Former Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has explained why the club is struggling under Mauricio Pochettino this season.
Lampard, who defended Pochettino amid mounting pressure on the Argentine, believes one of the reasons Chelsea is struggling this term is because of lack of confidence and some motivation amongst the squad.
Chelsea have been in disarray ever since co-owner Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich with an embarrassing 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season before a slow start this season, with Pochettino’s side winning just one of six games.
“I’m not surprised by some of the difficulties, having lived it firsthand at the end of last season,” Lampard told Sky Sports.
“I came into a club where it had been eight months of poor results under top managers.
“I could see the issues with confidence and maybe some motivation amongst the squad. It was such a big squad with unprecedented numbers, and some felt their time was up at Chelsea or that the club was trying to move them on. I lived with that feeling.
“I think [Mauricio Pochettino] will get patience and I think he deserves it. He’s a man that comes with a big pedigree as a coach and I have already referenced some of the issues I felt and saw and he will have his own version of that.
“We all want to perform as well as we can and he needs time. As a coach, I know xG is an indicator of sorts. When you get in attacking areas, you are, as a coach, sometimes reliant on finishing and your players.
“So he will be frustrated with that because that is what gets you a good start going into that run of games, which breeds confidence.”
