Moises Caicedo makes shock admission about Mauricio Pochettino & Chelsea struggles | OneFootball

Moises Caicedo has admitted he struggled to show his best form under Mauricio Pochettino because of the former Chelsea manager's focus on fitness work.

A £115m signing from Brighton & Hove Albion, Caicedo struggled to adjust to his new home initially but eventually turned things round and played a key role in Chelsea's rise back up the Premier League table late in the season.

Speaking to Alfonso Laso, Caicedo opened up on the issues transitioning from life under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton.

"With Pochettino, he was big on fitness. That was not the case at Brighton," he explained. "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 took a while to settle in / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

Caicedo also confessed he struggled to deal with the mental pressure that came with his high price tag, with criticism from his new fans also weighing heavy on his mind.

"At the beginning, some fans attacked us a little bit because we weren't doing well, any of the new signings, so they attacked us," he continued. "It was difficult for me because at the start I preferred playing away games over home games, because at home, it felt like everyone was attacking me. But I always had the support of Pochettino.

"In February, my agent hired someone to help me position myself better. After I finished a game, we always watched it back to see what I could improve on. He also helped with my mind, how to work under pressure...

"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. 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."