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Paul Merson has urged Chelsea to keep faith in Mauricio Pochettino despite the Blues' disappointments this season. The west London club are struggling for the second season in a row in the Premier League despite their lavish spending as well as several managerial changes.
Mauricio Pochettino took charge at Stamford Bridge in the summer after a disastrous 2022-23 season that saw the Blues finish 12th in the table. However, things have not quite worked out for the Argentine as they continue to languish at the bottom half of the table.
Chelsea find themselves 12th after 16 games into the new season and quite naturally, Pochettino's job looks under threat. However, Paul Merson reckons that the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss deserves more time at the club. He insisted that the Argentine manager does not have a good enough squad at his disposal and that is letting him down.
Merson wrote in his Sky Sports column:
"Mauricio Pochettino deserves time. He is a good manager but it doesn't matter how good you are as a coach if you don't have the players. You have to have good players at the same time as being a good coach. It's as simple as that. Pep Guardiola isn't taking Rochdale through the leagues to win the Premier League."
Merson also insisted that even if the Blues sack Pochettino, there are no quality replacements available in the market, writing:
"You don't become a bad manager overnight. You just need good players, and you need them fit. At the moment, Pochettino doesn't have good players all over the pitch. That's the problem. And who are Chelsea going to go and get if they replace Pochettino? Managers don't grow on trees.
"He is a very good manager but you can't get away from the fact that good managers need good players."
Chelsea have won just five of their 16 Premier League games this season while drawing four and losing seven. They lost 2-0 against Everton at Goodison Park last weekend.
John Obi Mikel slams 5 Chelsea players after Everton defeat
Former Blues midfielder and two-time Premier League winner John Obi Mikel has hit out at five players following their 2-0 defeat against Everton. Mauricio Pochettino's side suffered their seventh league defeat of the season at Goodison Park which seemingly infuriated the former Blues cult hero.
Mikel hit out at Marc Cucurella and Armando Broja and claimed that they aren't good enough to play for the club. He also insisted that he wants to see more from the club's record signings Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo (via English journalist Simon Phillips):
"Cucurella is not Chelsea standard. We need to see more from Caicedo and Enzo - two really good players who need time. Broja is not at the Chelsea level."
Mikel also claimed that striker Nicolas Jackson is not good enough to lead the line for the Blues and urged his former club to sign his compatriot Victor Osimhen. He added:
"I have my doubts on Jackson. We need a striker. Victor Osimhen would give us goals when he comes to Chelsea."
Mauricio Pochettino is understood to be under all kinds of pressure after a dismal start to life at Stamford Bridge. The Evening Standard's Nizaar Kinsella has reported that the Argentine wants backing from the hierarchy to improve on all fronts.
