Youthful Chelsea suffering growing pains, says Mauricio Pochettino
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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged his young players to improve as a team if they want to compete at the top of the Premier League.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
LONDON – Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s lack of experience was exposed in a 4-1 midweek humbling by Liverpool that showed how far the Blues have to go to compete again at the top of the English Premier League.
Defeat at Anfield left Chelsea 20 points adrift of the league leaders, despite spending over £1 billion (S$1.7 billion) on new players since Todd Boehly’s consortium took charge of the club in 2022.
Much of that investment has been ploughed into young players and Pochettino believes it will take time for them to deliver on their potential.
“We need to improve as a team. During the game I think we showed a lack of experience as a team,” said the Chelsea boss ahead of his side’s home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Feb 4.
“I think the performance wasn’t good enough. It’s important to be realistic that we were not good enough.
“It wasn’t a reality check. But it was the difference between a team who is solid and consistently play together in the last four or five years and a team who want to reach that same level.”
Pochettino faces the daunting task of raising his players to try and stop Liverpool when the sides meet again in the League Cup final on Feb 25.
“The most important thing is to realise why (we were beaten) and do the things we need to compete better,’ he added.
“It’s not only to work harder or work more, it’s about improving as a team.”
For now, though, the immediate focus will be on Wolves at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea have not been defeated on home soil since October.
But Gary O’Neil’s side will be eager to bounce back after a painful last-gasp 4-3 loss to Manchester United on Feb 1.
Pochettino attended that game at Molineux, and he warned his team that they will need to put in a strong performance in order to beat Wolves.
“It can only be a reference,” he said when asked what he learnt specifically from that match.
“That is the beauty of the game, you cannot predict what is going to happen.
“Always, we take five games (of the opponent) as a reference to prepare for our games, so that we see the patterns and the things that are repeated.
“Of course, they are going to be competitive, so we need to be focused and show a solid performance if we are going to win.” AFP, REUTERS
