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Is it Worth Giving Pochettino Time, or is Chelsea Moving in the Wrong Direction?

After losing in the League Cup final to Liverpool, who played far from their main lineup, the press and fans began actively discussing the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino, who, according to numerous opinions, failed to create a good team. What problems accompany Chelsea this season, and is the Argentine to blame for everything?

Composition and Injuries

Over 1 billion euros have been spent on the squad, but its quality leaves much to be desired. At press conferences, Pochettino was repeatedly asked about his involvement in transfer campaigns, to which the Argentine responded with phrases like "I completely trust the management" and "I am delighted with the squad," which clearly indicates that the Argentine is not given the necessary freedom to build a team, which is definitely not beneficial to the project. Plus, constant injuries to crucial players also must be noticed.

System and Tactics

In almost a year of work, Mauricio has yet to develop a system describing Chelsea's football. Interactions between players still need to be established, there is no clear structure in attack, and rare flashes occur in matches where the Londoners play as the second number or when Cole Palmer (most often), Conor Gallagher, or Raheem Sterling shine.

Here are a few more details:

  • The Pochettino team plays a short pass, but at the same time, they rarely conduct attacks through the central (most dangerous) zone (28%);
  • the finishing problem has not been solved - with 49.94 xG, the Londoners scored only 42 goals, making them the second-worst team in the Premier League in terms of the difference between expected and scored goals;
  • there are also problems in defense, the biggest of which is playing on standards, from where 17% of the conceded goals came.

Results

Looking at the position in the table, one might think that the team has not improved since last season, but that's not true. The critical difference between the two seasons is that last season, the team deservedly occupied its place, while this time, the Londoners fell short of expectations by almost 6 points and should be in 6-7th place, having a game in hand. Chelsea also reached the League Cup final, although they did not win, made it to the 1/4 finals of the FA Cup, and still has a chance for a place in the European cups.

Published by Patrick Jane
04.03.2024