Ruud Gullit has given Mauricio Pochettino some important advice ahead of his appointment as the next Chelsea manager. The former Tottenham boss is expected to replace Frank Lampard at the end of the season, and he'll be tasked with trimming down a bloated squad of unhappy players.
football.london understands that Pochettino has agreed a deal to take the helm at Stamford Bridge in the summer. After weeks of positive negotiations, the two parties finally reached an agreement; the 51-year-old will travel to London this week to pen a three-year deal.
While the Argentine will be desperate to implement his fresh ideas, he must first offload at least eight players from a 32-man roster. And, if Chelsea are to bolster the side in the summer transfer window, then Pochettino will have to brutally cut off even more players.
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino's five-man striker shortlist 'revealed' as £517m Chelsea question answered
Ahead of his arrival at the Cobham training ground, Gullit has been warned the prospective Blues boss to tread carefully, claiming that the fringe players are understandably frustrated at being left out, especially when the club is not performing to their full abilkties.
Speaking to The Mirror, as quoted by the Express, the Dutchman said: "There are too many players. Too many good players. How many are there? Thirty?
"If you’ve been bought by Chelsea, then you are at a level and you want to play. But they will complain if they are not in the team. The players who aren’t playing are going to talk badly. That’s normal.
"But if Chelsea win, they have nothing to say. They shut up. And now you have players who are in the team on Sunday and out of it on Wednesday. They are moaning, too. Chelsea isn’t winning. So they all moan.
"There are uncertainties everywhere. And it’s the ones who don’t play who are the ones you have to be careful of. So, the group is too big. It’s creating a horrible atmosphere.
"And they took a gamble, buying all these players and putting them on seven-year contracts. Did they ever stop to think how they were going to sell them if it didn’t click? It doesn’t look like it."
Despite the difficult challenges on the horizon, Gary Neville has heaped great praise on Pochettino. Speaking on The Overlap, the former Manchester United defender said: "I think he [Pochettino] is a really talented coach.
"I think Chelsea next year could really surprise us. Pochettino will bring the club together because he will; he’s likeable, and the players will respect him enormously.
"I think he’ll do a very, very good job next season. He’ll cover a lot of the stuff that’s going on behind the scenes is my prediction. Those players are perfect for Pochettino; they are talented and young, but they just need direction."
READ NEXT:
'Secret' Thomas Tuchel Chelsea transfer plan backfires as Mauricio Pochettino set for £52m boost
Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Man City as Chukwuemeka and Kepa in contention, Koulibaly blow
Badiashile, Kante, Mount: Chelsea injury news and return dates ahead of Manchester City clash
Chelsea have £52m transfer advantage over Liverpool as agent reveals 'serious' bid
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest updates from Stamford Bridge
