators and go, ‘Are we winning these trophies because we are on the right path or for other reasons? Do we pivot or carry on with what we are doing?’
“If they don’t win the FA Cup and miss out on the Champions League, then the owners have to do a real appraisal of where they are. Chelsea will be four years into their project and at a critical point. This is how crucial the FA Cup is; it is massively important for the club. It can help settle things down.”
