Taking responsibility is missing at Chelsea – Talk Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino had his post-match press conference last night after our defeat to Middlesbrough, and I had some views on his comments that I wanted to hone in on.

His comments and repetitive reactions are drawing more anger from the fan base right now. Just like when Graham Potter used to do a press conference and it just turned more people against him, Pochettino is doing the same, whether that’s right or wrong, unfortunately.

But it really does feel like rinse and repeat at the moment. I’m not Poch out (yet) by the way, see my article on that here if you’ve not yet read it.

But lets assess his quotes….

What is your assessment of the defeat?

It’s so easy to explain. We made some mistakes in the first half and we were punished for that. We created big chances and did not score. We were not clinical enough. So clear. Other games you can maybe talk in a different way but now it is so easy to explain. Second half we dominated but did not create enough chances. Credit to Middlesbrough. It’s the first 90 minutes, first half of the tie and we are losing 1-0. In 15 days we are going to have the second tie and we need to be positive we can win the game and go to the final.

I think we were punished because of some mistakes we made in the first half. I think we are agreed that we concede a goal because of our mistakes. Few mistakes that we made, we were punished and they took advantage of that. We created chances enough to score and draw in the end. If we assess the game after 90 minutes I think we were the better side but if you don’t score goals you cannot win. Credit to Middlesbrough because they were aggressive and they created chances and score and we didn’t score. That explains what happened.

My take: First and foremost, we didn’t ‘create’ chances, at least not all of them. Our ‘creativity’ was non-existent and when it was there, it was laboured and lacked imagination and bravery. The creativity largely came from big errors from Boro.

But it’s true we were not clinical enough, and on another day Cole Palmer would have got a hat trick. In fact, I’d have put VERY big money on him scoring at least two of those chances last night.

Yes, we WERE the better side in terms of controlling possession. But having the ball the entire game and not doing anything with it, means that more often that not we will not win games, and that is all the matters at the end of the day.

Were you happy with the decision to not start Armando Broja?

Armando played after 60 minutes and also we cannot create too many chances. I think you need to understand that now you cannot say it was one player or another. Armando came from one year out injured and in this period was playing a few days ago. We cannot start like a normal player. We need to manage and in three days we have another game he should start. It’s difficult for a player like this to start three games in seven days. That is why, yes. When he came to the pitch with Mischa (Mykhailo Mudryk), it was difficult for them to connect, difficult to create chances and in the end they cannot help to score or take a different result.

My take: I accept that. We’d all be the first to get angry and moan if Broja, or any other player, got injured long-term again, wouldn’t we?

How do you think Levi Colwill is getting on at left-back? Doesn’t look as comfortable as in the centre?

I think we would all agree Levi is a young player that can play in different positions. Last game he played like a centre-back with Axel [Disasi], today we played Thiago [Silva] with Axel, Malo Gusto on the right and on the left Levi. We were talking a lot. I think it’s for him to take experience in Premier League with Chelsea playing there. I think it will help him be a better player and in the end it is to feel the competition.

I don’t like to compare with another player but if you find some similarities with different clubs who sign players that can play centre-back or play full-back, you can find easily. Look, for me Levi is having a fantastic season. He is playing centre-back or full-back and is a player for the future of Chelsea. At the moment, when you don’t win, when you struggle and we are a young team with young players and they need to learn and need to improve in the competition.

My take: This is one of my biggest problems right now with Poch. OK, we lack fit full backs, granted. But then I remembered that he was playing Colwill at left back and Ben Chilwell at left wing earlier in the season, so it makes me think that he genuinely believes Colwill is a good option at left back, when in reality he is poor there. It concerns me that everyone else can see that apart from him, a qualified head coach!?

The simple fact that Michael Carrick, and inexperienced manager, literally targeted Colwill as our weakness and scored a goal from it last night, really does say it all about this Colwill at left back ‘experiment’. As an alternative, if we have to, just use Malo Gusto there and Alfie Gilchrist as right back until Chilwell is fully fit again. Or maybe sign a left back who is actually proven and not 16-year-old!?

How frustrating to have stop-start form?

I am disappointed because I think we deserve another result. Sometimes you don’t play well and win. For us, we need to play well, we need to score our goals, always. We play well and sometimes we are not clinical enough. Sometimes we are punished. That is the process at this moment. Always in a process when you are building a team these things are tough. It’s not only to play well, you need to deserve and have some luck. Today we made few mistakes and concede a goal that we should not concede and then we were not clinical enough.

My take: Dear Poch, top tip from me for today is PLEASE do not mention the word ‘process’ after we lose to a midtable Championship team. Kind regards, Simon.

Few options on the bench due to so many injuries – why are so many players injured?

What a difficult question. What a difficult answer. Bad luck because some injuries you cannot manage. It’s not about training, not about capacity, quality in all of the areas. That sometimes is the profile. Difficult answer because I think we are suffering too many injuries. I don’t want to say bad luck as it is an easy way to justify. But to be honest, so bad luck, look Nkunku, Fofana, Lavia, Reece James, too many. Situation is like this with 10 to 12 players out.

Difficult when you don’t have all of the squad fit to work. Always every single week or every single game is about finding the right balance in the team. I don’t like to be a victim but it is true it is really tough. We are going to be positive. That is the first 90 minutes. We are losing one-nil and now we have the second leg, 90 minutes more at Stamford Bridge and we need to be positive.

My take: Just like fans will get angry when hearing the word ‘process’ after a defeat, they will also get angry hearing the word ‘injuries’ after a defeat. And yes, on this occasion it was hard to avoid because he was asked about injuries, but the point stands about not drawing on it as an excuse, it just wont go down well.

I think we all accept how unprecedented this injury situation has been for us and how yes, of course it will have effected things. But if anyone thinks that starting Xl on the pitch last night should not be beating a team a division below them, then I have news for you.

Also, Middlesbrough had 2 more injuries than us and then 2 more happen in-game. So that is why any injury excuses after a defeat like that is not going to be wise to call upon and will cause widespread anger from the fan base, whether you agree with that anger or not.

Angry Chelsea fans at the end…

Don’t be confused because the fans were reacting to Middlesbrough fans, not with our players, our fans were fantastic with us. I think it was Thiago and some players I listened, they were trying to calm our fans because I think it was a problem between the fans. Not with our fans and players. Be careful how you translate to the media or our fans. Don’t confuse the people.

My take: This is laughable. Is he trying to cover the situation up? Or is he genuinely just being (adorably?) naive!? I’ve spoken to at least a handful of fans who were in the away end who assure me they were absolutely booing at the players (and manager maybe?) and not the Boro fans!

I think Pochettino is protecting his players with a lot of these comments, and that is fair and understandable.

But sometimes you need to be smart and wise. Fans will turn on you after a defeat like this against such opposition, and accepting some responsibility would go a long way in calming that down a bit, at least for some of them who might not yet be on the agenda train. To be honest though, Pochettino isn’t the only one not taking responsibility at this club right now, the owners have been awfully quiet for too long.