Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night is the most important game of his Blues tenure thus far. Pochettino’s side is 1-0 down after losing the first leg at the Riverside Stadium, but they have a chance to make it right at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea is potentially 90 minutes away from a trip to Wembley Stadium next month, but first they must overcome a determined Middlesbrough side. Michael Carrick set up his squad very well a fortnight ago, as they maintained a one-goal lead in the northeast.
Pochettino did not appear depressed following the defeat, despite many Chelsea fans being extremely dissatisfied with what they saw. Instead, Chelsea’s head coach maintained saying it was merely ‘Half-time’ in the tie. Now’s his chance to make things right.
When asked if the match against Boro is the biggest of his time at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino replied: “Yes, because it leads to the final. We need to be convincing if we want to win. It is the possibility to play in a final, thus it is the most significant thus far.”
When asked how his young side will handle a decisive leg in a semi-final – unfamiliar territory for many of them – Pochettino relishes the pressure as well. He said, “It’s excellent pressure. I enjoy this kind of challenge.
“We want to be in that situation and play in the semi-finals, but Middlesbrough will also have a difficult challenge. They must defend their 1-0 lead. We received some constructive criticism, and now it is time to play freely and show the way to the final.”
More than anything else, Tuesday evening provides Pochettino with an excellent opportunity to demonstrate progress to the club’s board and owners. Reaching a cup final It’s not a bad start for your first season.
“I think it is really important because it is a possibility to win a title – and yes, the effect is, yes, I agree – to maybe reduce a little bit the pressure on some players,” he added. But I think the enthusiasm to play tomorrow in a personal way is quite great. Because they are 90 minutes away from playing again at Wembley in a final for the chance to win a title.
“I am extremely motivated and, of course, we try to relay to the players how amazing it is to play a final at Wembley. Some players have previously been in a final, and we need to transmit their experience to the younger ones about the possibilities of playing there It’s in a specific place and is quite essential.”
Chelsea’s owners want to return to European football next season, and one way to do so is by winning the Carabao Cup, which will automatically qualify them for the Europa Conference League. There are numerous themes that add to the importance of Chelsea’s second leg against Middlesbrough.
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