"We are always going to fight for him" - Chelsea star insists 'brilliant' Mauricio Pochettino has the backing of his playersÂ
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah has affirmed that Mauricio Pochettino's squad is behind him amid a disappointing season.
Pochettino was appointed Blues boss in July 2023 and expectations were high given his spells at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain. The Argentine coach led the latter to the Ligue 1 title before his dismissal in July 2022.
However, Pochettino has been unable to transform a stagnating Chelsea side back into top-four contenders. They sit 11th in the league, 17 points off the top four with just 13 games remaining.
The Argentine came under a ton of pressure after his side suffered a 1-0 loss to Liverpool (a.e.t) in the Carabao Cup final (February 25). This was despite Jurgen Klopp dealing with a depleted squad due to several issues.
However, Chelsea bounced back from that defeat with a 3-2 win against Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday (February 28). They were made to work for it as Conor Gallagher struck a 90th-minute winner.
Chalobah made his first start this season in that game amid various fitness issues. He showed support for Pochettino and gave an insight into how he's viewed in the dressing room (via The Evening Standard)
"He is a brilliant manager who will always protect us. We are always going to fight for him. We will always fight for the manager, and we showed that today."
Pochettino signed a two-year deal when he was appointed last summer. He's overseen 18 wins and 12 defeats in 36 games across competitions.
His side are back in league action tomorrow (March 2) when they face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium. Pochettino will be looking to get revenge over the Bees after a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge back in October.
Pochettino reflects on Chelsea's Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool
Chelsea suffered a devastating 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last Sunday at Wembley. Virgil van Dijk headed home an 118th minute winner to ensure the Reds came out triumphant.
However, the west Londoners were the better side in the second half and ended regulation time on the front foot. It surprised many the manner in which they faltered during extra time.
Pochettino admitted his troops were disappointed while analyzing how they lost at Wembley. He said (via football.london):
"We felt disappointed because we had faith to win, we were so close. After 90 minutes we were the better side. In the second-half, the team's energy dropped and we didn't keep the energy after 90 minutes and that's when we lose the game. I repeat: Finals are not about deserve or not to deserve, it's about to win."
Chelsea's hopes of winning silverware this season now rest on the FA Cup. Pochettino's men are in the quarterfinals facing EFL Championship leaders Leicester City (March 16).