Chelsea hierarchy standing strong behind Mauricio Pochettino despite early struggles
Despite Chelsea’s poor start under Mauricio Pochettino, the club remain confident the manager is pushing the young squad in the right direction and needs time to instil his vision fully.
According to the Guardian, while Chelsea sit 14th with just five points from six matches, underlying metrics indicate Pochettino’s tactical approach is sound. His young squad has outplayed opponents statistically in more or less all competitions.
Club owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have finally realized patience and stability are necessary after constant upheaval. Rather than rash decisions, they aim to support Pochettino through expected early bumps integrating 14 new signings aged 25 or under.
Ever since the new ownership took over in 2022, Chelsea have spent £1bn on signing new players and have changed managers as many as five times. So far, the Blues’ American owners had been unable to make up their minds but it seems they have finally learned to be patient. They believe Mauricio Pochettino’s methods will improve results once players fully adapt.
However, Pochettino has experienced quite a rough start at his new club. His young and inexperienced players have failed to find the back of the net repeatedly despite creating a number of big chances. The lack of cohesion and chemistry has made the team suffer on multiple occasions.
This has in turn also frustrated the young players who seem to take out their aggression on their opponents. In last week’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, Malo Gusto was shown a red card for his challenge on Lucas Digne. On the other hand, the 22-year-old Nicolas Jackson has been suspended ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Fulham for picking up five bookings in six games.
Injuries have a been constant thorn in Pochettino’s side
Injuries have also disrupted Pochettino’s plans. The loss of big Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku has particularly disrupted the frontline and midfield. The injury to team skipper Reece James and Ben Chilwell is weighing heavy on the manager’s shoulders. Other injuries have forced him to improvise, like using a natural centre-back like Levi Colwill at left-back.
However, despite everything and the growing fan unrest, Chelsea’s hierarchy remains aligned behind Pochettino. They stand behind his meticulous approach and rapport with players.
Come January, Pochettino will play a much bigger role in Chelsea’s transfers. Currently, the Blues have been heavily linked to Napoli’s Victor Osimen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney. The Argentine manager will be hoping that either of the two solve his team’s goalscoring woes as Chelsea have scored only once in their last 4 matches.
Fingers crossed, Pochettino may finally put an end to Chelsea’s indulgent spending, failing which the club may have to deal with the financial fair play regulations committee.
More Chelsea news
- Mauricio Pochettino reveals that Chelsea star Levi Colwill is not seriously injured
- Mauricio Pochettino causes Chelsea frenzy after failing to recognise Malang Sarr
- Fabrizio Romano reveals Chelsea have approached Corinthians for Gabriel Moscardo
Stability and patience represent a new approach after Chelsea’s years of reactive volatility. The entire club seems united behind giving Pochettino that crucial element of trust now. Let’s hope he makes the most of it.