“It is not enough to have quality” – Mauricio Pochettino admits Chelsea should have been ‘more mature’ to avoid Nottingham Forest defeat

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino hsa urged his team to be more mature after their Premier League home defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (September 2). The Argentine manager said that having quality in the squad is not enough.

The Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge, with Anthony Elanga scoring the winner for the visitors. After the game, Pochettino said (via Nizaar Kinselia):

"In this type of game, I think it would help us to be more mature and to feel the competition. It is not enough to have quality, but you need to compete in a different way to match their aggressivity, energy and desire."

Chelsea's underwhelming start to their campaign continued with their latest loss. It's their second defeat in four league gaames this term. Pochettino's team are 11th with four points.

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Mauricio Pochettino rues Chelsea's lack of clinicality

Despite having 76% of possession, Chelsea only managed only two shots on target against Forest as they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.

The 22-year-old striker Nicolas Jackson failed to score from close range with the goal gaping at his mercy. Pochettino bemoaned his team's lack of clinicality in front of goal (via the Blues' website):

"Today, we created chances. We dominated the game, but in the end, we were not clinical enough in the last third. We should have scored, and we need to, if we want to win; then, we made one mistake, and we conceded a goal."

He added:

"I am disappointed but not frustrated, because in this type of process, obviously you need some luck in some situations. I don’t want to take credit away from Nottingham Forest because they knew how they should play."

The Blues return to action on September 17 following the international break, playing Bournemouth away. Whether the west Londoners can return to winning ways remains to be seen.

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