"Nobody can tell me this team is improving!" - Pundit unimpressed by Chelsea's performances this season under Mauricio Pochettino
Journalist Julien Laurens has slammed Chelsea for their lackluster performances under Mauricio Pochettino this season. The French reporter believes there has been no improvement in the club's form since the Argentine's arrival last summer.
The Blues cruised past Championship side Preston North End at Stamford Bridge in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday, January 6. Chelsea secured a 4-0 victory thanks to goals from Armando Broja (58'), Thiago Silva (66'), Raheem Sterling (69'), and Enzo Fernandez (85').
Speaking after the win, ESPN pundit Laurens said (as quoted by FourFourTwo):
"Nobody can tell me this team is improving! I don’t see any improvement week after week, game after game. But how long? This is January 2024 now; he’s [Pochettino] been here since the 1st of July. I want to see something...The full-backs don’t participate in anything really. Those attacking midfielders don’t do much either."
He added:
"They never used him [Mykhailo Mudryk]; they never used his pace or his skillset and I just don’t understand where they’re going. I don’t see patterns of play; I don’t see finding the third man; I don’t see anyone running into space. I don’t see much really..."
The Blues were in dismal form amid instability at the club during the 2022-23 campaign, running through three different managers. The west Londoners finished in 12th place in the league, losing out on any form of European football.
Chelsea then appointed Pochettino as head coach ahead of the current term and spent over £400 million on transfers but things haven't turned for the better. The Blues find themselves in 10th in the league standings, recording eight wins, four draws, and eight losses. They are currently 12 points adrift of the top four.
"We are going to have a chat" - Mauricio Pochettino on whether Chelsea could sign Liverpool legend
The Daily Mail reported earlier this week that Liverpool legend Jordan Henderson is unhappy in the Middle East and is keen on a return to the Premier League.
The England international left Anfield last summer to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. His decision received a lot of criticism as homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia and Henderson has publicly advocated for the LGBTQ+ community in the past.
This is understood to have played a factor in the midfielder's decision to return to the English top tier, along with the tough playing conditions in the heat. The former Liverpool captain is reportedly open to offers from any Premier League team.
When asked whether Chelsea could potentially sign him, Pochettino said after the Preston win (via Metro):
"We didn’t talk about names. At the moment we are not talking about players. I saw [co-owner] Behdad Eghbali with [co-sporting directors] Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley. I think tomorrow we are going to have a chat. We didn’t talk about names or players. For now we are focusing on players like Andrey Santos."
Chelsea will next return to action against Middlesbrough away in the EFL Cup semi-finals first leg on Tuesday, January 9.