'No one can be safe' - Mauricio Pochettino takes responsibility for Chelsea's humiliation against Wolves & admits his way is 'not working' amid mounting speculation over his position

Posted Monday, February 05, 2024 by Goal.com

Mauricio Pochettino accepted responsibility for Chelsea's latest collapse and admitted "no one can be safe" after a dismal 4-2 defeat against Wolves.

WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues were booed off by the Stamford Bridge faithful after they were thumped 4-2 by Wolves on Sunday despite taking an early lead through Cole Palmer. The latest defeat left Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the table, closer to the relegation places than the top four.

After the game Pochettino struck a philosophical tone as he seeks ways to turn the situation around.

WHAT MAURICIO POCHETTINO SAID
"We apologise to the fans and accept it," said Pochettino after the match. "Because the perception is one thing and the reality is another. The perception is that we should be in a different position, but for different circumstances, we are not. I think we are all not good enough at the moment. That's the reality, myself also, as the first one responsible for this situation.

"That's the reality, myself also, as the first one responsible for this situation. What we showed today was that we are not good enough. We didn't manage the situation properly and, of course, no one can be safe. I don't want to come here to say: 'I am the best and the players are the worst,' I think we are all responsible. We can't give up, and we are going to work hard to try and change, maybe take some decisions to find a different way. If it is not working this way, we need to move on and try to find a different type of solution."

THE BIGGER PICTURE
The latest capitulation will inevitably bring Pochettino's future into question - something even Thiago Silva's wife appeared to be suggesting after the latest debacle. The Argentine's summer arrival initially promised to hail a new era of progress and stability in west London, but despite some false dawns and progress to the League Cup final, Chelsea have flatlined alarmingly in the league and look by no means certain to improve on last year's dismal 12th-place finish.

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Chelsea's first opportunity to put things right comes with an FA Cup fourth-round replay against a dangerous Aston Villa side in Birmingham on Wednesday night. They will then prepare for a huge trip to Crystal Palace in the league five days later.