Mauricio Pochettino claims claims Chelsea still have too many players after win vs Wrexham
Mauricio Pochettino revealed Chelsea currently boasts plenty of players and claimed it will take time to assess the situation after the 5-0 friendly win over Wrexham yesterday (July 19).
The Blues began their pre-season win with a dominant display after dispatching Ryan Reynolds-owned Wrexham by five clear goals, with four different players on the scoresheet.
Solitary goals from Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku, and Ben Chilwell, plus a brace from Ian Maatsen, sealed the game for the West Londoners.
The 51-year-old’s starting line-up consisted of youngsters who displayed a noteworthy performance, and those who impressed the gaffer could have a big role for them to play under him next season.
However, the former Paris Saint-Germain manager feels he still needs time to evaluate players’ performances and decide their future (h/t Football.London). He claimed after the game:
“There are too many players. We need to assess and analyse and see what happens with them in the season. Many decisions that we need to take. But it is good to have the opportunity to see all these young guys who can show their quality. It is important for them and for us to have a real assessment. For sure all have quality, they need time and space to show they can compete for a place in the squad.”
Pochettino has made a clear point here: Chelsea do have many youngsters at this time, and he has put in a starting lineup of only youngsters as he wants to assess their performance and then decide if they are capable of leading the club for next season, or if they should be loaned out for further development.
This is what pre-season is for. It is for giving a chance to the youngsters and the new arrivals to help them make their case and get used to the senior team set-up. Poch saying the club still has many players despite a mass exodus this summer just shows how big a squad we had at the end of last season.
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The upcoming games will give us a better idea of the manager’s tactics and which players he will trust next season. Wrexham were a decent side but the following two games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United will be a true test for all the young players.