Mauricio Pochettino is in for a difficult first day as the new Chelsea manager at Cobham training ground. The 51-year-old has been heavily linked with the vacant head coach position at Stamford Bridge for a while now, and he could be in for his toughest challenge yet.
football.london understands that Pochettino agreed a deal earlier this month to become the Blues' new manager at the end of the season. After weeks of positive talks, the two parties finally reached an agreement and he's expected to sign a three-year deal.
The former Tottenham boss will have a full pre-season to get his feet under the table and begin planning for next term. While the Argentine may be planning his first signing, the west Londoners' performance against Newcastle on the final day of the Premier League season proves his first port of call should be on training pitches at Cobham.
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The Magpies walked the ball into the net at Stamford Bridge inside the opening ten minutes though none other than Anthony Gordon. Like statues, Chelsea were routed to the spot as Eddie Howe's side carved them open, further highlighting a need for extensive defensive coaching, with Chelsea now without a clean sheet in 11 games.
Earlier in the week, Lampard admitted that the Blues players have not been training at a high enough level to consistently win Premier League matches. This is quite the wake-up call for Pochettino.
"It’s a question I think as a professional at the top level, will be asked of you in a period of bad form," said the Chelsea caretaker manager. "The only way to answer that is to answer with your performance and it starts with how you work and how you train and how you prepare and if I’m honest collectively that’s been the thing that was quite glaringly short.
"There are a lot of reasons for that, that’s not just a dig, that’s because there sometimes are variables. It’s been a tough season, people talk about the squad size, very valid things.
"At the same time, coming in this short period, you can see, when a group is training and it’s really together and pushing and pushing each other, then good things come and you as an individual improve within that. At the moment, that momentum is not there, it’s clear."
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