Mauricio Pochettino apologised for the length of his monologue but as Chelsea's head coach outlined his many issues with yet another disjointed performance, the Argentine landed upon some harsh "facts and reality."
The intention was not to “blame the players” after they twice forfeited a lead against 10-man Burnley. Instead Pochettino insisted that the squad “for sure, 100 per cent agreed” with his assessment that they lacked both energy and hunger.
In a match that had 51 shots, there was never a sense of control despite Chelsea having an extra man for more than half the game. One goal up against a team staring relegation in the face, instead of finding a ruthless touch this game became a familiar tale of
For Pochettino it was not an issue of talent. It was one of application. “We need to be more like a team, we need to find better communication, we need to be more competitive,” he continued.
And despite the insistence that this was not an attempt to throw his players under the bus, those words sure felt like a pointed reference towards an absence of character.
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Then again life would be so much easier for Pochettino if more of his young stars shared the determination of Cole Palmer. The England international scored a brace only for his team-mates to concede the advantage after each goal as he became the first Chelsea player since Eden Hazard 10 years ago to score in five consecutive home games.
In a season devoid of positivity at Stamford Bridge, Palmer is producing statistics to rival some of the club’s greats.
He has been involved in 21 league goals (13 to himself plus 8 assists) - putting him behind only Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Diego Costa when it comes to contributing in debut seasons. He should end the campaign behind only the former Netherlands striker.
Cole Palmer celebrates scoring against Burnley - only for Chelsea to throw two points away twice despite a man advantage.Pochettino pointed to “continuity and consistency” as the keys to Palmer’s form, opportunities that were not afforded to him at Manchester City. But so many of his team-mates lack cohesion and cadence.
Palmer said results such as these “simply can’t happen” before describing the second half performance as “just not good enough”. He added that there was an onus on the players “to take responsibility and improve” after they “switched off too many times.”
Mirroring the star man’s effort, nevermind output, is proving beyond reach - not least the continuously sub-par £222m central midfield pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
“It’s so obvious that he is a good example for the rest,” Pochettino said of Palmer. “From day one he has taken the responsibility. And you see when the team struggles for solutions they give the ball to him.”
Dara O'Shea celebrates scoring Burnley's second equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.Pochettino did not quite concur when asked if the team is being carried by the England international. But the 21-year-old, who is still looking to seal his place in England’s Euros squad, must now be reaching a point where he goes into the changing room after dispiriting results and wonder what more he has to do.
“The dressing room is really down because we know we should go on and win this game,” he added. “Of course he cannot be happy,” Pochettino concluded. “Of course he’s disappointed.”
Of course patience will soon run out with a supporting cast that keeps fluffing their lines.
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