Marc Cucurella has publicly stated that Mauricio Pochettino has the support of his Chelsea players, despite ongoing speculation about his future as the season comes to a close.
Pochettino is currently under considerable pressure, as his first season managing the Blues has been tumultuous.
Chelsea has managed to win only 13 of their 33 Premier League matches and currently sits in ninth place, 19 points adrift of the top four.
Since Todd Boehly’s consortium took over the club just over two years ago, Chelsea has invested over one billion pounds in new players. However, the team has not been performing to the expected standard.
This summer, following a humiliating 5-0 defeat by Arsenal and a 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, the club’s hierarchy reportedly began to seriously consider firing Pochettino.
The pressure on Pochettino seemed to intensify when Chelsea fell behind 2-0 to Aston Villa on Saturday. However, the team managed a spirited comeback to draw 2-2.
They nearly clinched a victory, but Axel Disasi’s late goal was controversially disallowed by the video assistant referee. Despite these challenges, Cucurella believes Pochettino is steering Chelsea in the right direction and deserves more time to prove his worth.
When asked if the second-half comeback against Villa demonstrated the players’ desire for Pochettino to remain as manager, Cucurella responded affirmatively to the Evening Standard.
He praised Pochettino’s halftime speech and noted the positive reaction from the team. Cucurella emphasized that the players have the quality needed but have not consistently demonstrated their capabilities on the pitch.
He stressed that the responsibility lies more with the players and their mentality than with the manager.
Cucurella argued that a 5-0 loss is not a reflection of the manager’s abilities, but rather an issue with the players and their mindset.
He highlighted Pochettino’s excellent communication and the support he receives from the team. Cucurella expressed confidence that maintaining this unity and striving for continuous improvement will lead to success.
Pochettino himself acknowledged that his team had “given up” in the second half of their match against Arsenal, but the performance against Villa was encouraging.
Goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher were of high quality, and despite Disasi’s goal being disallowed, there were positive signs in the team’s play.
When Pochettino joined Chelsea at the beginning of the season, he signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional year. However, the quick dismissal of his predecessor, Graham Potter, who was fired less than seven months into a five-year contract, suggests that Stamford Bridge is focused on short-term results.
Pochettino has sought clarity from co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, as well as sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, regarding his future.
Although he has begun preparations for the summer transfer window and preseason, the possibility of being fired remains a looming concern. Chelsea’s remaining fixtures include matches against Tottenham, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, and Bournemouth.
