Joe Cole claims Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has the ‘hardest job in world football’ and urges his former side to stick with the Argentine despite the Blues’ disappointing season

  • Joe Cole has labeled Mauricio Pochettino’s task as the toughest in football
  • The former star supports the current boss and does not want the club to replace him
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Joe Cole believes Mauricio Pochettino has the ‘toughest job in world football’ and urged his former club to stick with the current boss.

The Argentine has been under immense pressure this season as Chelsea struggled for consistency despite having a playing squad injected with more than £1 billion worth of talent.

He has guided the club to the Carabao Cup final and an FA Cup semi-final, but they remain 9th in the Premier League and are still an outside bet for a European spot at the end of the season.

However, continue talking TNT Sports Before the Blues took on Aston Villa, Cole praised the job Pochettino has done in the circumstances and labeled the Chelsea post as the toughest job in football.

‘Is he innocent? Like Chelsea, they are not where they want to be,” Cole said.

Joe Cole says Mauricio Pochettino has the toughest job in football in his current position

The Argentine boss is under pressure this season, but should not be replaced

The Argentine boss is under pressure this season, but should not be replaced

The Blues have struggled for consistency this season and find themselves outside the European places

The Blues have struggled for consistency this season and find themselves outside the European places

“That’s a fact, you know, not where they should be. With the money they’ve spent and the players that have come in and out, I think Mauricio is doing a fantastic job.

‘I think he has the toughest job in world football because I think it’s clear he doesn’t have full control over the ins and outs that come in. That’s for sure.

‘The expectations are enormous and rightly so, because that is what they have been used to for the past twenty years. Chelsea were as good as any club in Europe, with the exception of probably Real Madrid, when it comes to winning trophies competing in this competition. S

So they should just stick with him and move on. Changing managers, I promise you, is not the way to go.”

Chelsea went into Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa six points behind Newcastle in the last remaining European spot, but were still smarting from the 5-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of London rivals Arsenal in midweek.

Todd Boehly has invested over £1 billion into the current squad without any reward

Todd Boehly has invested over £1 billion into the current squad without any reward

Former Blues boss Glenn Hoddle believes Chelsea have no real backbone and need experience

Former Blues boss Glenn Hoddle believes Chelsea have no real backbone and need experience

Yet Cole’s fellow pundit – former Blues boss Glenn Hoddle – agrees the club should stick with the current manager and he should be given time to find a backbone for the team next season.

Hoddle said: “I think there is disappointment. They have to go to the semi-finals. They reached a final. Like I said, sometimes they look good. They look more than okay against the top teams in the league. That consistency is not there yet.

‘I think he should be given more time to achieve that next season. And I think it’s an important season for him. Obviously he needs to start well, but I think if he gets his players back fit, the youngsters would have learned from this experience and discovered what his strongest five or six players are, that you need a backbone.

‘And I don’t think he has really discovered this season that that will help him, if they stay fit and he can play around that.

But this is a bit of a rebuild in many ways, and I think without a doubt he should be given more time.”

Owner Todd Boehly again invested heavily in the team last summer, signing big-money deals for Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku.

These have all failed to deliver on their price tag so far, with Cole Palmer proving to be the best deal for the club at just £40 million.