Mauricio Pochettino has called on his struggling Chelsea team to sharpen their clinical edge in front of the goal following a challenging start to the season.
The Blues, currently in 14th place in the Premier League, have managed to score just five goals in their five league matches this season, putting them among the teams with the fewest goals.
Pochettino expressed his disappointment, saying, “I am disappointed because I think many teams with less [quality] score more, and that’s why we feel bad because the players deserve more, the team deserves more.”
However, he emphasized the importance of perseverance, stating, “But the only way to find what we want is to keep pushing, keep playing, keep doing the right things that we’re doing.”
The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager acknowledged his team’s recent struggles but also praised their response following a defeat against Nottingham Forest and a goalless draw against Bournemouth.
Pochettino, speaking in preparation for Sunday’s home game against Aston Villa, highlighted the need for a more ruthless approach in attack, saying, “I think we are playing well, but in the last few weeks, we need to be more clinical in front of goal. That’s why we don’t have the points we deserve.”
Despite fans expressing their disappointment with the team after the goalless draw against Bournemouth, Pochettino remained confident that Chelsea supporters would continue to support the players at Stamford Bridge. He emphasized the importance of the fans’ backing, saying, “The players need the support because they need to perform.”
Pochettino also revealed that he had spoken with Nicolas Jackson to address the Senegal striker’s discipline after he received his fourth booking for dissent in the previous week. The Chelsea boss acknowledged the challenges faced by young players and stressed the need for patience and time for the team to settle and develop.
“It’s no doubt we have amazing talent on the team, but now they need time to settle. He needs to be clever not to protest to the referees in this way,” Pochettino remarked regarding Jackson’s behavior on the pitch.
