"I don’t care what anybody says" - Pundit slams Mauricio Pochettino for dropping Chelsea star in recent weeks
Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist has laid into Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino for not playing Ben Chilwell in recent weeks. The retired Scottish footballer insists that the Argentine manager is responsible for not selecting the strongest team at his disposal.
McCoist believes a certain level of the criticism hurled at Pochettino for the club's abysmal form is justified as he said on talkSPORT (as quoted by Football365):
“You’ve got to play your strongest team and Ben Chilwell is in Chelsea’s strongest team. I don’t care what anybody says. So there has to be a level of criticism at the feet of Poch, I don’t think he’s playing his strongest team. Yes, he’s got injuries.”
The former Rangers forward also claims that Nicolas Jackson is not cutting it as Chelsea's No.1 striker choice under Pochettino, adding:
“He needs a centre-forward, Jackson I like, doesn’t look as though he’s going to score a lot of goals, do you know what I mean? With top-class finishers, they make it look as if they’ve got another wee split second right just before they finish. Jackson looks miles off it at this stage. It might come, but he looks miles off it."
Chilwell has registered six Premier League appearances this season. He started the first four of those encounters but has made substitute appearances in recent games.
Meanwhile, the Blues signed Jackson from Villarreal this summer for £30 million. He has so far featured in all six of Chelsea's matches in the English top tier, scoring just one goal.
"I think the belief" - Mauricio Pochettino details what he loves most about his current Chelsea squad
The Blues are set to face Brentford in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday (September 27). In a pre-match press conference, Pochettino was asked what he loves most about his current team.
The Argentine manager replied (via Football.London):
"I think the belief. In a very short time that we are together. Realistically, we only started after the transfer window closed. In a few weeks, the team get what we wanted and we are showing the ideas and the way we dominate the game. Every single football person sees Chelsea deserve more but we need goals, we cannot forget that."
The Blues have had a dismal start to the 2023-24 Premier League campaign under Pochettino. The west London outfit are 14th in the standings after suffering three losses, two draws, and winning once in their first six league encounters.