"We are going to be in European competition next season."

Back in September, Mauricio Pochettino had seen enough from his Chelsea squad to guarantee they would be back in Europe at the first time of asking.

As the season wore on, that promise started to appear foolish. A crippling injury list robbed Chelsea of Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Christopher Nkunku for much of the season, and no doubt contributed to several damaging defeats.

Chelsea lost heavily at Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool, while they were also unable to beat Jurgen Klopp's severely depleted side in the Carabao Cup final.

Pochettino's Tottenham connections provided a further barrier between him and some of Chelsea's fans. But eight months on, and despite those many obstacles, the manager has fulfilled his promise.

But will Pochettino be given the chance to lead the Blues into a second campaign? If so, what will be expected from Chelsea next season? And what lies ahead in what promises to be a fascinating summer transfer window?

'My phone is on' - Pochettino awaits news over future

Part of the reason Chelsea's end to the season was so impressive was the consistency it demonstrated.

Their previous longest winning run under Pochettino was just three matches. That inconsistency hampered Chelsea for much of the season and helped to explain why a late burst was needed to sneak into the top six.

The troughs of Chelsea's rollercoaster season were so low that Pochettino admitted he could have been sacked at the start of February following heavy defeats to Liverpool and Wolves.

The second of those losses was followed by a tweet apparently aimed at the manager from Belle Silva, the wife of Thiago Silva, saying: "It's time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late."

Thinking back to the moments after the 4-2 defeat to Wolves, Pochettino said: "You feel loneliness, when you feel like everyone is seeing you as if you’re guilty of something and you don’t know what’s going on.

“We were more sad. It was an unfair situation we were in. It was a situation we didn’t deserve but the result put us in a very difficult situation.”

Inconsistent results are not the only reason Pochettino's job has come under scrutiny. Many Chelsea fans have simply been unable to look beyond his association with Tottenham, while a perceived failure to connect with the supporters has also been cited.

Pochettino has justified his restraint, saying it would have been "easy for me to arrive and start to kiss the badge," adding he would rather create a "real feeling".

His failure to address the supporters after Chelsea's final-day win over Bournemouth, as well as his absence from the annual lap of appreciation, was noted.

But the manager's celebrations after the dramatic 4-3 win over Manchester United in April were noticeable for their emotion - an example of Pochettino wanting to create a genuine connection through the team's actions instead of mere words.

The strong end to the campaign, coupled with European qualification - something the owners were reported to have demanded - should have helped to allay fears over Pochettino's future.

However, he once again failed to provide clarity on whether he will stay at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, saying only that his "phone is going to be on" as he awaits the outcome of Chelsea's reported end-of-season review.

Crucially, the manager has the backing of the players. When rumours of Pochettino's potential exit began to emerge, they were swiftly followed by reports stating how negatively that scenario would be received within the dressing room.

Speaking after the win at Brighton last week, Cole Palmer - who has emerged as Chelsea's key player under Pochettino - said: "All the players love him - we’ve got to fight for him."

Something also playing into Pochettino's hands - and a factor that is often overlooked when calling for a manager's head - are doubts over whether Chelsea could recruit anybody better.

The Argentine has more than seven years' experience in the Premier League, took Spurs to the Champions League final and is a league winner from his time with Paris Saint-Germain.

There are very few managers available who can top that CV. Many Chelsea supporters would welcome the return of Thomas Tuchel but, despite his exit from Bayern Munich, bridges have surely been burned after his unceremonious sacking two years ago.

Pochettino is Chelsea's best bet right now and has surely done enough to see out the second year of his contract.

Can Chelsea spend this summer?

With the season over, thoughts inevitably turn to how the squad will look next season - whether Pochettino is in charge or not.

Building on the "foundations" he says have been put in place will be crucial - but how much Chelsea have to spend is unclear.

After committing more than £1bn on new players, the club have made losses of £121m and £90m under Boehly-Clearlake - and those figures would have been even worse without the £76.5m raised from the sale of two hotels to a subsidiary of Chelsea's parent company.

The Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules limit clubs to a loss of £105m over three years, and Everton and Nottingham Forest's points deductions for breaches have shown the regulations will be enforced.

As a result, there are doubts over how much Chelsea can spend on new players this summer - and whether they will have to sell before this year's accounting deadline on June 30 to comply with the rules.

Reports suggest Boehly-Clearlake are confident they will remain within the PSR limits, while their reported £51m move for Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian suggests the spending won't stop.

But the PSR rules are such that selling homegrown players is an attractive proposition for clubs looking to balance the books.

With just a year remaining on his contract, it's no surprise that Conor Gallagher - Chelsea's captain for much of this season - and Trevoh Chalobah have been linked with an exit.

No member of Chelsea's squad has played more Premier League minutes under Pochettino than Gallagher, and the manager has said of the midfielder's future: "That’s a situation they need to fix between the club and the player.”

Pochettino has also hinted at the need for Chelsea to adapt their policy of targeting players aged 25 and under, saying: "We need to bring some experienced players this summer."

With Silva joining Fluminense, the only played aged over 29 at the start of next season is set to be Marcus Bettinelli - who has made one first-team appearance in two years. No wonder Pochettino wants experience.

It's a trait that could also help Chelsea's young squad to improve its discipline, as well as the collapses that contributed to some of their more galling defeats.

There are other areas ripe for improvement. Neither Djordje Petrovic or Robert Sanchez presented a strong case to be the long-term No 1, while only two players missed more big chances in the Premier League than first-choice No 9 Nicolas Jackson.

Whether Pochettino gets his way remains to be seen. Chelsea's transfer strategy is determined by the sporting directors - something he is all too aware of, saying: "I am the coach that needs to be in my place."