Chris Sutton gives grim verdict on Chelsea’s ‘odd dressing room’; says Mauricio Pochettino could be their last hope

Chris Sutton gives harsh verdict about what goes on in Chelsea’s dressing room and says Pochettino could be their last hope

Chris Sutton has commented on the penalty incident in Chelsea’s 6-0 victory over Everton on Monday night. Sutton feels the incident happened because of the ‘overinflated egos’ among the squad members.

Cole Palmer was already on a hat-trick when the Blues, who led 4-0, got a penalty when Noni Madueke was down in the area, and after scoring nine times from the spot this season, he was ready to step up once again.

However, his attempts hampered by a scuffle between Madueke and Nicolas Jackson about who should take the penalty kick, which elicited boos from the Stamford Bridge supporters until Conor Gallagher broke up the argument.

Sutton’s verdict on the incident

Palmer duly buried his penalty to help secure the eventual 6-0 victory over the troubled Toffees, but the infighting within his side forced Mauricio Pochettino to emphasize in the strongest possible terms that the west London side’s leading goal scorer is the designated penalty taker, and that future squabbling will result in punishment.

Despite Pochettino’s severe warning to his players after the final whistle, Mail Sport columnist Chris Sutton said that the evident dissatisfaction was likely due to persistent issues inside the group. He said:

“It appears that they have an odd dressing room at the moment, with a lot of inflated egos in there, and if Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino cannot create harmony, you wonder who will.”

“On the pitch, Chelsea have shown a bit more consistency in the second half of the season with an eight-game unbeaten run in the league that has put them in the race for sixth place.”

Sutton explains that he understands how difficult must be Pochettino’s job among all the chaotic scenarios with the Chelsea squad. He believes that Pochettino is trying to put the team in harmony and the boss also suggests that the players bring out more mature behavior.

Sutton knows that the Chelsea boss is trying to bring out the best behavior from his squad but believes the players are not there yet. The Blues’ squad still has a long way to go, not just in the competition but also with the individual character development of the players.

More Chelsea news

• Mauricio Pochettino says Cole Palmer will need to absorb pressure since he is now Chelsea’s best player
• Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says lemons in his office make him feel comfortable
• Mauricio Pochettino shuts down Gary Neville billion-pound bottlejobs’ comments ahead of FA Cup tie vs Manchester City

Chelsea currently resides in ninth place in the Premier League standings and can totally surpass the sixth-place holders soon, as the Blues are just three points short of Newcastle United. To keep their dreams of qualifying for the European League alive, the Blues must play their matches with total unity, maturity, and focus.