'That is a problem' - Pochettino opens up on Caicedo's Chelsea struggles
Tom Weber
- 2 Dec 2023 05:16 CST
- 3 min read
Mauricio Pochettino has been forced to acknowledge that Moises Caicedo's start to life at Chelsea has been underwhelming.
The Ecuador international was the protagonist of one of the summer's biggest transfer stories. After already attracting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea in January, the then-Brighton midfielder became one of the most sought-after commodities at the end of the season.
While Arsenal signed Declan Rice, the Blues battled Liverpool for Caicedo's signature. The player had his heart set on a switch to Stamford Bridge and arrived for a British record €134 million. The inflated price tag means that expectations are sky high, perhaps unfairly so given that he is still only 22.
Nevertheless, it must be said that, having played 14 games for the Blues, Caicedo's impact hasn't been quite what many expected. Chelsea have been inconsistent so far in their maiden season under Pochettino and this has affected the defensive midfielder's performance levels.
His lack of influence shows up in the data too, with experts SciSports ranking him 40th overall among Premier League midfielders this term, a stark contrast to Rice in 5th and Man City's Rodri as the runaway leader.
What did Pochettino say?
Speaking prior to Caicedo's reunion with Brighton on Sunday, Pochettino was forced to admit that his record signing has struggled to adapt. "When we signed him we knew what [was] going to happen. He's an emotional guy, an emotional player that needs time to recover."
"It didn't help also the international games, travelling to Ecuador, to South America. That is really tough every single month, two or three weeks then go 10, 12 days away, then come back sometimes with some injury. It's not an excuse but it's the reality. In some situations like his, we need to give time and not to be unfair in the way that we assess him."
"Before this press conference, he was in my office for twenty minutes. It is easy because we speak Spanish. It is a subconscious process and that is a problem, only in time can you adapt."
"We had no pre-season with him. We talk about footballers; it is physical and mental, and there is the talent. If you want to express your talent, you need to be clear in your mind and be good in your legs. Otherwise, it is not possible to move."
