Chelsea fans really turned on Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino while their side highlighted their flakiness once again. The manager appears an awfully convenient scapegoat for the under-fire owner…
Given the problems Mauricio Pochettino has had this week lifting his players in the wake of their Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool, the Chelsea boss might be content with a point from a west London derby they should have won but could easily have lost. Certainly more so than their travelling support.
It seemed at full-time as though both sets of players were having trouble processing how they were supposed to feel about an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees and Blues have been down of late, dark clouds covering the six-mile stretch between Brentford and the Bridge, and though each side took in turns to briefly lift their gloom on Saturday afternoon, both will rue a missed opportunity while clutching the consolation that at least it wasn’t worse.
Chelsea fans weren’t quite as grateful for such small mercies after once again watching their team cave to the merest pressure.
Via the medium of song, they urged Pochettino to ‘f*** off’ and told Todd Boehly: “You’re a c***.” Chelsea’s players and management are accustomed to dissent this season but the pocket of Blues in the corner turned on their own in the curtest way yet while serenading Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho.
The away supporters were driven to such anger by a performance that was typical of their season: signs of promise undone by lapses of concentration, some abject ineptitude and appalling flakiness.
At half-time, the picture was positive. Chelsea lead through a fine header from Nicolas Jackson, whose own display typified his wider fortunes in blue. His goal came around wasting a one-versus-one which was cleared off the line when Brentford ought not to have been allowed the opportunity, and a counter-attack that was killed by Jackson tackling himself when attempting a step-over too many.
Going in at the break, Chelsea were winning the midfield battle, dominating possession and keeping Ivan Toney quiet. But, as Pochettino already knew, these Blues cannot be trusted.
Brentford levelled within five minutes of the restart, Mads Roerslev allowed his second goal in 112 games by some truly abject defending. When the Bees went in front, there might have been little they could do to stop Yoane Wissa’s stunning bicycle kick, but plenty they might have done to prevent the opportunity.
Chelsea fans cared little for the quality of the finish. Capitulating again prompted protests, the sting from which was only eased slightly by Axel Disasi’s fine header from Cole Palmer’s delivery. If there was anything is as certain as Chelsea’s resilience void, it is Brentford’s inability to defend, especially amid an injury crisis among their centre-backs that could threaten their Premier League status.
The Bees face Arsenal next and Manchester United, Brighton and Villa in their next six. Frank’s side have never been in the bottom three since they arrived in the top-flight. Perhaps only six-pointers against Burnley and Sheffield United amid that run of fixtures will spare them from sampling life in the drop zone.
At least Frank can think half a dozen ahead. Pochettino might not have the same luxury. For their next four games, Chelsea return to the discomfort of home, where Boehly might find it harder to ignore the c*** calls if today’s dissent is amplified accordingly. If the Blues owner wants to get fans onside, pulling the trigger towards Pochettino appears the quickest and easiest way to do it.
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