Mauricio Pochettino’s gruelling training regime could be behind Chelsea’s injury crisis and poor start to the season
Chelsea have endured a difficult start to the season, with just one win from their first six Premier League matches and only five goals scored. The west Londoners are currently marooned in 14th place in the table, and have been hampered by a string of injuries to key players.
Former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has suggested that Mauricio Pochettino’s gruelling training demands may be contributing to Chelsea’s struggles so far this season. Lennon, who played under Pochettino at Spurs, believes the Argentine’s training methods could be playing a part in the club’s injury crisis.
Pochettino’s Training Methods
Pochettino is known for his intense training sessions, which often include double and even triple sessions. On whether it is helpful to have stories about the training regime leak out, Lennon told Stadium Astro: ‘No definitely not, and I think that’s the last thing you need. When you’re not getting results on the pitch, and then things are coming out from inside the dressing room, it makes it all a little bit of a circus.’
The former Spurs star added: ‘If you do look at the injury list, I actually looked at it and thought [about] Pochettino’s training methods. He does change the training routine. He did it when he came to Spurs. Some of our players, we did struggle at the beginning because it was a completely different load and maybe that is playing a part.’
Chelsea’s Struggles
Reflecting on Chelsea’s start to the campaign more generally, Lennon continued: ‘I really think Chelsea are in for a tough season. We’ve talked about changing so many players and so many managers, and a lot of these players are really young, they’ve not played in the league and they’ve come for big, big price tags. The pressure of what Chelsea fans expect, they’re not going to accept this. They’re on five points in six games, no goals in three games. For Chelsea? It’s unheard of. They’re under massive pressure and I really think Pochettino has got a difficult, difficult task at hand.’
Conclusion
Chelsea have endured a difficult start to the season, with injuries to key players and a lacklustre performance on the pitch. Former Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon has suggested that Mauricio Pochettino’s gruelling training regime could be contributing to the club’s struggles, with some players struggling to adapt to the new regime. It remains to be seen whether Pochettino can turn things around at Chelsea, but one thing is certain: he has a difficult task ahead of him.