Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca given training message as star man dishes dirt on Pochettino

New Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been warned to avoid gruelling fitness sessions next season if he wants to get the best out of the club’s record signing Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian arrived from Brighton for a £115million fee last summer, but initially flattered to deceive under Mauricio Pochettino before showing flashes of his best form later in the season.

The 22-year-old was instrumental as the Blues rallied in the final weeks to finish sixth, only for Pochettino to then depart the club at the end of the season.

But he’s now opened up on his struggles to justify his huge fee, that also signified a British transfer record.

Speaking to Alfonso Laso, Caicedo took aim at the Argeintian’s training methods, arguing sessions left him fatigued and lacked time with a ball. “With Pochettino, he was big on fitness,” he said. “That was not the case at Brighton.

“When I arrived at Chelsea it was difficult because at Brighton it was all tactical, tactical, tactical, only with the ball. At Chelsea, it was running, so it was hard for me, but then I adapted little by little.

“It wasn’t good for me because the games are intense. At Brighton, we almost always had the ball, rarely turned it over. At Chelsea, the football was different, so we had to run more.”

Caicedo’s debut season at Stamford Bridge came under scrutiny early on, following a nightmare display in a 3-1 defeat at West Ham in August. And his early season form raised question marks over Chelsea’s decision to sign him, having faced stiff competition from Liverpool.

The player himself admitted the price tag weighed heavily on him before finding his feet. But he did acknowledge he had the “support of Pochettino” amid the criticism, and also explained how he turned things around.

“I was more aware that I had to do things because they paid a lot of money for me, I always have to do things right,” he added. “That bothered me. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t show my level, so my agent hired this new person.

“And little by little I gained more confidence and took more risks. He told me it didn’t matter how much Chelsea paid for me because they know what I am worth. From there, I began to loosen up a little.”

Caicedo finished the campaign with 48 cub appearances to his name, and one goal. That proved a stunning strike on the final day of the season, scoring from 50 yards in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth.