Mauricio Pochettino: Getting to Grips with the Chelsea Squad
Chelsea Football Club have welcomed their new manager Mauricio Pochettino with open arms and the players have already begun to feel the positive impact of his arrival. The Argentine officially began work as Graham Potter’s permanent successor seven days ago and, according to the Daily Mail, has made an instant impact, improving the spirit and camaraderie that was in such short supply over the course of a chaotic 12 months.
Pochettino has already set about trimming the bloated squad that undermined Potter’s chances of succeeding and Frank Lampard’s hopes of masterminding a late season rally during his interim tenure. The players that began training last week are said to have been enthused by Pochettino’s welcoming attitude and decision to put the emphasis on team building.
Frank Lampard had identified a lack of togetherness and fitness as problems at the club. He said: ‘Standards collectively have dropped, I can be honest about that, particularly as it’s the last game, I might not see some of them that much anymore anyway. The standards for a club like Chelsea have to be at a maximum or you won’t be physically competitive enough. Or you won’t get to play at a high level or a high speed like the Premier League demands. If you’re not together in the dressing room, and you’re not vocal in the dressing room driving each other and competitive because I want your place and you want mine and all of those things, any top team has to have that.’
Pochettino will welcome back more of his international stars this week and will have another 10 days or so to work with them before Chelsea embark on their pre-season tour. The Blues are scheduled to play four games in America against Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham and Borussia Dortmund.
The Argentine manager is known for his high-intensity style of play and his ability to get the best out of his players. He has already made an impression on the Chelsea squad and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino will be looking to build on the foundations laid by Lampard and take the club back to its former glory. He has already made some bold decisions in terms of trimming the squad and it will be interesting to see how he sets his side up for the upcoming season.
The Argentine has a wealth of experience in the Premier League and will be looking to use that to his advantage. He is a proven winner and will be hoping to bring that winning mentality to Chelsea.
It is still early days for Pochettino at Chelsea but he has already made a positive impression on the squad. It will be interesting to see how he fares in his first season at Stamford Bridge and whether he can take the club back to its former glory.