Chelsea assistant captain Ben Chilwell has called for patience and trust in manager Mauricio Pochettino following a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The Blues, led by Chilwell in the absence of regular captain Reece James, faced a chorus of boos from supporters after the game.
Pochettino bemoaned their lack of maturity despite dominating possession following the defeat. Chilwell echoed this sentiment.
Chelsea have only garnered four points from the first four Premier League matches of Pochettino’s tenure. This record has sparked concerns among fans.
Speaking while on international duty with England, Chilwell implored supporters to exercise patience while acknowledging their high expectations of constant success.
He emphasised that Pochettino’s influence at the club had been commendable, and the very young squad had a bright future.
Chilwell said (via Standard Sport): “What the manager has come in and done is brilliant. We have all bought into what he is trying to do at the club.
“With such a young, exciting squad. I think it will be a good future. With a bit more patience, we will come good.”
Chelsea struggled to convert chances and made critical errors, leading to Anthony Elanga’s decisive goal in the Forest clash.
Pochettino’s decision to deploy the Milton Keynes-born full-back on the left wing and Levi Colwill at left-back received criticism.
However, the former Leicester City man accepted the challenge, vowing to contribute more in his advanced role.
Chilwell added: “It is something new, but the manager has put his trust in me to play there, so I try to repay that trust. I expect the pressure on me to contribute to goals.
“That’s something I am going to work on at Chelsea over the next few games to add that goal threat. [I need to] shoot instead of passing the ball.”
As one of the leaders in the Premier League’s youngest squad, the full-back acknowledges his duty to help his younger teammates adapt to Pochettino’s tactics.
Despite acknowledging recent struggles, Chilwell is confident that Chelsea can turn things around quickly. He cited the team’s awareness of their issues and trust in Pochettino’s managerial acumen.
Chelsea fans will hope that patience and resilience will soon yield better results for the club.
