Cole can’t take heat off under-fire Poch
PALMER SHINES BUT BOSS FACES FURY OF THE FANS
LIFE isn’t getting any easier for Mauricio Pochettino – even with a stellar talent like Cole Palmer in his locker.
Bizarrely, uncertainty still surrounds whether Palmer has done enough to secure his place in England’s squad for the Euros in Germany this summer.
After his two-goal show to spare Pochettino’s blushes yesterday, that’s as crazy as the VAR decision which lit a fire under an absorbing clash with relegationthreatened Burnley, who played the entire second half with 10 men.
Luckily for his boss, Palmer once again unfurled his shimmering talent, running the show for Chelsea and scoring the goals which prevented a more damning backlash against under-fire Pochettino.
Boos
His first-half penalty to put Chelsea ahead and a superbly taken second late in the game weren’t enough to secure victory after Dara O’shea’s even later equaliser for battling Burnley.
And it was far from enough to stop the boos cascading from the stands at the final whistle with the stadium emptying fast on another disappointing day. In a season that’s rapidly turning into one to forget for Chelsea fans, the saving grace is that Palmer isn’t weighed down by the gloom that’s placed a near-permanent cloud over Stamford Bridge.
He exudes the grace, composure and clinical precision that was once demanded in Chelsea teams of the past.
Now he’s battling a lone front with too many around him not delivering on a consistent basis.
Next up for Chelsea is Manchester United later this week – another big moment for Pochettino as he tries to steady a ship that’s listing badly.
These are difficult times for the Argentinian and Chelsea supporters with one influential group stressing the need for the club to get their act together or risk “irreversible toxicity” from elements of their fanbase. Pochettino is caught in the middle with critics certain he should be getting more from a squad that’s been assembled for a staggering £1billion.
With uncertainty around his own position as well as questions about where Chelsea might finish with 10 games to go, most arriving at the Bridge perhaps thought it was good timing that struggling Burnley were visitors.
Pochettino was desperate to continue the momentum after the buzz of reaching the FA Cup semi-finals before the international break.
But not for the first time in this part of West London, expectation and reality were at odds.
Chelsea had more than enough second-half chances to beat 10-man Burnley but Palmer was the only one to deliver a ruthless touch. Raheem Sterling assisted Palmer’s second with a sublime flick but squandered the chance to be the matchwinning hero with a header that missed the target.
Burnley might be in mortal danger of going back to the Championship but they weren’t up for surrendering against Chelsea’s mega-money stars.
Twice they were behind – the first time just before the break after the softest of penalties that ended with defender Lorenz Assignon and manager Vincent Kompany (below) both sent off.
Proud
While Kompany watched the second half from the dressing room, he could be nothing but proud of the way his stars composed themselves and bounced back after both Palmer goals.
Josh Cullen’s equaliser just after halftime was a superb volleyed finish and O’shea’s header for 2-2 was in the mould of Kompany at his best.
With eight games left it might be premature to write Burnley off just yet and with Kompany at the helm you can be sure they’ll fight to the end.
Where Chelsea will finish is anyone’s guess.
They’re miles off the top four and if the teams above win their fair share of the remaining games Chelsea will be lucky to end in the top 10.
Pochettino might find that hard to survive – at a club who have sacked managers after winning major trophies.