Mauricio Pochettino finally got his wish for “naughty” competitiveness in Chelsea’s win over Fulham
It took them 7 matches. Chelsea’s new-era youngsters have finally managed to satisfy their frustrated fans following a strong display at Craven Cottage.
According to football.london, an aggressive, energetic performance from Chelsea to defeat Fulham 2-0 exemplified manager Mauricio Pochettino who finally got his wish for more “naughty” competitiveness.
The Blues delivered a standout performance that wowed fans and critics alike. Conor Gallagher‘s display particularly personified the Blues’ feistier approach their manager has demanded.
Pochettino was thrilled with Chelsea’s intensity, specifically without the ball. The team won 60% of defensive duels compared to just 40% in their previous away match at Bournemouth, showing their improvement.
The manager had pushed for more tenacity and pressed his players to be “more naughty, more aggressive” in a constructive way after the Blues’ loss against Nottingham Forest.
“We want to be more competitive, we cannot concede this type of goal that we conceded against Nottingham [Forest].I say competitive because I don’t want to use another word, but I will. We need to be more naughty, we need to be more aggressive in this type of situation. When we defend we cannot let teams like Nottingham create only one chance in open play and concede this type of goal.
And Chelsea were definitely naughtier against Fulham. But it was the current skipper, Gallagher who took Mauricio Pochettino’s instructions to heart with his best performance this term. The midfielder won 7 of 11 duels, the most of any Chelsea player, after not winning any the previous game in a deeper role. His energy set the tone as the Blues swarmed Fulham.
Not only the captain, Chelsea’s 2nd most expensive signing Moises Caicedo also won 5 of 7 duels in a more rugged double pivot display with the club’s most expensive signing Enzo Fernandez who also showcased an improved performance.
The winds are finally blowing in the right direction
Chelsea are currently in the midst of a transitional phase where they have let go of experienced players and are focusing on nurturing young talents into world-class players. And Pochettino is the one who stands at the forefront of this endeavor.
So far Chelsea had gotten little success in this grand long-term goal. In their last six Premier League matches, they had won only once. The team lacked cohesion and chemistry as a whole and struggled to secure positive results.
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However, the winds are finally blowing in the right direction. After a string of poor performances, the young boys in blue are finally realizing their potential.
Only time will tell whether these young talents will live up to their potential and become world-class players.