Giroud calls for togetherness ahead of vital tie with United

OLIVIER GIROUD has urged Chelsea to “stick together” as the pressure mounts on manager Maurizio Sarri.

Giroud is refusing to write off Chelsea’s season ahead of tonight’s FA Cup tie with Manchester United at Stamford Bridge and a potentially pivotal two weeks for the club.

Sarri is under scrutiny after the 6-0 battering at Manchester City last week, while his methods are understood to be an issue with certain Chelsea players.

An exit from the FA Cup to United would only turn up the heat on the Italian, who is also preparing for the Carabao Cup final against City and a Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

Giroud helped ease the pressure on Sarri with the winner over Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday, and the France striker insists now is not the time to panic.

“I have had to deal with pressure all throughout my career. I played big games with my clubs and the national team. In these kinds of moments you need to stick together and think collectively with togetherness,” he said.

“We are not in the best position, but we have big games to come. We want to qualify in every competition, so United is a massive game.

“We need momentum, so we are looking forward to it. We are not worried about the situation and I am sure Man United will drop points [in the league].”

Giroud became the first Chelsea player to score in four successive games in Europe since Victor Moses in May 2013, but is likely to be among the subs against United.

Sarri’s recent criticisms of Chelsea’s players have been strong, but Giroud says there are no issues with the manager. “It is the case that there’s criticism of the coach, but I haven’t felt anything,” he said. “We stick altogether.” (© Daily Telegraph, London)