Former England player: 'Coach Pochettino is panicking'

According to former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson, the current situation is extremely critical for manager Mauricio Pochettino and the next 10 matches will decide his fate at Chelsea.

"Pochettino said: 'It's a process, and you have to be patient'. When a manager says that, it shows he's panicking. Even he didn't think it would be like this," Merson told Sky Sports on September 25.

The former attacking midfielder, who played for Arsenal from 1985-1997, pointed out Chelsea's dark side by comparing it to Newcastle's form, who had to play Aston Villa, Man City, Liverpool and Brighton in their first six games but picked up four more points. Meanwhile, apart from their sole win over Luton Town, Pochettino's side drew with Liverpool and Bournemouth and lost to West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Pochettino holds his head in disappointment after Chelsea lost 0-1 to Aston Villa on September 24. Photo: AP

Chelsea face Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United in their next 10 games, along with Fulham, Burnley, Brentford and Everton. If they fail to get a positive result, the Stamford Bridge team could face relegation. "If you look at Chelsea's fixtures, you'll be worried about them," added Merson. "The next 10 games are very important."

Sharing the same opinion with Merson, commentator Andy Goldstein said that Pochettino has not left his mark at Chelsea. He gave evidence that the London team has only scored five goals in six matches, including three goals against newcomer Luton Town. Goldstein also said that Chelsea has not played as a true team and has not formed a "backbone" group of players.

Goldstein is not optimistic about Pochettino's chances of staying. He even believes the Argentine coach could leave after the next two matches, against Fulham and Burnley.

Goldstein also criticized Chelsea owner Todd Boehly for investing more than $1 billion in the transfer market since the summer of 2022. He said Boehly made a mistake by spreading himself thin on many different players, instead of focusing on buying top stars. "Chelsea bought a lot of players that they really didn't need," Goldstein added. "They haven't solved the problem of needing a great goalscorer."

Pochettino will lead Chelsea from the summer of 2023, exactly one year after leaving PSG. Before that, the 51-year-old coach reached the League Cup final, the Champions League final with Tottenham, won Ligue 1, the French Cup and the French Super Cup with PSG.

Chelsea are currently 14th in the Premier League, with five points from six games. Pochettino's side are just four points above the relegation zone, and nine points off the top four. Last season, Chelsea finished 12th.

Last summer, Chelsea led the transfer market with a spending of 512 million USD. This figure does not include additional fees. Previously, billionaire Boehly also spent a similar amount in the summer transfer window of 2022 and January 2023. Chelsea's new signing, Moises Caicedo, is currently the most expensive player in Premier League history, with a price tag of 146 million.

Thanh Quy (according to Sky Sports, TalkSport )

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