Mauricio Pochettino focusing on future wins as Chelsea helm growing hurts vs West Ham
Chelsea exceeded expectations against Liverpool with a performance that resulted in a 1-1 stalemate, but could have won had they been more clinical. Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham was roughly in line with the expectations of a rebuilding team, as the Blues could have won had they been more clinical and less nervous.
It is still early in Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure, but a loss to West Ham in the most Moyesian manner imaginable is never easy to swallow. We still have the option of focusing solely on the positives, the negatives, or a combination of the two. Poch has selected the first option.
“It is concerning that the outcomes have not matched the performance. But if we played poorly but still won games, I believe we should be more concerned, because it’s only a matter of time before you start losing games and then you’ll need to find a means to perform.
“I prefer to begin this way, with a strong performance and positive mentality, because we dominated Liverpool and West Ham. The fact that we reached the final third 50 times today demonstrates a positive attitude, as did our performance against Liverpool.
“This is the foundation for the future; with the caliber of our team, it is only a matter of time before we find the optimal balance and begin to score goals and win games.”
Pochettino was well aware of the threats West Ham posed to Chelsea, so it is not surprising that he sent the team with the finest aerial ability it could muster to West London. However, James Ward-Prowse and Nayef Aguerd found a means to breach our defenses very early on in the game, which was precisely what they needed to muddy our waters.
Similar events occurred in the second half, except this time the ball was on the ground and Michail Antonio scored after a series of defensive errors by the Blues. However, we can view these blunders as part of a process that includes determining the most effective methods to approach games of this nature and integrating a young team with limited experience playing together and facing these kinds of challenges on a regular basis.
“I was somewhat dissatisfied with the beginning of the game because we conceded a few scoring opportunities to West Ham despite being aware of their hazards. We began the second half slowly, attempting to find a means to play after replacing Carney with Mykhailo. They scored a second goal, which gave West Ham real confidence in the outcome.
“For us, it was a matter of rushing through situations. We must be more patient and truly initiate the proposal. However, when we look at the data, I believe that in the last third we had approximately 50 entries, which was incredible, but we were not clinical enough to score for various reasons.
“I am therefore disappointed, but such is the procedure. We must acknowledge the loss and continue to work. When things are more stable within the team, we will undoubtedly perform well and begin to win games.
The penalty failure by Enzo Fernández in the first half, which would have given us a 2-1 lead if it had been converted, encapsulates Chelsea’s performance and result today. The Argentine midfielder’s penalty attempt was extremely unfortunate, making Alphonse Aréola’s task considerably easier.
“If we had converted the penalty that we missed and gone into halftime with a 2-1 lead, we might not be discussing a different game, but we would be discussing a different circumstance. This is football, and we must accept that it will occasionally occur, especially early in the season when there is still room for improvement. It is not an excuse, however.
“I said it after Liverpool, and I’ll say it again: we are extremely enthusiastic about the team we are assembling. It is a loss that will only make us stronger, allowing us to perform better in future matches. Now we must continue on, as there were numerous positive aspects. Not the result, but we will work extremely hard to win on Friday and achieve the desired performance.”
Today, we can surely focus on individual and group performances and disregard all the caveats that accompany a rebuilding project that appears promising on paper. In practice, no reconstruction will be simple. We hope that sooner rather than later, we will look back on these moments and wave them off as we gaze upon a cabinet filled with brand-new silverware.
Mauricio Pochettino focusing on future wins as Chelsea helm growing hurts vs West Ham