Chelsea record signing blasts Mauricio Pochettino’s tactics

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has delivered a scathing assessment of the methods used by former manager Mauricio Pochettino during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as Chelsea manager last summer and his arrival brought a major overhaul of the squad he inherited as Caicedo joined the likes of Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson as the latest additions to the Blues ranks.

Despite failing to play at their best all through the season, Pochettino eventually led the club to a sixth-place finish, a position that secured European football.  The London club will compete in the Europa Conference League when the new campaign gets underway next month.

Mauricio Pochettino speaks with Moises Caicedo before being substituted on to make his debut during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

With Enzo Maresca now in charge, Caicedo, who has been in Copa America duty with Ecuador, gave a damning insight into the differences he experienced between former club Brighton and Pochettino’s Chelsea.

He told Radio La Red: “At Brighton, it was all tactical, just with the ball; tactical, tactical, tactical. And at Chelsea, it was run, run, run and it was very difficult for me. With Chelsea, I always ran a bit more and with Brighton we almost always had the ball, with Chelsea it was a different football and we had to run more. Since February my agent hired a person who reviews my matches and what I have to improve, how to position myself and mentally. It’s helped take pressure off me because I was thinking more about ‘they paid a lot of money for me I have to perform well’. I wasn’t focused, not showing my level, after my agent hired that person, I started to improve and gain more confidence.”

Caicedo will be eager to play at the highest level when he return to Stamford Bridge for a new season under a new manager.