March 07, (THEWILL)- Mauricio Pochettino, the under-fire Chelsea manager, has expressed sympathy for the club’s disgruntled supporters, who voiced their frustration during last week’s 2-2 draw against Brentford. The Argentine has grappled with blending Chelsea’s expensively assembled squad since taking over in the close season, leaving the team languishing in 11th place in the English Premier League.
The mounting pressure on Pochettino intensified during the London derby, with some fans chanting the name of former manager, Jose Mourinho. Chelsea’s underwhelming form has seen them secure just one win from their last five league games, amplifying speculation surrounding the manager’s future at Stamford Bridge.
“We need to try and improve in the way that we play,” Pochettino told reporters on Thursday. “Of course, we need our fans. We hope the fans will be behind us on Monday to help us win the game. That is so important for our players. We need to accept the frustration. Maybe if I was a fan I’d be the same because we are not matching the expectation. We must be responsible for our performance and try hard to improve.”
Despite the setbacks, Pochettino remains resolute in his belief that Chelsea can turn their fortunes around and secure a European spot for next season. “We are suffering negativity, but we can’t stop believing, we must keep believing and try to perform on Monday,” he said. “I really believe we can succeed.”
On the injury front, Chelsea face concerns over the availability of defenders Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell, as well as captain Connor Gallagher, who has been sidelined with a virus. On Gallagher’s return, Pochettino said: “We’ll see if he can train tomorrow or Saturday but the problem is you have to wait with this situation.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
