Chelsea have been criticised after failing to beat Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea stars have been labelled ‘unprofessional’ by Blues legend Frank Leboeuf following their disappointing 2-2 draw at home to relegation-threatened Burnley. The veteran defender gas questioned the ‘heart’ and intellect of Mauricio Pochettino’s team after they failed to win against ten men.
Cole Palmer scored twice for Chelsea, but it wasn’t enough to propel the west Londoners into the Premier League’s top half. Burnley, who are 19th, tied twice, with Dara O’Shea scoring a late equaliser at Stamford Bridge.
ESPN commentator Leboeuf was upset with Chelsea’s performance, telling the club’s players that their ‘unprofessional’ actions were unjust to the fans.
The Frenchman stated, “I’m fed up. 10-men Burnley should have won the match. Chelsea Football Club against Burnley… that’s the end of it. I’d want to commend the supporters for still being able to visit Stamford Bridge to see it.
“The Chelsea players lack stamina, heart, and intellect, and they don’t know what to do. It’s unprofessional and unjust to the individuals that support this team.
“He aimed his ire at the Chelsea administration, saying: “Sorry, but the guys on the board have devastated this club. That is what you will have to confront. How would you reconstruct that? I don’t know; it’ll take a long time.” Chelsea are 11th with 41 points, and qualifying for European action next season looks out of reach unless they win the FA Cup.
An uncharacteristically angry Pochettino ripped into his underperforming players for their inability to control the game. He said: “Very disappointed in the way that in the second-half we managed or deal with the situation.
“We are a squad that, when we play in possession and forward, is capable of creating an excessive number of opportunities, but we may not score on all of them. We need to increase our % in the game.
“It is more important to be strong as a group, as a team, in your heart and mind than in your legs. That is occasionally the case, and for many reasons, we are slow to evolve in this area.”
He said, “I’m sorry, but I’m dissatisfied with our performance when we don’t have the ball. If we can generate opportunities like we did and have the ability to move and find all of the different ways to penetrate a team that plays with a really deep block. They are a highly tough squad; we must also be powerful and capable of recovering the ball frequently.”
