Mauricio Pochettino didn’t exactly jump out of bed with joy on Monday morning as he prepared to hold yet another inquest at the Cobham training ground following a 4-2 home defeat to Wolves. He could still hear the Blue’s fans chant of “We want Mourinho back ‘’ ringing in his ears.
The owners’ representatives have said they would stick by Pochettino for now but things have to improve and there would be a review at the end of the season. An FA Cup mid-week win against Aston Villa has slightly eased the pressure on Pochettino but this is not a true picture of where Chelsea are this season. Cup games do not reflect how the week to week Premier League games are being played. The Cup is a one-off knock-out game and Villa are more concerned with their league position and the possibility of qualifying for Europe next season.
Just to get things straight here are the hard Chelsea facts:
1). Players are struggling to understand exactly what Pochettino’s tactics are. His defence is changed on a weekly basis, players are left out without explanation and the coach does not seem to know what his best team is. The team fails to press high, chase balls, move into positions which give opportunities and there is little motivation in league games.
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2). Recruitment has been appalling with the new owners throwing money around like confetti in a sport they clearly do not understand. They bought some talented players who are individuals but who rarely work together playing under Pochettino’s guidance.
This has left the coach with a poor Premier League squad in terms of success. A typical example is Nicolas Jackson who rarely fails to disappoint having missed considerable goalscoring chances this season. He did at least score one in the FA Cup win.
3). Conor Gallagher is captain one week, left out of the team the next and was top of Chelsea’s list to be sold. He is still there, in and out of the team, not quite knowing how he fits into Pochettino’s so called strategy.
4). Thiago Silva and Cole Palmer are the only guaranteed Premier League game starters.
5). Chelsea owners fear that sacking Pochettino and his large backroom staff would cost over £10million which means the club, currently fighting off possible charges of breaking the financial fair play rules which limits losses to £105million over three years, would need to sell expensive players to keep themselves legal. Their disappointment of not selling home grown Amando Broja on a permanent deal becomes ever more relevant. Chelsea have already spent £10million paying off Thomas Tuchel and the previous coach Graham Potter is due another £13million.
Make no mistake…Chelsea are in a mess. Pochettino and Boehly have put their faith in buying youngsters and last weekend the only starter over 30 years of age was Thiago Silva. In previous years Chelsea had the backbone of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech to guide the youngsters and deliver silverware. That experience is needed on the pitch now but isn’t available.
It isn’t that the players dislike Pochettino. They are disheartened and training at Cobham underlines that perfectly. When training ends the players leave immediately, no one stays to do extra work and their luxury cars can be seen leaving hurriedly and almost in convoy.
Can Chelsea kick on and use their FA Cup win to inspire them to perform in the Premier League? Monday’s game at struggling Crystal Palace is one they should win and could provide the answer but on Feb 17th they travel to Manchester City and that game will reveal whether Chelsea can unlock their true potential.
Sonny flies back hoping to play
In a surprise defeat against Jordan, South Korea’s semi-final exit at the Asian Cup means captain Heung-Min Son should be available to play for Tottenham against Brighton on Saturday. Sonny flew back to the UK on Wednesday and went to the London Stadium to meet up with Ange Postecoglou. He is fully fit and only jet-lag will prevent him from leading out his Tottenham team.
Klopp’s mistake with Mac Allister
After several conversations at Arsenal last weekend many agreed with me that Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp made an error which he has repeated several times recently. I have witnessed time and again that when Klopp plays Mac Allister in the centre midfield role he struggles and regularly loses the ball. Against Arsenal he was caught in possession too many times and he gave the ball away far too often. There is no doubting that he is a good player but at No6 he is put under pressure which he cannot handle. Arsenal’s Jorginho on the other hand, also playing at No6, did not give the ball away once and he tackled with authority and made accurate passes. It was a crucial part of the game and in many ways dictated who won and who lost. Mac Allister lost possession too many times in the first half and often in deep positions which put his back four under pressure. He is a much better player further upfield.
Martinez will miss Manchester derby
The latest word from Manchester United is that Lisandro Martinez’s injury is confined to a collateral ligament in his right knee. The original diagnosis was an anterior cruciate ligament which would have meant being side-lined for the rest of the season. Fortunately the 26-year-old does not require surgery and it will be up to the medical staff to nurse him back to full fitness. He will probably miss eight league matches including the Manchester derby on 3rd March. Erik Ten Hag has Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans, Raphael Verane and Victor Lindelof from which to choose as Martinez’s replacement for this weekend’s tough match against high flying Aston Villa.
Guardiola answers Haaland rumours
Pep Guardiola has taken the unusual step of dismissing reports claiming striker Erling Haaland is unhappy at Manchester City. Pep says Erling has no plans to leave. Real Madrid are the team who have been making noises about signing him with the Spanish press going into overdrive claiming Erling is on his way to Spain. “Not true” according to Guardiola. Real wanted to sign the Norwegian from Dortmund in 2022 but City won that race. Haaland then scored 52 goals in one campaign and the Blues won the treble…not a bad addition to the Haaland trophy cabinet.
Tripper heading for Germany
Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier has been given permission to talk to Bayern Munich about a summer transfer. I am told he has agreed personal terms and conditions. The 33-year-old’s sale would give Newcastle more opportunities to work within the financial fair play rules as it releases funds they would not otherwise be able to spend.
Arteta wants Jorginho to stay
Gunner’s midfielder Jorginho has a contract until May but Mikel Arteta is hoping to persuade him to stay at the Emirates Stadium. Jorginho started for only the fifth time this season but Arteta was quick to praise his performance in the 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Sunday. He signed an 18 month contract after moving from Chelsea in January last year but has only been able to play in 22 matches because of a foot injury. There is no doubting that Jorginho has the ability to thrive in Arsenal’s midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. Arteta is also aware that he can influence and help younger players given his two European trophies and a European Championship medal which he won with Italy in 2021. Arteta now has to decide how he will line up against West Ham this weekend because Jorginho stepped in for Kai Havertz who moved forward in place of Gabriel Jesus who could return this week. If Jesus is fit to lead the line Arteta will make a decision after Friday’s training on whether he plays Havertz or Jorginho. Thomas Partey suffered another setback in his recovery from a thigh injury and this could give Jorginho more opportunities as the Ghana international often moved up from right back into the midfield. Partey has been out since September and the club are considering selling him at the end of the season.
