Reece James and Ben Chilwell say they are looking forward to playing under Mauricio Pochettino and are hopeful he can restore Chelsea as a top side.
New boss Pochettino has inherited a team that endured a dismal season as Chelsea finished in the bottom half of the Premier League for the first time since 1996.
But England defender James is confident they will fare better under the Argentine.
Speaking at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, James told Sky Sports: “There’s no denying that last season wasn’t the best for us and we didn’t finish well.
“We had a lot of injuries and there was a lot of change at the club, but on the pitch we didn’t achieve what we wanted to and it was a tough year. Hopefully next season will be better.
“I’m looking forward to working with him. Everyone says he’s a great manager and hopefully next season we can find our feet early and be a good, strong side like we know we can be.”
Both James and Chilwell missed much of the season because of injuries and were badly missed during a campaign in which Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all struggled to get results.
“The aim is to get back to where we know we should be,” said Chiwell.
“We’ve got a big pre-season coming up that we’re all looking forward to, we’ve got a new manager coming in and it’s up to us as players to go out there and make sure next season is a good one for the club.
“I’m really excited to work with Pochettino. I’ve spoken to a few players who have worked with him before and they’ve all said good things about him and highlighted how he’s such a good manager.”