Joe Cole has weighed in on Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a critical week for Chelsea.
The Blues are ninth in the Premier League and 12 points clear of fourth-placed Aston Villa, but will focus on domestic trophies this week.
Championship Middlesbrough visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and hold a one-goal lead in the Carabao Cup semi-final while Villa await Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie, but Cole does not believe this week will improve. Pochettino.
“Pochettino is doing a great job. I think the club is not there and everyone needs to get behind Mauricio and really get behind his team because it will take it away,” Cole was speaking to the media at the launch of the Green Football Weekend at Wembley.
“No, I don’t think it is (to commit a breach). I really don’t. What I took from the club is the element “we go here, they and there are young players “. People at the top clearly believe that bringing in these younger players and working with the manager will pay off later.
“I think it will take time. “Pochand#039; carried himself very well since he got there and did a great job. He’s doing the right thing, trying to take the pressure off the players because it’s not a Chelsea last 20 team. 25 years.
“It’s different team, growing Chelsea are happy eighth in the league, let alone 12th like a few weeks ago, but you have to stay with them and let them grow. Let them become key team players.
“Until the end of the season, the performances must improve and something that you can hold. I don’t think there are requirements for European football, I don’t think trophies are required and we had a reality check.
andquot;Here we are and we must build. Unfortunately in football it is step by step.
“It’s not like we’re going to buy five more players and maybe we can compete with Man City. We’ve got to go into the summer, sort out the next two or three contracts, rebuild, get a little better.
“Hopefully, if you make more good decisions than bad, you’ll get back there”
The pressure will mount if results don’t go Chelsea’s way this week and one of their top managers is back on the market following Jose Mourinho’s sacking from Roma.
While Cole played down Pochettino as a potential replacement for his old boss, he insisted that all of England’s top clubs would speak to Mourinho if the job was available.
“In my opinion, he succeeded everywhere he went and he is still a top executiv”Cole added.
“All the main clubs in England, if one of them changes manager in the next six months and he is out of work, he will be talked about and there will be a real conversation because he can still manage someone”.
