Chelsea fans have begun calling for Mauricio Pochettino’s head after a dire Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Middlesbrough.
Hayden Hackney’s first-half goal was the difference in an eventual 1-0 defeat as Cole Palmer missed two huge early chances.
As the game was only a first leg, Pochettino’s side will still have an opportunity to redeem themselves at Stamford Bridge in two weeks, but many supporters believe there should be a new face in the dugout by then.
Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest (32) are the only two Premier League sides to have lost more matches than Chelsea in all competitions since the start of last season, with the Blues topping the away loss charts with 21.
With #PochOUT trending, one popular Chelsea X account asked: “Seems the general consensus is for Chelsea to sack Pochettino but who is available ‘now’ to replace him?”. Another criticised “players out of position, SEVERE lack of build up and structure, iffy in game management and [Moises] Caicedo and Enzo [Fernandez] being ruined.”
Meanwhile, former Chelsea and Scotland winger Pat Nevin said on BBC Radio 5Live: “That was the best team they put out tonight, but it was not good enough. At Stamford Bridge they have 90 minutes to get a goal, they have to be favourites, but it does not mean they are going to win it.”
Nevin also questioned Pochettino’s persistence with selecting centre-back Levi Colwill at left-back, something opposition boss Michael Carrick clearly tried to tactically exploit. Fifty-five per cent of all Middlesbrough’s attacks came down the right-hand side, with Hackney’s goal being created in that area of the pitch.
Nevin said: “It did not have to be anything complicated. Get it over the top of the Chelsea defenders and Isaiah Jones will run on to it. When he got to the byline he did not panic and that was the difference between him and the Chelsea players.
“Jones was doing it time and time again, he was a consistent danger. Do Chelsea play Levi Colwill at left-back again? There are a few questions for Chelsea.”
Yet Pochettino disagreed, defending his decision: “We would all agree Levi is a young player that can play in different positions.
“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.”
And former Chelsea captain Frank Leboeuf said post-match: “Chelsea only had opportunities to score because of Middlesbrough and the mistakes they made. That’s it. There is no plan. The plan is to keep the ball and then we don’t know what to do [with it].”
Speaking on TalkSport, former Spurs and Wolves midfielder Jamie O’Hara said: “I’ll tell you what this Chelsea team is, soft! That’s what they are, SOFT! They have gone soft as a football club!”
Chelsea fans are visibly FUMING!!!
— Samii
Thiago Silva, Broja, Colwill go over to apologise
pic.twitter.com/tvWA6tSxc6(@samiichels) January 9, 2024
After the game, Thiago Silva was seen remonstrating with clearly angered fans, although Pochettino believed Silva was actually trying to “calm” the supporters after an issue with the home crowd.
Silva then posted: “I am the first one to feel frustration for today’s result. But there is still the second leg and we will give everything to reach the final. We have to be together now more than ever. Thank you for being with us today”
Many have pointed to Chelsea’s injury list to excuse the club’s failings, with 10 first-team players currently unavailable – 40 per cent of their 25-man Premier League squad. The roster of absentees has rarely been below eight players all season, meaning Pochettino has struggled to build consistency or form without significant personnel disruptions.
And the Argentine defended his side’s performance post-match, saying: “I am disappointed because I think we deserved another result. Sometimes you play well and win. Sometimes we play well and we are not clinical enough. That is the process.
“We created enough chances to score and draw, I think we were the better side but if you don’t score goals you cannot win. Credit to them. They scored and we didn’t score.
“It was difficult to break them down and we created some chances, but we were not clinical enough.”
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