“If you have determination, you don’t lose your one-versus-one” - Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink blasts Chelsea star after defeat to Middlesbrough
Former Netherlands international Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has lambasted Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo for his man-marking at Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup semifinal first leg on Tuesday (January 9).
That led to the only goal of the game, scored by Hayden Hackney in the 37th minute, as the Blues lost narrowly at the Riverside, snapping a three-game winning streak.
The reported £115 million British record signing has struggled at Stamford Bridge since arriving this summer from Brighton & Hove Albion. Caicedo, 22, inexplicably stopped running with Hackney, allowing the English midfielder to fire home the winner.
Mincing no words about the play from Caicedo, Hasselbaink told Sky Sports (via Metro):
"With Caicedo… It becomes a one-versus-one. If you have determination, you don’t lose your one-versus-one. It’s a simple one. You just keep running with your man. You stay with him, and at the last moment, you give him a little nudge so he cannot put that ball in. He stopped!’
Critiquing the Blues' overall performance on the night against the Championship side, the Dutchman added:
"It all starts with the right mentality. It starts with the right mindset. They didn’t put the opposition on the backfoot, and they weren’t playing in the right areas."
The Blues return to action this weekend in the Premier League, hosting Fulham on Saturday (January 13). They're tenth in the standings, 17 points behind leaders Liverpool (45) after 20 games.
"We were not clinical enough" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino admitted that his side were short of their best in the narrow midweek defeat at Middlesbrough.
New signing Cole Palmer squandered multiple scoring opportunities, while the rest of the Blues attack didn't look menacing enough to make things happen at the Riverside.
A dissapointed Blues boss Pochettino, ruing his side's profligacy, told BBC Radio 5 Live:
"It is difficult to talk about our performance. We created some chances, but we were not clinical enough. This first half of the season, we have created some chances, but we have not won because we were not clinical enough - we must keep pushing."
Chelsea have now lost nine times across competitions this season, with eight of them coming in the league. Pochettino's side host Middlesbrough in the second leg on January 23.