Mauricio Pochettino hoping tough love can help young Chelsea team in the Premier League
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Mauricio Pochettino slammed his side after the team were crushed 4-1 at Newcastle United, saying it was their worst game of the season.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Chelsea’s young players need a helping of tough love at times to help them learn and improve, the Premier League club’s manager Mauricio Pochettino said on Dec 1.
Chelsea had been enjoying a slight resurgence after beating Tottenham Hotspur and battling to a draw against Manchester City, but their uplift in form came to a shuddering halt on Nov 25 as they were crushed 4-1 at Newcastle United.
Pochettino slammed his side after the defeat, which left them 10th on 16 points, saying it was their worst game of the season.
Asked about his words, Pochettino said: “It’s important the players feel the coaches in a natural way when we’re angry and when we’re happy.
“We were tough in our analysis but tough is to show the thing we didn’t do.
“But it’s not to blame them. We are a young team – sometimes we need to be tough on them to learn, sometimes we need to be nice.
“It’s not about afterwards we feel really well because we talked in a certain way, it’s about getting what we want.
“If we are helping, that is the most important thing.”
On Dec 3, Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion, who are eighth in the standings and on Nov 30 sealed a spot in the Europa League last 16.
Pochettino heaped praise on counterpart Roberto de Zerbi, saying: “They are doing a fantastic job.
“A very good team, very good coaching staff. I know Roberto very well and he’s doing a fantastic job.”
The Argentinian manager added that he will make a late call on the fitness of forward Christopher Nkunku, but added that midfielder Romeo Lavia would not be available for selection.
Like Chelsea’s opponents Brighton, Liverpool also sealed their spot in the Europa League knockout round in midweek.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has told his forwards they must share the workload as they prepare to play a gruelling nine games in 30 days.
Liverpool will host Fulham in the Premier League on Dec 3, followed by away fixtures against Sheffield United and Crystal Palace, before their final Europa League group match against Union Saint-Gilloise.
Klopp’s squad will then face matches against Manchester United, West Ham United in the League Cup quarter-finals, Arsenal, and Burnley, all before hosting Newcastle on New Year’s Day.
In the absence of the injured Diogo Jota, Klopp said playing time would be shared among the rest of Liverpool’s forwards.
“This is the most intense period in world football coming up now. That’s how it is, for all the teams,” Klopp said. “So they will all play.
“We have already Diogo not in, so that is not helpful and we have to share these minutes with different players. They have to perform, not always 90 but 60, 70 and at full throttle.”
With injuries to other key players, including goalkeeper Alisson Becker and left-back Andy Robertson, Klopp was unsure if he would be able to consistently rotate his squad.
“It depends on the players we have available,” he said. REUTERS
