Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo admits that he struggled to adapt to Mauricio Pochettino’s playing style during his first campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo has revealed that he did not enjoy the team’s style of play under Mauricio Pochettino.
On the opening weekend of the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, Caicedo left Brighton & Hove Albion for the Blues for a British-record £115m fee, providing that all add-ons are activated.
Given the money that was spent on his signature, the Ecuador international did not provide value in his first campaign, albeit performing better than perceived by many critics.
The 22-year-old’s best run of form came during the closing stages of the season, finishing with an incredible goal from the halfway line in a 2-1 win over Bournemouth that secured European football for next season.
Nevertheless, more will be expected of Caicedo in 2024-25, under a different head coach in Enzo Maresca who will adopt a different philosophy.
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“It was very difficult for me”
Many of Chelsea’s squad were disappointed when the mutual decision was made for Pochettino to leave the West Londoners, yet it appears that Caicedo holds a different opinion.
Comparing his time between Brighton and Chelsea, Caicedo has indicated that he enjoyed how the Seagulls played under Roberto De Zerbi far more than the instructions given to him by Pochettino.
Speaking to Radio La Red, he said: “At Brighton, it was all tactical, just with the ball; tactical, tactical, tactical. And at Chelsea, it was run, run, run and it was very difficult for me.
“With Chelsea, I always ran a bit more and with Brighton we almost always had the ball, with Chelsea it was a different football and we had to run more.”
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Caicedo moved for outside help
Amid criticism over his influence in the Chelsea engine room, Caicedo has also said that he worked with someone to assess his performances away from life with the West Londoners.
He added: “Since February my agent hired a person who reviews my matches and what I have to improve, how to position myself and mentally. It’s helped take pressure off me because I was thinking more about ‘they paid a lot of money for me I have to perform well’.
“I wasn’t focused, not showing my level, after my agent hired that person, I started to improve and gain more confidence.”
Caicedo ended the campaign having made 44 starts and four substitute outings in all competitions. Furthermore, Chelsea did not win a single Premier League fixture in which he did not start.
In a possession-based style under Maresca, Caicedo is expected to retain his place in the centre of the pitch, potentially alongside Enzo Fernandez and former Leicester man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.