Young Players Struggling at Chelsea - Manager Takes Blame

But that doesn't compensate for the expectations set for the new players, and it is a crucial issue for the manager as they try to complete the season.
Since taking up the job, Mauricio Pochettino has had several mountains to climb and has yet to arrive at a definitive working model.
Recently, he was vocal that the younger players at Chelsea are struggling to deal with the pressure mounting around the team with high expectations from the fans with Chelsea tickets.
Under Todd Boehly's ownership, the club made significant headlines with the massive transfer budget early in the season, which set the tone for the high expectations.
But the Blues have yet to reach the heights expected after spending more than £1 billion ($1.3bn) on the squad.
Chelsea is now in the bottom half of the Premier League table and squandered arguably their best opportunity to secure silverware after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool.
It was one of those moments that could've covered up for the season's misery, but Chelsea could not get through the line against a Liverpool 'B' team.
Speaking ahead of the FA Cup as they try again for a trophy this season, Pochettino urged the fans to give the youngsters adequate game time to gain experience.
"One thing we cannot change is to give the players time to gain experience and mature.
"You ask me about Cole Palmer. Not all players have the same process for settling at the club or performing.
We are in a process that, of course, the leading group, the main young players…they struggle a little bit to deal with the pressure to play for Chelsea," he added.
To help the newcomers settle at the club, the Chelsea boss has insisted on organizing several team bonding sessions, including a barbeque at the team's training ground. Nearly 120 staff members were also in attendance.
Speaking of the event, Pochettino said: "There are two nutritionists who will control what they eat. We drink water and orange juice, no alcohol. We do not overeat. (We) Eat protein and a green salad, but no fries.
Pochettino hopes there will be better synergy between the staff and the players through these interactions. The players will learn to understand what it means to be playing for Chelsea.
"Of course, having a barbecue doesn't mean that we will score goals afterward; it is about communication and feeling better.
It is not only a training ground where you come to work; it's home, and we want to create a good feeling between everyone. To get people to fight for the same thing—to win."
While the fans with Chelsea fans have celebrated only a few wins this season, the focus will be on the new season, and the fans will only hope that the remaining games will benefit them in 2024-25.
Chelsea won 3-2 against Newcastle and hopes the next few games end in victories for them.
Just as Chelsea was opting to look at managing their financial situation after the big signings, they still might have to pay a further £17m in the summer as part of the transfer agreement for Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian, who saw a record signing of £115 million in the summer, was the second most expensive player in the transfer window.
According to the FIFA rules and the clauses of his transfer agreement, clubs Caicedo represented prior will also need to benefit financially. Brighton signed Caicedo from the Ecuadorian Independiente del Valle for £4.5m. Since then, they've earned nearly 100 million pounds from the transfer.
This scheduled 17 million will go to the clubs that the Ecuadorian earlier represented, honoring the efforts put forward from the grassroots level. But this will only increase Chelsea's pressing concerns with the Financial Fair Play issues they are currently dealing with.
The report says Independiente director Franklin Tello has announced that his club will receive the payment, thanks to a FIFA scheme that ensures clubs who sell on youth talent are due a portion of a future transfer fee after their initial exit.
The Ecuador club plans to upgrade its youth training facilities with the recouped money to help more young players rise to the world stage.
Espoli de Santo Domingo, the second-tier side, who helped train Caicedo in his fledgling days, is also in line for $1m, a considerable sum for the minnows.
Caicedo has played 35 times for Chelsea this season and only assisted twice. He was a star in the Brighton outfit, but his style seems somewhat in line with Chelsea's. Pochettino urged the fans with Chelsea tickets to give the youngster time as they are looking at a future star in the next 5-7 years.
The high price tag has severely affected how fans and the media view Caicedo. While he's just had a few assists, one statistic sets him apart.
The midfielder has been vocal that he has had a tough start to life at Stamford Bridge, but the manager has had massive faith in the youngster.
While winning the ball back has been his most vital asset this season, it has to do with passing where he is sitting at the top of the tree as far as the Premier League is concerned.
Mozo Football says Caicedo is making things count for long passes this season. Caiceod has the highest successful long ball rate in the Premier League, which is above 80%, among the players who successfully complete at least one long ball per game, in the league per game.
Financially, Chelsea isn't looking too good. After a heavy spend, Chelsea recorded a £90m pre-tax loss for the 2022-23 period. There are also fears that Chelsea can repeat their attempt this summer, opting for more experienced faces to complete the club's dream team.