Mauricio Pochettino will take charge at Chelsea this summer. The Blues are a huge mess right now and here are five things he'll have to do as soon as possible to clear it up.
Sell deadwood
Chelsea have a huge squad that needs to be cut short. The Blues certainly don't need so many players considering we're not even in Europe next season.
Deadwood and players who want to leave like Ziyech, Havertz, Pulisic, Auba and others should be sold. This will lead to more harmony and focus in the team.
Convince Kante to stay... or replace him
N'Golo Kante is one of the most important, if not the most important player at Chelsea despite his age and injuries. When he plays, the team plays well.
With an exorbitant offer from Saudi Arabia, it might be difficult to persuade the Frenchman to stay. But Poch should try his best; after all, we've been told he's a great man-manager. If he fails, then we need a replacement, a ball-winning midfielder capable of carrying the ball forward and covering a lot of space. Ugarte is gone so Caicedo probably?
Integrate new players
Who knows who Chelsea will sign in the transfer window but, with so many names linked, we're sure there will be plenty of transfers. Nkunku, Gusto, Andrey Santos will all be coming as well.
They all will need adjustment to a new club; they'll need their roles explained to them and new connections with new teammates created asap. It's on Poch to make sure it happens as smoothly as possible.
Clear pathways for youngsters
Chelsea have so much young talent so every team in the world, maybe except Barca, envies us. Colwill, Mudryk, Madueke, Hall, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Santos, ... the list is far from over.
The problem with Chelsea's treatment of youngsters is that they either ship them out on loans and then sell, or keep them on the bench instead of trusting them in high-pressure situations.
Poch has to make sure the talented players at his disposal actually develop into world-beaters — and he could start with a detailed plan for each of them.
Make them play football again
This is the most important part. Under Potter, Chelsea didn't know how to score goals for their lives; under Lampard, they forgot they are professional football players. Poch inherits a dysfunctional team and he needs to work on that.
Come up with new tactics, instill belief and self-confidence, create set-piece routines, set up attacking and defending patterns — just do what a coach does. And make sure it works.
