THE SHARPE END: Chelsea have fielded 37 starters in nine months (all bought by seven different managers!)… is it any wonder Mauricio Pochettino’s side look lost?

• Chelsea look like a club with no plan or direction after 37 starters in nine months 
• 17 of those are now not at the club as Mauricio Pochettino looks to bring change
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

When Lesley Ugochukwu lined up for Chelsea against Bournemouth, he became the 37th different player to start for the club in the Premier League this year. 

It’s still September. That is, you might not be surprised to hear, the most of any club in the division. It’s two more even than Nottingham Forest who have treated recruitment since their promotion like the final round on Supermarket Sweep. 

For Chelsea, the sheer number of players — 37! — is ridiculous enough and could get even higher if Christian Nkunku and Romeo Lavia return from injury before the end of the year and once Cole Palmer makes his full debut. 

Yet it’s the make-up of those players that’s most indicative of a haphazard, shotgun club with no clear direction, no plan and no patience. The motley 37 contains players bought by seven different managers from Mauricio Pochettino to Roberto Di Matteo. 

Seventeen of them, despite starting a league game this year, are no longer at the club, either permanently or out on loan. 

Lesley Ugochukwu became the 37th player to start a game for Chelsea this year against Bournemouth

Pochettino, it seems, is trying to bring some calm. Under him, Chelsea have used 15 starters and only three clubs have used fewer. None of the signings from the Antonio Conte or Maurizio Sarri reigns remain. 

Cesar Azpilicueta’s departure wiped out Di Matteo’s remaining influence. Only two of the Frank Lampard era now remain in Thiago Silva, now 39 years old, and Ben Chilwell. The question, as always, is whether he’ll get the time he needs or Chelsea just roll the dice again. 

Chelsea have started at least eight more players than all other PL sides except Nottingham Forest and only six fewer players this season than Newcastle and Brentford combined. 

Seventeen of those 37 have since moved on – with Mauricio Pochettino (L) trying to bring calm amid his Chelsea revolution

These are the 37 players to start a PL game for Chelsea this year and who signed them.

Key: (starts), left club or out on loan

M Pochettino: N Jackson (5), A Disasi (5), R Sanchez (5), M Caicedo (2), L Ugochukwu (1) 

Graham Potter: E Fernandez (23), J Felix (11), B Badiashile (10), M Mudryk (8), N Madueke (7), M Gusto (4), D Fofana (1) 

Thomas Tuchel: R Sterling (16), K Koulibaly (11), W Fofana (10), M Cucurella (9), C Chukwuemeka (4), D Zakaria (4), PE Aubameyang (1) 

Frank Lampard: T Silva (19), K Havertz (18), B Chilwell (15), H Ziyech (5), E Mendy (1) 

Maurizio Sarri: K Arrizabalaga (22), M Kovacic (12), C Pulisic (4), Jorginho (3) Antonio 

Conte: N Kante (4) 

Roberto Di Matteo: C Azpilicueta (9) 

Academy players: C Gallagher (16), T Chalobah (10), R James (8), L Hall (7), R Loftus-Cheek (7), M Mount (6), L Colwill (5) 

Readers of this column will know that, a few weeks ago, we revealed the new referee clampdown had led to such a surge in yellow cards for time-wasting and dissent that we were on course for nearly 600 of them across the season.   

It appears players are cleaning up their act… albeit slowly. After the first 53 games of the season, not including last night’s game at Turf Moor, we’re up to 34 yellows for time-wasting and another 41 for dissent. That puts our new projected total at a paltry 538. For reference, the most over the last 10 campaigns is 214. 

Much of this is to speed up the game and keep the ball in play. Matches are lasting well over 100 minutes now but we’re edging ever closer to the holy grail of the ball being in play for an hour. 

It was interesting to hear Paul Heckingbottom complain last week that draconian referees were stopping Sheffield United from passing out from the back and forcing them to ‘play long’. 

Presumably, they suffered the same injustice last season when they were forced to attempt more long passes than 16 other clubs in the Championship. Bloody refs. 

Paul Heckingbottom claimed referees were forcing his side to ‘play long’ – despite playing more long passes than 16 other clubs last year

Source: Read Full Article