Crystal Palace and USA men's defender Chris Richards has urged the handlers of his national team to consider appointing Mauricio Pochettino as head coach, describing him as a refreshing choice. Speaking with Telecom Asia Sport after his side’s impressive 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, Richards expressed that a manager like Pochettino is what his country needs.
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I’m not sure if Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed yet; there are a lot of speculations. The last thing I heard was that he had signed, but I think they were waiting to announce it. He is definitely a world-class manager, and he will be good for us—not just on the pitch, but as a human being, which is an important trait to have. I’m not sure if I have played against any of his teams, but I have definitely watched them, and they are very strong on and off the ball. I think it will be a very good change for us going into the World Cup.
After signing from Bayern Munich, Richards took some time to settle into life in South London, but he’s now a regular under new manager Oliver Glasner. He was part of the team that rallied from 14th to finish an impressive 10th in the league table last season. He has started every game this season for the Eagles, as they battled back from two defeats to draw with Chelsea. The defender admitted that the result showed they are capable of bouncing back after the international break.
Of course, we wished we could have started like we finished last season, but it's only been three games. It's a very long season, and it took us a while to get going last season, so hopefully, we can find that form quickly. We made some good signings that will help the team, and we are hoping to have a long season, so this is just the beginning. Personally, I just want to keep going and helping the team.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner faces the massive task of transforming the team into one that plays an exciting brand of football while also keeping them competitive for a top-half finish. Against Chelsea this weekend, he was fully engaged on the touchline, almost kicking every ball, and ensuring they left Stamford Bridge with at least a point. When asked if the Austrian manager is demanding, Richards added:
He is very enthusiastic and very passionate about his job. It's good to have a manager who cares deeply about his work. He’s that way on the training ground too, which shows just how much he cares. His passion tells you what it takes to make it at this level.
Richards also had praise for two of his teammates, saying defender Marc Guehi is one of the best and crediting the club for doing everything possible to keep him. Guehi was linked to Newcastle all summer, but in the end, he stayed in South London. Richards says he admires the English defender, who is only 24 but plays with the maturity of a 40-year-old.
It’s great to have Marc Guehi with us. He and I are the same age, but it feels like he has 40 years of experience. It's fantastic that the club was able to convince him to stay, and we really appreciate him. Playing alongside him is such a privilege, and his quality is there for everyone to see.
In what has been a challenging transfer window, with Michael Olise joining Bayern Munich and Joachim Andersen leaving for Fulham after a stunning £30 million move from South London to West London, many believe the greatest success for Palace this season was keeping the duo of Guehi and Eberechi Eze.
It was Eze again who stepped up for the Eagles, dropping his shoulder and placing the ball beyond the hapless Robert Sanchez to score the goal that earned Palace a crucial point. When asked what it’s like to have a player like Eze on the training ground, Richards said he is so special that he makes life easier for his defenders.
I think you can see that when Eberechi is on the ball, he is a very tough person to play against. He makes our work as defenders easier when he scores, and today’s goal was very important, especially as it came right before the international break.
