Chelsea smashed Everton 6-0 tonight but a lot of the talk was still about the dispute over who should take a late penalty for the Blues.
Mauricio Pochettino was asked about it right away by Sky Sports after the game, and he was happy to finally condemn it, having previously given his players a light touch after other incidents this season that have built up to this.
“It’s a shame. We cannot behave in this way. This is the last time that I accept this behaviour.”
“This was a joke. It’s impossible, after a performance like this, to have this type of behaviour. That showed that we are in a process. If we want to be a team fighting for big things we need to change and think in collective way, not about individual achievement.”
We’re glad Pochettino has come down harshly on it – it’s better late than never. He was clearly very annoyed, and we can’t blame him. This should be one of the best nights of his Chelsea career, and instead he’s left answering questions like this.
It’s of course embarrassing that it was allowed to get this far, and Pochettino only has himself to blame. But at least he’s now seen the light, and can hopefully resolve it instantly.
He’s trying to build a culture and a team, as he tells us every week. Individuals squabbling about penalties is the antithesis of that, and needs to be stamped out right away.
You can see his interview with Sky in the clip embedded here:
"It's a shame, it's a shame"
Mauricio Pochettino describes the 'sad situation' that happened between his players on the pitch before Cole Palmer's penalty 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/VIdrZx9ZSq
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 15, 2024
A new approach benefits all
Pochettino’s attempts to empower his players have massively backfired here. This inexperienced group have shown themselves up again. With more experience and leadership, we can overcome this, but it’s a stark reminder of how basic some of the flaws in this squad are.
Everyone in the world except Madueke seems to know that, unless he chooses to hand off the ball, Cole Palmer takes our penalties. It shows really poorly of the player and his judgement that’s he created not one but two of these confrontations now. Maybe some more time on the bench will drill it into his thick skull, lol!