Chelsea favourite Boudewijn Zenden has admitted he fears Mauricio Pochettino will not be given time to put the building blocks in place for the club to be a success under him.
The former midfielder has been speaking to Soccer News about his former club after something of a difficult start to the season.
Pochettino arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer as the long-term replacement for Graham Potter after his unsuccessful spell in charge last season and the short, unsuccessful return of Frank Lampard.
The Argentine’s biggest task was dealing with the bloated Chelsea squad and moulding it into a cohesive unit, a major problem that beset Potter’s time in charge.
A busy summer window of incomings and outgoings helped towards that, but the Blues have endured a rocky start to the season, with three wins, two draws and three defeats in the league leaving them in 11th place.
Their form had started to pick up before the international break, but Zenden is concerned about mounting pressure on Pochettino if it is not maintained.
“I didn’t just play there I also trained there’ so I know what kind of environment you end up in as a trainer,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s easy for Pochettino. I rate him highly as a trainer but there have been several great trainers there that have ended up leaving.
“I have already indicated that I think he is a good trainer but he’s putting a completely new team together and laying the foundations. That takes time and whether he will get that time, I ultimately doubt that. Let’s not be too pessimistic.”
One of the big tasks for Pochettino is getting the most out of the numerous players that Chelsea have brought in since Todd Boehly arrived last summer.
The American has been on a wild spending spree since his arrival, with a particular focus on younger players to develop for the future and perhaps sell on down the line.
One such player in that bracket is Noni Madueke, who arrived in a €35m deal from PSV Eindhoven in the January transfer window.
He’s endured a difficult time at Chelsea since then, failing to impress under Lampard and now currently finding himself out of the picture under Pochettino.
There are plenty already writing him off as a transfer failure but Zenden, who worked with him at PSV, insists he is a player who can still offer something.
“I have worked a lot with him, and he has developed very well,” he added.
“He is of course an attractive player who can make something happen, preferably from the right side and in that role, with his speed, he can cause danger.
“He is a player that we now have at PSV with Bakayoko, maybe Lozano earlier in his career. Those are just players who have a lot of danger and threat, but they must also be functional and achieve a certain return and that is always possible.”
