Following a disappointing 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, Mauricio Pochettino has raised doubts about Chelsea’s ability to handle the demanding schedule of games every three days.
Despite taking the lead twice against Sheffield United, Chelsea failed to secure a victory as they conceded late goals on both occasions.
The draw was particularly frustrating for Pochettino, considering Sheffield United’s lowly position in the league and their previous heavy defeats this season, such as an 8-0 loss to Newcastle.
Chelsea’s inability to finish games has been criticised by Pochettino, while Jamie Redknapp of Sky Sports asserted that the Blues “would be in a relegation struggle without Cole Palmer.”
The former Manchester City player did not score against the Blades, but he did provide an assist, bringing his season total of Premier League goal contributions to 25.
In a furious post-match interview, Pochettino told reporters: “At 52, you identify really quickly whether the team is ready to compete or not. Maybe this group is not mature enough to compete in games every three days. It’s a new team and we are still learning about their profiles. The process always takes time. It’s not a magic thing. It’s a project, a three- or five year process to build a team.
“We are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. We were not in a good position in the beginning, but that’s normal. We need to accept it now and work to try and fix our problems.”
Chelsea are next in action on Monday, April 15, against Everton and will hope to put this torrid result behind them. They currently sit ninth in the Premier League, five points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.