An emotionally draining week for Chelsea FC ended in moot cases when a last-minute goal against Aston Villa was disallowed for a questionable foul.
In the end, the Blues had to settle for a 2-2 win over top-flight West Midlanders, which, given they were 2-0 down at half-time, was not a feat that could be diminished.
However, after one of the most humiliating defeats in Chelsea’s recent history in midweek, when Arsenal beat Mauricio Pochettino’s side 5-0, following a traumatic defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, a match they won. No problems: the score was of little comfort.
The day after the game at Villa Park, the manager claimed that the hangover from City’s defeat had destabilised the team.
“We were very emotional during the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. We were very disappointed,” Pochettino said.
“We had some problems recovering from there and Arsenal, who are doing well, punished us a lot. But today the team showed character and performance.
“If you look at the game, we were the better team. I can say that we deserved to win, but I think it makes me feel very satisfied and satisfied to have been able to play against a team in a very intelligent position, who are having a season. and show that we can compete in this way.
It’s appealing to hear Pochettino talk about his team’s fighting spirit, as that’s exactly what he felt he lacked against Arsenal in the UAE.
“We didn’t compete,” he said of the thrashing, “it’s not an excuse, but it’s the kind of inconsistency shown throughout the season,” Pochettino said.
However, despite criticising the lack of competitiveness, the Chelsea manager denied that his players had let him down.
“No, don’t be disappointed,” he replied when asked, “there are too many main points and cases to explain why it happened. The club is built and it is a threat that is assumed when a team is built. When we have bad days, we’re so bad. But when you have smart days, you’re capable of anything.
Descriptions of the desire to “build” or “develop” are mocked given the huge sums of money Chelsea has spent on her talent.
This contradiction between the money paid by the players and their talent on the pitch is the club’s biggest challenge; There’s a huge gap between load and value.
In European football, more than in any other sport, the potential premium is huge.
The market values 23-year-olds with just over a hundred games under their belt at the same rate as 30-something stars with trophy cabinets overflowing.
This is based on a forged logic: young players are more likely to increase their price and generate higher movement fees.
However, there is a great danger in giving too much importance to what might happen because, frankly, it is knowing.
Chelsea have bet more than any other club in football history on the future and, as a result, have a midfield duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caciedo who are inexperienced, inconsistent and worth a quarter of a billion dollars.
The guy who has the thankless task of lining up those two conflicting points is Mauricio Pochettino, a point expressed through former Chelsea star Joe Cole.
“I think he has the most complicated task in world football because I think it’s evident that he doesn’t fully deal with the incomings and goings. That’s for sure,” he told British television channel TNT Sports before the match.
“The expectations are huge and rightly so, because it’s what they’ve been used to for 20 years. Chelsea have been as smart as any club in Europe, with the conceivable exception of Real Madrid, in terms of competitive trophies. in this league. league.
“So they’ve just got to stick with it and move on. Changing coaches, I promise, is the right way to go.
Former Chelsea manager Glenn Hoddle, who also took part in the show, agreed.
“I think we want to give him more time to get there next season,” he said.
“I think it’s a great season for him. Obviously, he’s got to get off to a good start, but I think if his players were back in shape, the kids would have learned from that experience and figured out who their five or six are. “The most powerful players are the ones who want a backbone.
“I don’t think the idea that this season can help him, if they continue to be compatible and then he can line up around that.
“But it’s kind of a rebuild in a lot of ways, and I think we want to give it more time, for sure. “
It will be desirable to see if Pochettino can make his midfield look like the price paid for the two stars. At this point, even delivering a team playing at a point that would generate a transfer payment to those paying through Chelsea would be an achievement.
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