Mauricio Pochettino’s demeanour on the Chelsea touchline has become increasingly despondent as the weeks pass.

The Argentinean had every reason to believe that his lavishly built team would be performing far better than their present Premier League standing of 11th, and while injuries have played a part, they are by no means an acceptable explanation.

The Blues have barely displayed glimmers of their talent in the 2023–24 season, and they are currently about where they were at this point in the previous campaign.

The reasons behind Chelsea’s poor performance are explained in detail by The Athletic (subscription required). It’s also a sign of how tense things are behind the scenes to learn that Pochettino and his staff are essentially leaving the tactical elements of training to the players’ own initiative.

Is it any surprise, then, that Chelsea appears to be a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit during the weekend?

Pochettino won’t be in this position for very long if things don’t improve soon and he can’t control this collection of players.