Cole Palmer says Chelsea must 'fight' for Mauricio Pochettino as final Premier League game nears with Europe close
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Published 16/05/2024 at 13:52 GMT
Chelsea moved to within one point of European qualification with a 2-1 win at Brighton on Wednesday but manager Mauricio Pochettino's future at the club remains unclear with end-of-season talks reportedly set to determine his position at Stamford Bridge. Cole Palmer has backed Pochettino to remain in charge and build upon this season. They finish the Premier League season at home to Bournemouth.
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Cole Palmer says the Chelsea squad “love” manager Mauricio Pochettino and must keep fighting for him - as the Argentine’s future at Stamford Bridge continues to be questioned.
An inconsistent season is heading for a positive finish with one point needed from their last Premier League match of the season against Bournemouth to guarantee European football next season.
Pochettino’s side held on for a 2-1 win at Brighton to move them up to sixth in the table - which will be enough for a UEFA Europa League spot if Manchester City win the FA Cup.
And Palmer has now publicly called for his team-mates to "fight" for Pochettino, with end-of-season talks reportedly set to determine his position at Stamford Bridge
Speaking after the victory on the south coast, Palmer told the club’s website, “We’ve been 13th and 12th this season. Last season was the same, so to get back into Europe is a step in the right direction.
“Big credit to the manager because all the players love him, we’ve got to fight for him. It’s been a good season and hopefully we can get European football at the end of it.”
An end-of-season review will decide Pochettino’s future after months of batting away questions about whether the Chelsea board are backing him in the long-term.
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Cole Palmer and Mauricio Pochettino
Image credit: Getty Images
Speaking before his team took on Nottingham Forest earlier this month, he said he’s not unhappy at the club but “it would not be the end of the world” if he left Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Pochettino was in a far more prickly mood after the win at Brighton and, asked if a sixth placed finish was good enough for a club like Chelsea, he said: “I don’t know. We have been all the season talking but it looks like my words are not important and no one cares.
“People only care about rumours and things like this. It’s not important, the most important thing is winning games for me. It has been tough with all the circumstances,” he said.
Palmer has been Pochettino’s star player this season and he has made it clear that he wants his manager to continue with the project he has started.
“Chelsea is a big club, everyone wants to finish higher than sixth, but we have to look at where we’ve been at the start of the season, throughout the season,” Palmer said.
The England international - who won two Player of the Season trophies at the club’s awards presentation - scored his 22nd Premier League goal of the season against Brighton.
That saw him match club legend Frank Lampard’s best tally for a single season in his first campaign at the club.
“Getting 22 goals in the Premier League is a big achievement. Obviously Lampard is one of the best Chelsea players in history, but hopefully I can keep going.
“It’s my first season but I’ve got to keep pushing on. It might be tough to get more next season, but I will give it a go,” he said.
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