With Enzo Maresca not up to facing the press, assistant coach Willy Caballero stepped in and was faced with some difficult post-Bournemouth questions.
The post-mortem is just beginning for Chelsea after once again failing to win all three points at home in the Premier League.
After the game, the fans around Stamford Bridge made their displeasure with Chelsea known, and they want answers.
Caballero did his best to address those concerns.
wILLY cABALLERO managing Chelsea
Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Willy Caballero explains Cole Palmer substitution vs Bournemouth
When Palmer’s name came up on the board, Chelsea fans lost patience with Maresca. It was the first domino to fall in that regard, and the mood hasn’t picked up much since.
Palmer wasn’t annoyed when taken off against Bournemouth, but many people were.
In his post-match press conference reported on by Football London, Caballero attempted to justify the decision.
He said: “Of course any supporter wants to have their best players on the pitch and we want to have the best players on the pitch as well.
“But Cole is coming from a long injury so in this case we need to find the right substitutions to go for the game and also to take care of the health of our players because we want to have them for the long period and for the rest of the season in every single game.”
Chelsea fans not happy with Enzo Maresca…
Chelsea fans booed when Cole Palmer was taken off in the second half.
What did you make of the England international’s performance?
Cole Palmer for Chelsea vs Bournemouth
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
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Chelsea are being careful with Palmer’s reintegration. That’s understandable given the amount of time missed, but in a game like the one that unfolded on Tuesday night, his withdrawal riled up an already-irate home crowd.
Caballero on Chelsea’s league-worst long throw record
Both of Bournemouth’s goals came from long throw situations — a facet of the game that the Blues are clearly struggling with.
Asked about the worrying trend, Caballero said: “It’s such an issue because now every single game and every other team has got not just one, sometimes two or three players that can deliver a very long throw.
“It means that all of the other teams invest a lot in long throws and they create many set pieces about that and it just gives us information that we have to deal quickly because we need to improve in any set pieces.”
Who or what is to blame for Chelsea’s poor form? 📉
Following their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, Chelsea have now won just one of their last seven games in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s previous seven league results:
Chelsea 2-2 Bournemouth
Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa
Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-0 Everton
Bournemouth 0-0 Chelsea
Leeds United 3-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
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He reckons there is an element of misfortune to the abysmal record, but that isn’t going to ease any concerns.
Chelsea have been defensively stout for large parts of the season, but this is one area in which improvements are certainly needed.
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