Pochettino slammed for dropping key Chelsea star as McCoist names player who’s ‘miles off it’

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino must take his share of the blame for his side’s poor form for failing to play his strongest team, with one absentee particularly notable according to Ally McCoist.

The Blues have picked up just five points from their first six Premier League games so far this season, leaving them in 14th place.

With so many incomings, many of them young players, Pochettino has been cut plenty of slack in his first season in charge, particularly given his squad has been ravaged by injuries.

But McCoist believes the Argentinian boss should be criticised for his team selection.

He said on talkSPORT: “You’ve got to play your strongest team and Ben Chilwell is in Chelsea’s strongest team. I don’t care what anybody says.

“So there has to be a level of criticism at the feet of Poch, I don’t think he’s playing his strongest team. Yes, he’s got injuries.”

Chelsea have scored just five goals in the league despite creating plenty of chances – only them and Manchester City have won every game on xG this season – and new striker Nicolas Jackson has managed just one goal since joining from Villarreal.

And although McCoist is a fan of the Senegal international, he believes Chelsea must sign a top centre-forward.

He added: “He needs a centre-forward, Jackson I like, doesn’t look as though he’s going to score a lot of goals, do you know what I mean?

“With top-class finishers, they make it look as if they’ve got another wee split second right just before they finish. Jackson looks miles off it at this stage. It might come, but he looks miles off it.

“I know he’s got injuries up front, [Armando] Broja was on the bench, he came on against Villa. They’re sadly lacking a centre-forward.

“But you’ve got to cut them slack, got to give them time. Dramatic changes were needed in the squad, dramatic changes were made in the squad. But you’ve got to start winning games.”

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