'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf has hit out at the club's owners insisting that their policy is letting the Blues down. The former French defender has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino is not to be blamed for the west London side's shambolic season.
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, February 25, at Wembley with Virgil van Dijk scoring in the 118th minute. For the Blues fans, it certainly felt like an opportunity missed. Jurgen Klopp was forced to field a host of academy players in extra time because of an injury crisis.
Mauricio Pochettino was under a lot of pressure in recent weeks due to his side's poor form. The defeat to Liverpool has made things even worse for the Argentine manager.
However, Frank Leboeuf has defended the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss. He claimed that the problem lies in the way the club have operated since their takeover by Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital in the summer of 2022.
The former World Cup-winning former France defender hit out at Boehly's policy of signing only talented young players for big fees. He claimed that experienced players are also needed to guide the young talented players towards success and his former club have overlooked that.
Leboeuf said on Football 365 on behalf of BetVictor:
“There is a poison at Chelsea that was there before Pochettino arrived and you cannot expect him to get rid of it quickly. When Pochettino signed for Chelsea… what can he do? The poison is there, that’s what the problem is for me.
"I want to see what he (Pochettino) can do if he is given the players he needs in the attacking positions, but he doesn’t have that at the moment."
He added:
“The owners decided to go for a business model that could make money by signing young players, but that takes time. Chelsea don’t have that time.
"A football club is made up of experienced players and talented young players. When you only have talented young players, it gets very tricky. They don’t know how to react in difficult circumstances."
Leboeuf has claimed that the policy of signing young players and demanding immediate success is not right. He also claimed that such policy doesn't work at a club like Chelsea who are expected to contend for every trophy every season. The Frenchman said:
“We all know that you need a mix of everything. As long as you think this way and just sign young players, you will struggle at some point. Pochettino cannot give them experience on the training ground, so what can he do? I’m sure he (Pochettino) knows he needs a more convincing player up front and a No.10, so he has to be given a chance to get those players in and then we can see what he can do."
He added:
“How can they spend £1billion on players and have these results? It makes no sense.
"You see them losing against a Liverpool side with so many young players and you wonder where that money went. That money went on players for the future and not the present, but this is not how it should work at Chelsea. If you are at RB Leipzig, you can sign young players and give them time to develop, but Chelsea is different."
The Blues have spent over £1 billion on transfers during Boehly's reign but things have not gone their way on the pitch. They finished 12th in the Premier League last season and are currently sitting 11th in the league table.
Florent Malouda claims former Chelsea manager is the only one who can save the Blues now
Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has claimed that only Jose Mourinho can save the Blues from their current predicament. The west London side have gone downhill over the last couple of years despite their massive investment in new players.
Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League and things don't look promising for them this season either as they are currently 11th in the table. To make things worse, they lost 1-0 to an injury-depleted Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
With Mauricio Pochettino evidently under pressure, Florent Malouda has claimed that Jose Mourinho is the only manager available who can rescue the Blues from this situation. The former France international told Ladbrokes Fanzone, as quoted by The Mirror:
“I am not worried about Pochettino. I am worried about Chelsea. In terms of managers, when you look at the options available apart from Mourinho, there is nobody obvious for the job that could make a big difference. I believe in stability, and I believe the club should support the manager and include him more in the process of picking players in the club strategy."
Malouda added:
“I definitely think we need to stick with Pochettino. Instead, we need to bring people on board now who can back him up and help him develop his ideas.”
Jose Mourinho is a fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge for what he has done for the club in the past. The Portuguese managerial mastermind had two glorious stints with the Blues and won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups. The former Manchester United boss is currently without a job after being recently sacked by AS Roma.
