Chelsea's intense pre-season under Mauricio Pochettino is already leaving its mark on the players.
The new Blues boss has wasted no time having begun work recently, arriving at the club's Cobham training base on Monday in a taxi with his assistant Jesus Perez. Pochettino was renowned for his intensity during his Tottenham tenure and is ready to bring that to west London.
Sessions have so far featured a lot of running and gym work with Pochettino looking to condition the players. Many concede that was a failure previously as Chelsea endured the worst injury record in the Premier League last season with 46 individual injuries.
The approach has been welcomed by the Blues squad with one source telling the Evening Standard: “They have been really worked, it has been a harder first week than the whole last pre-season. They will be machines, this year will be different, these boys are getting worked.”
Pochettino's remit is to improve on the club's immensely disappointing campaign, their worst in more than two decades, as they finished in the bottom half. Huge sums have been spent by their American owners who want a return on their investment, with a top-four spot as the minimum requirement.
The Argentine earned a reputation for working impressively with young players and will have a squad full of them at Stamford Bridge, many of whom have failed to live up to their potential thus far. Pochettino will also have several players on the periphery of the playing group who have uncertain futures.
The new boss has introduced an open-door policy and wants players to come to him if they have concerns regarding transfers, contracts and playing time. “With all of the players, the first thing they do when they arrive is to come to my office and see me. That is what I expect,” said Pochettino.
Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi are among those who were out on loan last term and are unsure where they will be playing going forward. They are set to train in a group away from the first team with the west Londoners very much listening to offers from them.
New signings Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson will join the group on Tuesday and Wednesday this week as they get to grips with their new employer. They are set to get their first taste of action when Chelsea head to the United States of America for a pre-season tour that will see them face Wrexham, Fulham, Newcastle, Brighton and Borussia Dortmund.
