Pochettino aims to avoid a 'mess' as Chelsea eyes more new signings
- by Steven Griffiths , Aug 25, 2023
Mauricio Pochettino said he is worried about making a "mess for the squad" by extending Chelsea's spending spree by signing another forward.
Hampered by injuries to Christopher Nkunku, Armando Broja, Mykhailo Mudryk and Carney Chukwuemeka, Pochettino is considering whether to bring in another attacker ahead of the transfer deadline on September 1.
Chelsea have already splashed out more than £350 million ($442 million) since the end of last season as Pochettino revamps a team that endured a turbulent campaign prior to his arrival in July.
But the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss knows a bloated squad can create its own problems.
"It's easy to say we need maybe another offensive player but I think we have offensive players that need to recover," Pochettino told reporters.
"If you now bring some players that maybe are not fit or need to adapt to the Premier League maybe you are going to spend the same time that you need to wait for Broja, Nkunku or for Carney and then you're going to create a mess for the squad.
"That's why we're trying to work really hard to analyse every single situation and try to take the best decision."
Chelsea confirmed the £17 million ($21 million) signing of Brazilian forward Deivid Washington from Santos, but the 18-year-old may be sent out on loan rather than join the first team straight away.
Pochettino's transfer market dilemma is understandable after a rocky start to his reign, featuring a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and a 3-1 defeat at West Ham.
The Blues will be looking for their first Premier League win this season when it hosts Luton on Friday.
- 'Only a matter of time' -
In the circumstances, Pochettino might feel an experienced forward would aid his hopes of getting results back on track quickly.
With an average age of 23.7 years, Pochettino has the Premier League's youngest squad.
"We will win, we will succeed in the way that the players will buy into the ideas and the philosophy and the way that we play, it's only a matter of time," he said.
"The most important thing is the profile of the player that we need to add. So after he is not going to be a problem when we recover all these players.
"That is why it's not easy but we are trying to do something."
As well as Chelsea's attacking absences, Pochettino is also without injured defenders Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah.
Moises Caicedo, signed from Brighton for a British record £115 million ($144 million), endured a torrid debut after coming on as a second half substitute against West Ham.
But Pochettino called for patience as the Ecuador midfielder and the rest of his new recruits adapt to their new club.
"It's unrealistic if we expect today the best of Caicedo, (Romeo) Lavia, (Axel) Disasi, all the players that arrived in the last moments, with only a few days working with us and starting to compete," he said.
"Of course, if we see the perception of these players and we expect the best of them, yes we should win every single game.
"It's only a matter of time to put it all together and start to perform. I have no doubt about the quality of the squad."
smg/iwd
© Agence France-Presse
Petulant England fans calling for Boehly ouster in three, two.....
It is such a shame to see what has happened to Chelsea, but this fault I put squarely on the owner who looked for short-term benefit...Frank Lampard was on his way of building a good soccer playing team and look at happened....I have no idea what Pochettino plans or how he wants to play, but you saw Lampard listen to his players, suggestion who he should bring in to make the team even better....But instead what we got was a TURBO freak from Germany who wanted to place Oxygen tanks on the players ,had a limited success and then the of cards collapsed
Agreed. Tuchel simply reaped the benefits of Lampard's excellent work developing players. So Chelsea has traded one impatient egotistic owner for another.
Poch is not the sure thing a lot of people think. First, the level of coaching and investment in Prem is way up from his Totenham days. Mid table is far more dangerous than in his day - there are many danger teams. Second, New Castle's Eddie Howe has world class intl players, not like back at Bournemouth, sure Poch can outcoach coach Eddie & Co., then he has to best, Man U, Man City, Liverpool, and maybe Brighton to get in the top 6, all these have top level proven coaches. Long road to put Chesea-Dumpty back together. Chelsea back office smells and acts like PSG, arrogant, but does this is not League 1 - it's the Prem., even the mid table can blow you up if you are not world class, and the lower table will beat you up, if you are not hard enough. Frank, sorry, but Lampard's track record speaks for itself. He had two chance at Chelsea, both went off the rails, he fits right into the culture though, people that think highly of themselves. He should have started his coach career lower and worked his way up by developing players and winning, or, started out with a great mentors. The coach that for me today exemplifies a carefully curated path and success along the way is at Xavi Alonso at Leverkusen. Went to Germany to learn German and play under Pep, ended up playing also under Ancelotti, started coaching Real Madrid Youth, then Real Sociedad B, four years in those contexts.
correction - (not) sure Poch outcoaches Howe.
