"Give our squad the time" - Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly understands fans' frustrations but urges patience with Pochettino's squad
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has sent a message to the Stamford Bridge faithful amid a poor season under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues will almost certainly fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive season. They are in the mix for UEFA Europa League or Europa Conference League football but need to start picking up wins.
Pochettino arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer and expectations were high. He'd overseen a Ligue 1 triumph at Paris Saint-Germain before being sacked in July 2022 for not achieving Champions League glory.
Chelsea have failed to show improvement under the Argentine coach following a 12th-placed finish last season. They've suffered 10 defeats in 28 league games and were held to a 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Burnley last time out (March 30).
The jury is out on Pochettino and the squad Boehly and fellow co-owner Behdad Eghbali have assembled. The American businessman touched on the west Londoners' misfortunes in an interview with Forbes:
"The good news is people care so much. And the bad news is people care so much! That leads to times when they're frustrated with the team and the owners... I get that, but we just have to continue to stay the course."
Chelsea fans have been heard booing Pochettino recently while also criticizing his players such as Raheem Sterling. They've had little to rave about from a positive perspective which has led to disharmony at the Bridge.
Boehly was adamant that Pochettino has an 'unbelievable' squad and they need time to process:
"We just need to let the process develop and give our squad the time to go from being unbelievable individual players with great skills to fold into a team."
Boehly has spent over a reported £1 billion since becoming co-owner in May 2022. The Blues have broken the British transfer record twice by signing Enzo Fernandez (£106.8 million) and Moises Caicedo (£115 million).
However, the youthful squad have struggled to meet fans' expectations. Boehly and the rest of the hierarchy have a long-term plan but patience is wearing thin.
Pochettino tells fans they need to understand Chelsea's owners' project
Chelsea are one of the Premier League's big six clubs and have won the title on six occasions. The Roman Abramovich era saw them dominate English football and rival Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
However, Abramovich handed over the reins in 2022 due to being sanctioned by the British government for Russia's war in Ukraine. Fans slammed this decision and have felt the repercussions of a rushed sale.
Pochettino sympathized with Chelsea's new owners because they came into a difficult situation. The Blues boss suggested fans need to give them time (via One Football):
"I'm going to support the owners. They arrived in a very difficult situation. They're trying to develop a different project. Fans need to understand it's a new project. What we can't say is they're not investing and that they don't have good intentions. They are suffering."
Pochettino may have his own future to be concerned about as Chelsea continue to falter. They're next in action on Thursday (April 4) when they face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and both are in dire need of all three points.