5 issues Mauricio Pochettino must address to avoid Chelsea sack

When Mauricio Pochettino arrived at the club last summer, Chelsea fans began feeling as though the tide was about to turn and they were finally set to escape mediocrity.

And yet here we are, in the second half of the season, and Chelsea are struggling big time. A 4-2 loss to Wolves saw them tumble into the bottom half of the table, having already spent the vast majority of the campaign looking up at the rest of their rivals.

Whether you're blaming Pochettino, the players, the ownership or a combination of all three, there's no escaping the fact that the responsibility falls on the manager to turn things around. Chelsea need major changes to get out of this slump, and here are five issues Pochettino should look to address first.

Meritocracy in attack

Pochettino publicly (and correctly) called out Mykhailo Mudryk recently by admitting the Ukraine international has not been good enough to justify regular starts. Cool. That's the right move. The problem is, however, that the rule doesn't seem to apply to everyone.

While this is no dig, it's undeniable that the high-earning, experienced head of Raheem Sterling has hardly been pulling his weight either, but the England international remains a fixed starter based solely on his reputation.

You could argue that Chelsea's injury crisis has made it hard for Pochettino to drop Sterling, but in reality, that leads us on to our next issue.

Rotation and academy use

Muscle overloads have been common this season, with Pochettino reluctant to turn to his fringe players or even give more of the academy gems the opportunity to prove themselves.

Granted, it's a massive risk for a manager under this level of pressure to take, but Pochettino has plenty of in-form talents at his disposal if he is prepared to turn to his youth setup. Strikers Donnell McNeilly, Ronnie Stutter and Jimmy-Jay Morgan have all impressed this year, as has winger Tyrique George, midfielder Leo Castledine and a whole host of other players who undoubtedly could bring something different to the team.

Not only is Pochettino not using them, but he's almost disrespecting them by repeatedly naming two goalkeepers on his bench. The boss recently hailed Deivid Washington, a £17m signing during the summer, as a potential replacement for Armando Broja after his loan to Fulham, only to leave him out of the squad entirely for the Wolves Game. What message is that sending? That you've got less chance of playing than a third-choice goalkeeper?

Caicedo and Enzo's purpose

As rivals fans have gleefully pointed out all season, Chelsea have the most expensive midfield of all time. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo cost a combined £222m and yet neither has come anywhere close to meeting that sort of expectation.

Both Fernandez and Caicedo have had their moments - the latter has attracted particularly unfair criticism at times - but it's clear the system is failing them. A video clip from the recent Liverpool defeat which featured Caicedo left to combat the midfield press on his own went viral, with fans questioning just what the players are being asked to do.

If the players are bad, it's Pochettino's job to find a way to protect them. If they're struggling with the system, it's still Pochettino's job to find a way to protect them. It all comes back to the boss, who has not found a way to shield his most expensive duo.

Is four in defence the way forward?

Chelsea look very frail at the back these days. With the full-backs asked to get forward, the Blues are often left with just two defenders back, one of whom is 39-year-old Thiago Silva.

Silva can still do a lot of things at an incredibly high level, but he's aggressively exposed in a system which relies on him being able to match pace with any and every Premier League forward. He's also susceptible to a poor decision which carries him away from the back line of defence anyway. Basically, Silva doesn't work in a two anymore.

Adding a third centre-back, while often a sign of defeat, might be the way forwards. Levi Colwill could do with the extra support, while Benoit Badiashile also needs a hand to rediscover his best form. Axel Disasi would benefit, as would the returning Trevoh Chalobah and young Alfie Gilchrist, and you've got Wesley Fofana (remember him?) to add into the mix when he recovers. Chelsea have the numbers to make it work.

What's the identity?

We're now over half way into Pochettino's debut season and yet nobody involved with the club have any idea what sort of identity Chelsea are trying to make for themselves on the pitch.

Are they a counter-attacking side? A high-presser? Is it tiki-taka-gegenpress-Sarriball-half-space-buzzword nonsense? At this point, you couldn't even hazard a guess. Chelsea have been so slow and lethargic and spent far too much of this season waiting for Cole Palmer to do something good.

If fans could see an ounce of structure and strategy in Chelsea's play, they may be more forgiving, but the current side look like 11 lads out for a kick-about with their mates from the pub. There needs to be more to this team.

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