Humble, Lampards was doing a great job building the team, it was the owner that didn't want to wait..The second time around was a joke. What can you expect to do with the mess Tuchel left do something in a month or more with a team...I saw how Lampard was structuring his team the first time around. I saw the details of each step of what he was doing player wise and playing wise building a soccer team
I think coming back that second time did no favors for the Lampard brand (as they say in talking head world).
R2, you're right. Coming for the second time but only temporarily, knowingly that they were looking for another coach...is not good for Lampards' moral....I guess Lampard did it because of his love for the club and besides, I think the leadership had changed hands as well. I would not have done it....
I've always been puzzled by Lampard's use of Pulisic during his two stints as coach. In the first, he isolated Pulisic on the left side about 25 yards from goal, and let Pulisic create imbalance by beating his first defender. This was the most dangerous I've ever seen Pulisic. Then, in his second stint, no Pulisic, at least, not like the first. I'm not sure what changed and was so hopeful for that to become part of Pulisic's further evolution as a player, but no. It also was a "test that never happened" for what fires me up as a coach: noticing something that might indicate "the next level" in a player and helping that player to get there.
Philip, Don't forget Pulisic was on the team before Lampard became coach, he didn't get him as player. The second time, condering Pulisic was benched most of the time, why would Lampard think he would be savior or contributor to the team that was failing; besides Lampard was leaving after a month or so
Frank, what you describe Lamphard doing is for me, what you do in youth development. Chelsea above all teams is not a development team. The squad you put out, the tactics you employ, the adjustments and subs you make have to have one result - win. That's why I write what I write about Lamphard. Not a big fan. Also - I am not a coach - but i see what Pulisic is doing at Milan - I know what are his weaknesses - they are deploying him in a way - to bring his strength and minimize his weakness. This is what you do. Lampard nore Tuchel did this - the kid is a world class player - he showed this over and over - the only thing stopping him recently was injuries - but more so coaches - and Lampard was in that group in my eyes. Think how Klopp would and did employ Pulisic - this is the way. If you as coach don't do this - they you are sticky to your methodology and not coaching to your talent - and when you move from team to team - that you did not build - you cannot try to make square team fit your round hole. Anyway - just my take. Fan of Lamphard as player - before MLS - but - not as coach.
Humble, This was not a developmental team, what Lampard began to bring in certain player to improve the style of play for instances ,employing shorter passes , that's why he brought in Ziyech from Ajax....Chelsea lacked a good passer and crosser thus he was trying to increase the attacking options and passing productivity. This is no different what Rinus Michels did when he began to build Ajax to improve their style of attack, in which the first year he played man to man defense, than next year changed with switching off the defenders and then he brought in an attacking sweeper who was actually an attacking midfielder....This is how he began to build his 'total soccer' team. This is not developmental but looking to fit in the pieces of what is necessary.....
Humble, he is not a world class player, not by a long shot.... First of all you don't bench a world class player ,no coach in his right mind would ever do that. Pulisic has no idea how to play wing. Now that he's playing in Italy, hopefully he'll learn some more insight about the game that will make him a better player. Realize to the American public he's a star but in Holland he's a nobody and if he was a world class player he would be on the lips of soccer fans....That's just like a Japanese player in Europe is looked on by the Japanese press as a big star , a celebrity, but in Europe he's considered another 'joe blow' soccer player, not some World Class player. A real World Class player takes on a different dimension....
Realize, Pulisic has moved to 3 different teams, of which the first two where Turbo, other than the times he played for Lampard and now he plays a different game and playing on the right side more, instead of the left...Where is he going to play on the NT...on the right???...When you play club ball on the right side of the field, than shifting to play on the leftside on the NT brings in different factors into play that are not automatic, as before. Have you seen that Antony Robinson at Fullham hardly attack and stays back mostly in his own half. If he continues to play that type of pattern, that likewise will effect his play on the NT....These are all elements a NT coach has to take into account...