Mauricio Pochettino stood firm in his belief that if Chelsea fans were to express their dissatisfaction, he’d prefer it be directed towards him rather than his players. He stressed that his players deserve only encouragement and appreciation.
Mauricio Pochettino under fire
The atmosphere at Brentford was tense, with Pochettino facing some harsh chants from the away supporters before Axel Disasi secured a 2-2 draw for Chelsea.
The fans’ frustration seemed to stem from concerns about the club’s direction, with co-owner Todd Boehly also coming under fire. Interestingly, there were also chants expressing support for Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino’s message to fans
“I think the performances have been very good, I’m so happy with the performances”, said Pochettino.
When asked if this was his message to any disgruntled fan, he responded, “Yes, and if they want to listen, perfect. If not, what can I do? They’ll keep booing. I’m giving my best to this team.
“But we cannot blame the fans. My message is: Okay, they need to show their frustration – through who? I prefer to me rather than to the team. I prefer that, I am strong. I am sure that in time we will change the perception.
“We should have scored [a winner] with the action that we had with Raheem [Sterling]”, he recalled.
“I think we need to put it in context. Even if sometimes people do not listen, it is our third game in six days, with Leeds and Brentford always having the advantage of a few days more to prepare for the game against us. When you are a little bit short in the squad like we are with some players recovering, it’s always difficult.
“I don’t want the fans trying to blame the players. Players need to feel backed by the fans and, to be honest, I prefer that I get the blame and let the players be free on the pitch. I don’t care. I am strong, I am 52 noww.”, as per the mirror.
Chelsea took the lead in the 35th minute at Brentford courtesy of Nicolas Jackson’s goal, but two second-half strikes from Mads Roerslev and Yoane Wissa gave Brentford the advantage.
However, Chelsea managed to salvage a point late in the game with Disasi’s goal. Pochettino believed his team deserved to come away with a victory in the match.
