Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino 'on brink of axe' after Sheffield United draw: report

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino looks dejected during his side's FA Cup match against Leicester City in March 2024.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is under scrutiny again after the Blues threw away two points in a disappointing draw away to the Premier League's bottom club Sheffield United on Sunday.

The thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United in midweek had seemed something of a turning point for Chelsea, although the Blues were also minutes away from losing that fixture, and this time a late goal went against the west London club.

Going into added time at Bramall Lane, Pochettino's side were 2-1 up after goals from Thiago Silva and Noni Madueke, but Ollie McBurnie struck in the 93rd minute to make it another frustrating afternoon for the Blues.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino gives instructions to his players during a Premier League match against Fulham.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino gives instructions to his players during a Premier League match against Fulham. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Speaking after the game, Madueke said the dressing room sat in silence following this latest setback, which leaves Chelsea in ninth place.

"Silent [in the dressing room] to be honest," he told the BBC. "Of course we should have won the game. The way we drop points sometimes, it was in the palm of our hands."

And according to The Express, Pochettino's position is under threat again after the 2-2 draw against the Premier League's bottom club.

"Very frustrating because we conceded in the first half after we scored," Pochettino said after the game. "Then you concede in the last few minutes, you always feel very disappointed and frustrated. I want to say the draw is a fair result. Even if we control and have possession, we didn't create enough. We didn't show the capacity to be solid and be strong. That is the painful situation."

And he added: "The team is not showing in the last few months the capacity to be solid. We score goals but we are conceding and that is why they punish us.

"For different reasons, we struggle to compete in these types of games. We score, we were better, we were under control but in the situation like this we concede from nowhere. That is about to be more competitive. Yes, it's about the combination. It's to idenfity the profile. We are learning how the players need to learn from the coaching staff."

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.