Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Chelsea's league position could be higher if not for the squad's youth and the number of new signings this season. Following a 4-2 loss to Wolves and an FA Cup win at Aston Villa, the manager spoke about the challenges of integrating 16 or 17 new players.
The Blues currently sit 11th in the Premier League, having lost ten games. Pochettino emphasised that the issue is not individual players' ages but the team's collective inexperience. “The problem is not that the players are so young. The problem is that the team is young,” he said, noting the difficulty of building cohesion with so many arrivals.
Pochettino defended his selection decisions, stating he does not consider age when picking the team. He cited injuries to defenders Benoît Badiashile, Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Wesley Fofana as factors limiting his options. When asked about veteran Thiago Silva's recent form, he insisted all players are assessed equally after each match.
The manager declined to single out Silva, who was dropped for the Villa replay after a poor display against Wolves. “I always make my decisions trying to provide good balance to the team. I don’t look at the passport or the age of the player,” Pochettino added.
