Mauricio Pochettino’s LET-OFF: Chelsea stars fly in helicopters and revisit their old clubs on a day off – just hours after their manager publicly announced he was cancelling it as punishment for Newcastle horror show
- A furious Mauricio Pochettino threatened to cancel two days off after their defeat
- However, on Sunday the club’s stars were able to enjoy a range of activities
- Within Ange’s tracks: Listen to It’s All Kicking Off about how he transformed the club
Mauricio Pochettino’s threat to cancel Chelsea’s days off following their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle appeared hollow after their stars enjoyed trips away from the club’s training ground in Cobham.
Mykhailo Mudryk shared an Instagram video from a helicopter as Nicolas Jackson connected with his former Villarreal teammates in Spain.
That’s despite Pochettino claiming they would train early in the morning and not have a day off’ after being dismantled at St James’ Park in the second half.
A stunning free-kick from Raheem Sterling wasn’t enough for the Blues as they conceded four for the second after the rebound.
It appears a number of Chelsea stars made the most of Sunday, despite Pochettino’s warning that he would be stripped of that freedom in a glittering press conference.
Mauricio Pochettino threatened to drag his players into training on Sunday after their 4-1 defeat
Nicolas Jackson was filmed in Villarreal’s dressing room, visiting former teammates
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk took a glamorous helicopter ride around the city after the defeat
Mudryk shared a video from high in the sky as he took a helicopter ride around the city after being introduced as a substitute in the second half.
Meanwhile, in the Villarreal dressing room, Jackson smiled and hugged hat-trick hero Jose Luis Morales after their 3-1 win over Osasuna.
Jackson scored nine goals in his last eight games for The Yellow Submarine last season to earn his £32million move to London.
All in all, it was a relaxing day for the stars and a far cry from the early morning training that an irate Pochettino had hinted at.
Reece James was sent off and Thiago Silva gifted the ball away for Joelinton’s goal to give the Magpies an ‘easy win’ in the eyes of their manager.
Pochettino said: ‘We were talking in the dressing room after the match, we had to go straight to the hotel and sleep, and start training early in the morning and not have a day off.
‘These games make me very, very, very, very angry. We must show personality and character. We cannot play this kind of football.
‘Newcastle weren’t great but won easily. We had to show that it was difficult for them. But the way we gave in was so easy and we were so gentle in every challenge. We didn’t show that we were playing for something important.
Chelsea captain Reece James was sent off on a miserable day for Chelsea against Newcastle
Thiago Silva gave the ball away just before Joelinton’s goal in a moment of courage
Pochettino insisted he was ‘very, very, very, very angry’ and felt his side was ‘not connected to the game’
‘We are young and have to learn. We need to be more solid and ready to compete. I can play football, anyone can, but you have to be ready to compete and we didn’t do that today.”
He added: “It’s not about me being there [on the touchline] or not. It’s about maturity. We must show energy and capacity to compete. The large teams perform this way every week, every three days.
‘It was so frustrating. It was really tough. I couldn’t show my emotion (during the game). I’m very disappointed in the performance. We were not involved in the game.
‘We scored [to make it 1-1] and it was still a moment to go. But the team didn’t have the right energy. It was our worst of the season.
‘We can blame ourselves. We can’t miss this opportunity to show our best.
“There are a lot of details, a lot of things that build confidence and strength. We already know what is going on and we will try to change the dynamic.”