A Chelsea squad that is not built for Mauricio Pochettino – Talk Chelsea

We can debate whether Mauricio Pochettino is a good manager or not all day, but one of the issues we are seeing and has been developing all season, is that this is just not a squad that has necessarily been designed for him, and it’s showing.

Pochettino is a bit of an old school manager, he likes physical players, height, leaders, running, and nonstop intensity. When you look at this current Chelsea squad that has been designed and built by the sporting directors, it is glaringly obvious that it lacks those profiles.

Again, we can debate all day whether we need more of those profiles in this team or not, but Pochettino thinks we do. He’s literally said it publicly. And Pochettino is the manager, the one being asked to get a tune out of them.

I’ve said this many times before, but we are either backing Pochettino or we aren’t, and we need to decide what we are doing. If we are building a team without giving the manager what he is asking for, then maybe we should just move the manager on and bring one in who can perhaps be more flexible to the squad rather than needing players to play his way, or his style of football? Wouldn’t that be much smarter if the whole ‘let the sporting directors build the team’ route is the one we are going in?

I’ve said before, the route we are going should be with a head sporting director in charge of it all, one that has experience building teams and squads. Because this squad build has been naive at the very best, and mistakes have been made.

Pochettino has been crying out for the profiles that he likes and feels he needs to succeed here at Chelsea, but for whatever reason that has been ignored. I understand that the profiles and opportunities have maybe just not been available this window, but I refuse to believe that over the last two windows we could not have at least given Pochettino more of what he wants in this team – height, physicality, proven PL experience, leadership, and energy.

I will always preach balance. A team full of the above mentioned profiles is never going to be successful, nor will a team full of just technically gifted and aesthetically pleasing players. We need both.

We lack a core of focal and tough players, especially up top. We lack a core of physicality. And we absolutely lack proven leaders. We lack players who can protect and keep hold of the ball under immense pressure.

I think we are approaching a crossroads once again, unfortunately, and if we are continuing with our recruitment plans and strategy as we have been in the last two/three windows now, then I honestly don’t think Pochettino is the man to lead this anymore, as much as it pains me to say that.

In terms of man-management he is fantastic, and he has been great for a young group of players. None of them dislike him and there is no dressing room unrest.

But it’s clear what kind of players he wants in his squad to succeed, and we lack them. Unless we are addressing that, which it clearly looks like we aren’t right now, then maybe we need more of a pragmatic and adaptable manager in the door?

I’m not saying that is the right thing to do by the way, I’m just saying what’s the point in keeping a manager if we are not backing them and they want specific profiles to really see the best out of them?

This is NOT me calling for Pochettino to be sacked, far from it. We are just not aligned as a club and need to pick a direction – I know what direction I would pick and what we SHOULD be going in.

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