Speaking to the Chelsea official website today, Mauricio Pochettino was asked about his team selection policy, which can be a little controversial at times.
Of course fans are basically never happy with their coach’s selections, especially when results are bad, but there are some Pochettino decisions which continue to mystify fans.
“If you keep your form and you’re the best in every single training session [then you will play],” the coach claimed.
“We’re a meritocracy as a coaching staff and will go with the players who are working the best on the pitch. Misha is a young guy who one year ago arrived here – and we know the circumstances around that – and he needs to improve.
“He has amazing quality and potential, and it is also a collective game. It is not tennis; the players need to perform as a group.
“If you see him, he is amazing, but he needs to adapt and play for the team. The team needs to play for him also. All of that needs time.”
Some people would disagree with that. In fact, today’s lineup slightly contradicts that idea. Carney Chukwuemeka isn’t in the team, when he would argue he should be on merit. Thiago Silva is in the team every week despite his error. If it was a true meritocracy, Mudryk would never get a game at all, as he’s generally so poor when picked.
Still, let’s see who plays well today, and let’s see if Pochettino keeps his word with his next selection. Sadly, to us there is a lot more at work than meritocracy from our point of views. Politics and finances are regular influences on the teams he picks.