POCH GIVES HIS YOUNGSTERS A ROCKET TO BEAT THE BLUES
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has cracked the whip at Chelsea – warning his sleepwalking stars that he will not tolerate “unacceptable” standards.
The Argentinian remains incensed by the lack of commitment and desire on display during recent away defeats at Newcastle and Manchester United – now he is demanding change.
“We lay out the strategy. Then, if you are at Chelsea, one natural thing that you need to have is the fire,” Pochettino said. “If not, we are going to struggle all season.
“We need to show that we care, that we are going to be ready to fight. That is non-negotiable. We need to start with this.”
Everton certainly will not be short of spirit as their 10-point deduction has breathed new life into Sean Dyche’s determined side.
Remarkably, Everton would now be above Chelsea in the table had they not been punished for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.
And the Toffees will be relishing the chance to inflict further misery on the faltering Blues after taking Newcastle to the cleaners on Thursday night at Goodison Park.
Meanwhile, Pochettino sees no excuse in the fact his side are statistically the thirdyoungest team in the Premier League as they must begin to find motivation from within. “We started really sloppily and too flat against Newcastle. Also against Manchester United,” he added.
“Come on! OK, we are a young team, in the process of building.
“There can be a lack of understanding of concepts or a need to improve in our build-up or positioning. Those things can grow in time.
“But going there to run and to fight and to match them in our will – the areas you need to match all the teams – not doing that is unacceptable.”
Despite his frustrations, Pochettino is reluctant to persistently lambast his fresh-faced squad in fear it may entirely shatter the confidence of his players.
Instead, he has previously adopted a delicate, measured approach with his analysis, but now his patience is beginning to wear thin.
He added: “When the team is mature and has the experience to assimilate the situation when the coaching staff is angry, it’s not a problem.
“But we need to approach it in a different way. We are talking about 19, 20, 21-year-olds with not too much experience in the Premier League.
“We always need to think about how we can affect them and the consequences – and the consequences are the most important.
“The approach is really difficult, but at the moment we are only missing the results. The process is going well.”
‘We need to show that we care, that we are ready to fight’