Chelsea's recent 2-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford has left many, including former player Joe Cole, feeling sorry for manager Mauricio Pochettino. The loss, which leaves Chelsea languishing in 11th place in the Premier League, has sparked calls for a better club structure and improved connection with fans.
Pochettino, the former Tottenham boss, arrived at Chelsea in the summer following the dismissal of Graham Potter and Frank Lampard's interim spell. However, his tenure has been marked by instability and a perceived loss of connection with the fans.
Cole was present at the Brentford game and expressed his disappointment at the club's current state. He described the club as "very unstable" and called for the owners to take more accountability and improve the club's structure.
Speaking after Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Brentford, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole said:
“I feel sorry for Mauricio, same as I felt sorry for Frank [Lampard], I felt sorry for [Graham] Potter and Thomas Tuchel, because they're all top managers, and you're coming into a club which is very, very unstable.
“The new owners have come in, and they've been in there a while now. And one of the points we’ve said, we want stability, continuity, but it's one thing saying we're going to have these things as our culture, but then on the flip side, you're changing managers at strange times, the planning on signing players is not being explained to the fans or even explained to the players or the manager.
“So I feel sorry for the coaches, and their heads ultimately will roll like the previous managers before them, but if you're going to have these things that you live and die by – this is what we are at Chelsea, we're going to grow young players, we’re going to do stick with the managers."
Chelsea's recruitment strategy questioned
Chelsea's recruitment strategy under new owner Todd Boehly, who purchased the club in May 2022, has also come under scrutiny. Boehly has tied multiple players down to significantly long contracts, a move that has left Cole and others confused.
Eni Aluko, a former England international, shared Cole's frustration but expressed more faith in the club's recruitment strategy. She identified Chelsea's lack of goals as a significant problem, with the Blues having scored just 13 Premier League goals from 10 games. Aluko suggested that Pochettino should consider buying Victor Osimhen from Napoli in the January transfer window to bolster the team's attacking options.
Peter Crouch, another pundit, echoed Aluko's sentiments about Chelsea's lack of options up front. Despite the significant amount of money spent on the squad, Crouch expressed bafflement at the team's lack of firepower.
As Chelsea continues to navigate this challenging period, fans and pundits alike will be watching closely to see if these recommendations are heeded and if they can turn their fortunes around.
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