Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it crystal clear to co-owner Todd Boehly that he will need time to succeed at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine has made a troubled start to his tenure, with Saturday’s defeat to Brentford consigning his side to the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Blues fans were desperate to draw a line under last season and start afresh with Pochettino’s appointment. But the same old problems are proving hard to solve, and a lack of cutting-edge in front of goal has seen the former Tottenham boss register only three wins in 10 league matches.
Brentford were the latest team to produce a shock result, with goals from Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo sealing a 2-0 win. Shockingly, the Bees have won more games at Stamford Bridge in the past seven months than Chelsea have.
But with Boehly’s transfer policy built exclusively on acquiring young talent, Pochettino has sought to give himself some breathing room by claiming that the need for time is inevitable.
“We have tried to identify [the problem] but it’s not only happened from the beginning of this season, it’s also from last season, with different coaches,” he said. “Yes, it’s something we need to fix.
“I don’t say I’m worried but, of course, we’re trying hard to find the solution. The key is to create a good atmosphere. You need to have the right feeling with the fans and team.
“The team needs to translate the ideas the fans can trust – and it goes both ways. But that can only be done with time and by playing more because we are still so young as a team. You need time, because although too many things are wrong, it’s about maturity.
“It’s not about the fans, the club, the badge – it’s about this team being young. We have to match the level to always be competitive and at our best. With the squad all fit, and that’s not an excuse, this team will grow, for sure.”
A lack of potency up top was clear to see against Brentford. Chelsea racked up 17 shots but only two of them were on target, and neither of them breached goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Blackburn Rovers are next up for Pochettino and co in the Carabao Cup, before a daunting run of Premier League fixtures starts against table-toppers Tottenham next Monday.
