Chelsea's caretaker boss Calum McFarlane believes Sunday's FA Cup final is the club's last realistic chance to end the season on a positive note.
The Blues will travel to Wembley to face Manchester City in search of silverware and a European spot for next season. Chelsea's league form has been disappointing lately, though they did draw 1-1 with Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend.
McFarlane acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion when quizzed about salvaging the campaign. "Our recent form in the league has been way below the standard we'd expect," he told reporters.
He stressed the importance of the competition itself. "It's an FA Cup final, so we want to win it, it's a massive competition," the caretaker said.
Chelsea have won the trophy eight times historically. That legacy weighs heavily on the club's ambitions this week.
McFarlane expressed confidence they can replicate their showing against Liverpool. "I thought we ticked a lot of boxes in that game," he noted, adding that performance demonstrated what the team could achieve.
He's hopeful for similar execution against City's star-studded outfit. "I'm confident that we can get that again," McFarlane told the media.
Speculation continues about who'll become Chelsea's next permanent manager. Names like Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, and Xavi have all surfaced in recent reports.
When asked if fans should be excited about the linked candidates, McFarlane stayed neutral. "It's not really my place to say who should get it," he explained.
His focus remains entirely on Sunday's preparation. "My job is to prepare the team for Saturday and that's all I'll be focusing on," McFarlane stated firmly.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had suggested Chelsea held an advantage by not playing midweek. McFarlane dismissed that notion rather quickly.
"It's tough when you have a game midweek and you have a triple game week," he conceded. Chelsea have faced plenty of such congested schedules this season already.
However, McFarlane insisted they won't use scheduling as an excuse. "We're focused on ourselves, we're focused on how we prepare," he explained to reporters.
Playing City requires maximum effort regardless of circumstances. "We're playing against an excellent side and an excellent coach, so we need to be at our best," McFarlane concluded.
