Mauricio Pochettino admitted after Saturday’s draw that his group were very dispirited.
“The dressing room is really down because we know we should go on and win this game,” the coach said in quotes picked up by the Daily Mirror.
We’re not surprised, this result was really on their shoulders, and the pain of another missed opportunity must be weighing on them as they watch one of their easiest remaining fixtures slip by with only one point gained.
For all their good moments and signs of progress at times this season, ultimately they’re back to where they were 6 months ago, and in many cases 18 months ago. They’re unable to put away easy chances – and now they’re losing the ability to defend too. No wonder things are gloomy.
There still seems to be belief and faith in the manager from the group, but they’re letting him down on the pitch, and that can only go on for so long.
Commitment criticised
As well as simply being sad about the result, it was also a bit of a watershed moment from Pochettino, who openly criticised the character and commitment of his players, despite insisting he wasn’t. His frustration was a level up from what we’ve seen in weeks gone by where he’s been at pains to blame bad luck, inexperience, injuries, or anything else he can think of rather than the mentalities of his group.
Perhaps he’s finally reached the end of his patience, or perhaps this example was just too egregious for him to dodge, as Chelsea twice let a 1 goal lead slip against a weak opposition down to ten men.
