Chelsea have reached Wembley for the second time this season despite all the talk of a terrible campaign and a league position which is, admittedly, not reflective of the talent available or the ability of the coach they have. Mauricio Pochettino has been under increasing pressure from his supporters and even despite their 4-2 win over Leicester City on Sunday, boos were directed at him from the Stamford Bridge crowd.
However, he perhaps looks further from being shown the door than ever before and admitted during the post-match press conference that he had received backing from the ownership. Talks have certainly taken place and the Argentine pointed to his presence in this very game as to the result of such talks.
“No, I know that they trust me, they need to trust on the club because on the end, if I am here it’s because of the decision of the club and they need to trust on the pressure of the club,” he said. “It’s not to trust in me or to trust in the player, it’s to trust on the club that the club is doing.”
Yet the win yesterday has given Pochettino something of a ‘get out of sacking free’ card. The Argentine has reached two cup semi-finals in his first season despite how early it is, despite the build-up of injuries, despite the persistent questions, despite the need to gel the squad over time.
“That is always when I arrive to England, at Southampton they say ‘No, we need to go to Wembley,’” Pochettino explained.
“‘We need to go to Wembley.’ Southampton and Tottenham, ‘We need to go to Wembley.’ To go to and now look in nine months in the two different competition, we got Wembley and we need to enjoy and we need to trust more.”
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The questions into next season however will be can Pochettino progress this Chelsea side with more investment, with better players and with more time. If Chelsea continue to linger in mid-table and away from the European qualification spots despite not having the rigours of continental fixture congestion patience will run thin very quickly.
The goals are certainly there as a foundation but the Blues need to find a way to stop the opposition from scoring and by not gifting away goals as seen in so many games of late. From defensive errors to whacky own goals, these are elements which can be tackled and are not a systemic issue.
Time is on Pochettino’s side thanks to his competitiveness in the cups. Winning one would do wonders but the Premier League rope remains short still at Stamford Bridge and next season it will only burn down more if a resurgence is not witnessed.
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