Pochettino sends warning to booing Chelsea fans: ‘Need to trust me’

Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea manager, has asked the fans to trust him after a tense FA Cup victory over Leicester. Chelsea won the quarter-final match 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, securing their spot at Wembley, though the match against the top team in the Championship wasn’t easy.

Chelsea was leading by two goals at half-time, thanks to Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer. However, Raheem Sterling missed a penalty, which set a negative tone for his performance. Sterling’s weak penalty was saved, and he also missed a clear scoring opportunity. Despite this, he did assist Palmer’s goal before half-time. But a poor free-kick in the second half led to boos from the crowd.

The fans were further frustrated when Mykhailo Mudryk was substituted for Carney Chukwuemeka, while Sterling remained on the pitch for another ten minutes before being replaced by Noni Madueke.

In response to the boos directed at Sterling, Pochettino said on BBC One: “We need to support him, he’s an amazing player. He has more than 10 years of experience in the Premier League. I think he contributed well to the game, even though he was a bit unlucky in some instances. But we are a team and we need to support everyone.”

Chelsea fans also expressed their anger towards Pochettino, chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing”. The atmosphere became increasingly hostile after an own goal from Axel Disasi and a great goal from Stephy Mavididi brought Leicester level.

However, after Callum Doyle was sent off, last-minute goals from Chukwuemeka and Madueke ensured Chelsea’s victory without needing extra time, which slightly improved the mood in the stands.

This win keeps Chelsea’s chances of winning a trophy this season alive, with an FA Cup semi-final coming up next month. But it’s clear that Pochettino still has a lot of work to do to win over the fans completely.

Pochettino said, “Fans have the right to express their emotions. We try to empathize with our fans and not criticize. They want the best for our team and players. But we are in a project. We need their support and belief. We are trying to build something. I know how to manage well. We achieved what the fans want – to win the game and go to Wembley. They need to trust my management. We need to respect their opinion as much as they need to respect my decisions.