Mauricio Pochettino 'questioned whether Chelsea's £220m midfield pair were strong enough for the Premier League' and 'picked a player for a new role without warning' as more details emerge of Blues exit

Mauricio Pochettino's training sessions at Chelsea were regarded as limited by first-team stars, with the former Blues boss also criticised for picking a player in a position he had never played before for a Premier League game, according to reports.

The Argentinian left his role as Chelsea boss on Tuesday in a shock announcement made by the club stating the involved parties had 'mutually agreed' to terminate their relationship.

He has also been linked with succeeding Gareth Southgate as a future England manager and possibly replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

Pochettino's Stamford Bridge departure stunned players who has worked under him, but it has since been revealed some of those were left underwhelmed by his coaching sessions, as reported by The Athletic.

One highlighted issue came after Pochettino started a player in a role he had never played or trained in before for a Premier League fixture, with the unnamed star only told hours before kick-off.

Meanwhile, the use of both Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in a midfield partnership was deployed by Pochettino as he lacked trust in their abilities to play creative and defensive roles on their own.

Pochettino wasn't privately convinced that Fernandez - who joined in a £107m deal in January 2023 - had the destructive capabilities to be a box-to-box midfielder in the Premier League.

He also held reservations over Caicedo's positional discipline to become an independent defensive midfielder tasked with protecting Chelsea's defence.

The pair formed an unorthodox partnership that Pochettino felt wasn't capable of challenging other top midfields in the English top-flight.

Difficulties at the club's Cobham training ground also saw practice sessions regarded as limited by sections of Chelsea's dressing room who believed the instructions given to them lacked concrete findings.

The 52-year-old was subjected to an internal review prior to his contract being terminated – led by co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Despite confirming a sixth-placed Premier League finish which will carry Chelsea into Europe next season, the club ultimately fell short of securing the Champions League football craved by the owners in return for their billion-pound outlay.

The Blues are now searching for their fourth full-time manager under the new regime after Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter previously departed before Pochettino's arrival.