Mauricio Pochettino vows to make change after calling Chelsea players "not mature enough"

Mauricio Pochettino has pledged to cut back on his criticism of his Chelsea stars amid an underwhelming season.

The Blues have won just 12 games in the Premier League this season and currently sit ninth in the table. It has been a disappointing start to Pochettino’s reign at Stamford Bridge, having been appointed in the summer. Pochettino has frequently called out his underperforming stars in his press conferences. The latest blast came following the draw with Sheffield United last week, where they conceded an injury-time equaliser.

The Blues boss claimed his players were “not mature enough” following the disappointing result to the team rock-bottom of the table. But Pochettino has now admitted that his criticism has gone too far. “Being honest, it is true that it is a special season for us because we are suffering [a lot of injuries] at the moment. But we need to stop talking because, for me, talking about this in the press conference is so boring,” he said.

“We need to stop, adapt, and accept reality. We need to be positive with the players we have and the young kids who have come through the academy. We will try to be competitive and win the game on Monday. We need to accept, be positive and train with young guys from the academy. They might step up, and players that we didn’t count on could surprise us and be good players and profiles for Chelsea. When this type of situation happens, another door opens.”

Chelsea host struggling Everton on Monday as they look to bounce back from the draw against the Blades. Pochettino revealed several academy players are in line to feature against the Toffees, though insisted they will only player if they match his high standards.

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SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – APRIL 7: Dejected players of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Sheffield United and Chelsea FC at Bramall Lane on April 7, 2024 in Sheffield, England.(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)

“I think they are so close [to the first team]. That is a good opportunity for them to show their quality. We are realistic, but if we can give them the opportunity then they can be consistent,” the Chelsea boss added. A few of them will have the possibility to be in the squad on Monday. Also they are training for us, and for 16, 17, 18-year-olds they are training normally and being consistent with us. That is a very good experience and a very good evolution for them, to compete with senior players.

“We assess the players and then we will take the decisions from that. We analyse the form of all the players, then I need to make the decisions. We see the players training every day and we make an assessment, in our opinion, on who is the best placed to play. If they are performing well or better than another, that is what decides whether one plays or another. We are competitive but need to help each other, because we have enough talent to win games.”

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