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11 months ago
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Follow Mail Sport's live blog as Adrian Kajumba answers all the big questions regarding Chelsea.
Was giving the players a day off after the 4-1 loss at Newcastle a good idea? Or would they have benefitted from an extra day's training on the Sunday?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Time will tell. Pochettino issued the threat following the Newcastle loss as if to show he’s not always Mr Nice Guy. Now it’s about how his players respond.
Do so against Brighton and not coming down hard on them for one bad performance will have paid off. There might be long-term benefits in terms of his relationship with his players.
Fail to do so and he might have to follow through with the threat next time. One thing that is certain is Pochettino knows a thing or two about man-management. It’s one of his biggest strengths.
Cole Palmer seemed to settle in well on England duty - do you expect him to make the cut for Euro 2024?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Just like he has at Chelsea. If he keeps up his recent form he won’t be able to do much more to try and get on the plane.
The bigger issue for Palmer in terms of Euro 2024 is not so much him but the competition for those places attacking places.
Chelsea are clearly in the market for a new striker but which other positions are they looking to strengthen in January?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Chelsea will be ready to move to strengthen their squad in other departments if opportunities arise.
It makes sense that centre back is another area being looked at for the coming windows with Trevoh Chalobah and Thiago Silva having uncertain long-term futures.
It seems Nkunku is nearing a return in the not too distant future. What can Chelsea fans expect from him and where will he fit in under Pochettino?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Chelsea fans got a glimpse of Nkunku in pre-season when he appeared to slot in quite quickly and perform like someone who has done so at the level he had.
Unlike some of Chelsea’s other signings he did come with proven pedigree. There will be an adaptation to the Premier League for him though which has to be factored into any judgements.
He can fit in anywhere in the attack but the no10 position looks a good bet. Wherever he is deployed he has the potential to do similar to Cole Palmer and significantly improve them going forward.
Reece James has been great since his return from injury. How will Chelsea cope without him while he's suspended?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: It is for times like this that Chelsea protected themselves by buying Malo Gusto. He missed the trip to Newcastle with a knee problem but if he is back he will be a natural replacement for James against Brighton.
Previously the level dropped too much when James was missing but in summer signing Gusto Chelsea now have a high-level backup.
If he doesn’t make it, Marc Cucurella might have been an option having filled in surprisingly well as a right back but he is suspended for the Brighton game. Disasi has played the position before so could be another alternative.
Chelsea have been linked with both Osimhen and Toney in January - who would be a better fit?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Neither would be a bad choice and it would depend on how Pochettino wants to evolve his attack.
Osimhen would be a huge addition for any team with his finishing, runs and ability to occupy more than one defender at a time. He would be an elite focal point worth adapting any approach to to ensure you are getting the best out of him.
Toney gets his goals, though maybe not as many as Osimhen, but is also capable of helping others get theirs too which could be a consideration with Chelsea having the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling in attack too.
What went wrong at St James' Park? Did Pochettino get his tactics wrong or does fault lie with the players?
ADRIAN KAJUMBA: Probably a bit of everything. Pochettino was critical of his players for perhaps the first time in such a strong manner. He called the goals conceded soft, which was fair, and the game their worst of the season.
Defensively they did not look good. The Newcastle game was also an occasion when there was a lack of response from Chelsea in the more difficult moments which might have come as a surprise given how they responded repeatedly when the going got tough to earn a draw against Man City before the international break.
As for the tactics, the setup was Pochettino’s preferred one but the starting lineup was missing two of his regular defenders this season in Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill, with Benoit Badiashile making his first league start since the end of last season. That disruption may well have had an impact too.
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to Mail Sport's Q&A live blog covering all things Chelsea.
Adrian Kajumba has joined us this afternoon to answer your questions and discuss all the major talking points from Stamford Bridge. Stay tuned!
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