Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino sent very serious warning about Thiago Silva
Pochettino urges calm after Chelsea lose at Man Utd
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has been told star player Thiago Silva is finished in the aftermath of the Blues’ Premier League defeat to Manchester United on Wednesday evening. The Chelsea defence were all at sea during the showdown at Old Trafford and allowed the hosts 28 shots as United won the match 2-1.
United missed a ninth-minute penalty as Bruno Fernandes saw his effort saved by Robert Sanchez but then went ahead midway through the first half as Scott McTominay lashed the ball into the back of the net. Cole Palmer drew Chelsea level with a fine strike just before half time as the west Londoners rallied. But McTominay headed home the winning goal 20 minutes from the end as the Red Devils moved to within three points of fourth-placed Manchester City.
Silva is yet to miss a minute of Premier League action this season and played the full game at Old Trafford as Chelsea sunk to their sixth top-flight defeat of the season. But he was out of sorts and has now taken the brunt of the criticism from former Liverpool player Steve Nicol.
“Thiago Silva has been magnificent as a player, but now the problem for me is he can’t move his feet quick enough”, Nicol told ESPN FC. “I think his brain’s still working, but when you can’t move your feet, it takes too long.
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“And when you’re playing against players like today and Man United, who just couldn’t wait to close the ball down, couldn’t wait to put you under pressure, then you end up getting caught with the ball and you make rash decisions and you give the ball away.”
Chelsea landed Silva on a free transfer after the centre-back had left Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. And the 113-time capped Brazil international has been a reliable player for the club, racking up 132 appearances over the last three-and-a-half years.
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But there are inevitably questions around how long the ace can stay at the top of the game after he turned 39 in September. His contract at Stamford Bridge is set to expire at the end of the campaign, with Chelsea reportedly yet to decide whether to offer him a new deal.
Despite his underwhelming performance against the Red Devils, Silva is likely to retain his place when Chelsea travel to Everton on Sunday. And he will be looking to galvanise his team-mates ahead of festive clashes with Sheffield United, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Luton before the end of the year.
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