RUUD GULLIT has slammed “horrible” and “embarrassing” Chelsea and claimed: “The players think they are better than they actually are.”
Gullit began Chelsea’s glory era with an FA Cup triumph in 1997 – making him the first foreign boss to lift the trophy.
But the Dutch legend was left stunned and outraged by last week’s antics by Mauricio Pochettino’s team, both in their win over Everton and the Wembley semi-final defeat by a “f*****” Manchester City.
Gullit said: “When I watch this Chelsea, it is not going to work.
“They signed too many players and it is a mess.
“When you bring in so many new players like that, it’s almost impossible.
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“But Pochettino knew this was the case when he took the job. So he has to take responsibility for that.
“Do I blame him? No. But he is responsible for it.”
Gullit, a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, added: “There really is a lack of quality.
“You see that in the important moments, when the pressure is on.
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Chelsea’s penalty chaos
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has been tearing his hair out watching Chelsea’s stars fight over penalties again and again. Here are all their spot kick lowlights
- CHELSEA 2-2 ARSENAL (23rd October, 2023)
GOAL Raheem Sterling immediately picks up the ball to take Chelsea’s spot kick before Cole Palmer approaches. Enzo Fernandez intervenes to give the ball to Palmer, who sends David Raya the wrong way to score.
- CHELSEA 4 LEICESTER CITY 2 (17th March, 2024)
MISS Raheem Sterling wins a penalty and this time is handed the ball by Palmer. However, he fires it down the middle and sees his kick comfortably saved. Leicester later recover to 2-2 from 2-0 down and Sterling is booed every time he touches the ball by a section of the home crowd.
- CHELSEA 4 MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (4th April, 2024)
GOAL Noni Madueke makes an audacious attempt to take the ball off Palmer after winning a 98th minute penalty with the Blues 3-2 down but is pulled away by Trevoh Chalobah. Palmer sends Andre Onana the wrong way before scoring a winner two minutes later.
- CHELSEA 6 EVERTON 0 (15th April, 2024)
GOAL Madueke picks up the ball immediately after Chelsea are awarded a penalty at 4-0 up, but a furious Nicolas Jackson rushes in wanting to take the kick and shoves the winger. Captain Conor Gallagher has to intervene to give the ball to Palmer, who scores. Pochettino blasts his team’s behaviour as “like being at school”.
“Then they can’t pass the ball quickly enough, taking an extra touch every time, so that it’s too late when they finally play the pass.
“Too often, they don’t seem to see the danger from the opponents. You have to see them coming and make that pass early.
“But if you keep on taking the extra touch, that chance is gone – and that is a lack of quality.
“If there was a moment when they could beat City, it was on Saturday, because you could see they were f*****, they were gone.
“They were making mistakes they wouldn’t normally make because they were tired.
“And if you are Chelsea and you can’t take advantage of that – my God! It was horrible.”
Gullit was dismayed by Mykhailo Mudryk’s overshot free kick deep into stoppage time, asking: “How was it possible he could do it that badly?
“Of course it p***** off the Chelsea fans. And I think you have to name it as it is, to tell the truth.
“Because if you go around it and make excuses, that’s no good. You have to say it’s a lack of quality and and then they know it.
“They can be p***** off with it but this is what people think. Then they can work on it. They can do something about it.
“So that was bad enough but it was off the back of what we saw in the Everton game, the fight over the penalty.
“It was like watching kids, children. In a proper team that doesn’t happen. It’s embarrassing.
For Pochettino it’s embarrassing. For the board, it’s embarrassing.
“Can you imagine me having a fight with Marco van Basten, on the pitch? That’s crazy? Or someone at United having a fight with Roy Keane?
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“What are you doing? Ridiculous.
“And they ALL think they are better than they are. And that’s the worst thing of all. They have too many players who think they are better than they really are.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
