Sacking me won’t solve Chelsea problem–Mauricio

Mauricio Pochettino has addressed the media following Chelsea’s dramatic victory over Crystal Palace. The Blues won the match on 89 minutes with Noni Madueke converting from the penalty spot after the winger was brought down by Eberechi Eze before that.

Chelsea had took an early lead when on 13 minutes, Mykhailo Mudryk scored from close range to hand the hosts the advantage. However, a brilliantly taken goal from Michael Olise just before the half-time break made it look as if the game was going to end in a draw.

Madueke, though, stepped up and sent a serious message to Pochettino. Here is everything the Chelsea head coach had to say following the win on a whole host of topics.

“Different players, different ways to play, in the performance. I think we didn’t start well. We didn’t manage well the pressure to play a game that was really important for us. We needed to win.

“Always with a young team like this, it can struggle. We were thinking too much. I told at half-time it’s tough to think because we think, receive the ball and afterwards it is going to be late, the moment to release the ball, to move and find space. We moved so slow from the beginning.

“I think we had chances to score, and score a few more, but I wasn’t so happy to concede in the last minute [of the first-half] because it was a massive impact for the team. But I think the second-half we started well again and can go and play a little bit more.

“I’m so happy because the players from the bench were a very good impact for the team and that is how to realise that we want to be consistent. Sometimes, when the players come from the bench, we need the players to be at their best.”

It looked like you were almost expecting the goal (the equaliser). It looked like you were trying to tell your players that it (the goal) was coming. Was that frustrating for you?

“Yes. The coaches are older and older and we know better because we are older. Not for our knowledge, it’s because you feel things. Yes, that was my feeling that the team started to struggle a little bit. A lack of communication during the game, winning 1-0 and the possibilities we had to score the second.

“They started to feel a little bit of pressure towards the end. And the first-half was a bit long and yes, when you feel you are going to crash and you can feel the frustration because you cannot help. You try and do everything from the touchline but you cannot help.”

Noni didn’t look like he felt the pressure when he came on and scored the penalty…

“No, he played free. The difference is he did what we needed in this moment. Go to play and I like it showed that he was upset with me and disappointed with me because he didn’t play too much, also because of his injury. But he thinks yes, now I’m going to show the coach that I can trust in myself.”

What did you say to him after the match?

“I think it’s private, talking in this way. They need to show me that I can trust. The mentality is really important, more so in the Premier League. You can’t only play with quality. Of course, you need quality but if you don’t have the right mentality or the right approach in every single day, in training and then the games, it is difficult to perform.

“When you have a young team, it’s about to realise, in the way you can perform, if you go there, don’t think and you are ready to fight for yourself and therefore the team. It was so nice to receive this energy during the game of who we decided to include on the pitch. And then at the end of the game.

“It is about to realise this is the way they need to behave every single day. It’s not that we are bad people, we don’t always want to play some player. It’s because you have the quality and you go there and don’t show the quality or the mentality. Only you can connect with your talent if you show the right mentality.”

Mauricio, I thought Noni had a point to prove. Is that to you? Does he want to play more and has he been asking why he hasn’t been playing more?

“Yes, that is the way with all of the players who are not involved, going at me. Of course, I like because look, in the end we won the game. Penalty, he scored the penalty. Yes, we are not a charity, we are a football club that needs to perform.

“We are here to try and help the players to perform. For sure, sometimes we need to be tough, we need to show the reality to put them in front of the mirror and say, ‘come on, that is not the player who is going to perform’. We have a really nice group of players here, nice people, but they need to realise if they want to compete at Chelsea, it’s about to win, to lift trophies, it’s about to make history, it’s to respect the history of the club.

“How you respect is going there and fighting. Scoring goals and assists, yes, but the first thing is to have the right mentality and going there on the pitch and to show respect to the history of the club.”

What did you make of Christopher Nkunku’s first start tonight? There were a few really good combinations…

“Yes, there were a few combinations that were really good. But the volume of action we need to repeat much more. It’s not just one, two, three or four in 45 minutes. I think we need him to be more involved, but it’s normal. It’s his first 70 minutes.

“I think he was a little bit tired and struggled a little bit after 45 minutes. But it’s normal. He needs time, and to play games. He needs to adapt to the team and the players are going to connect with him.”