'Relief is the correct word...' Calum McFarlane reflects on his first victory as Chelsea's manager
'Relief is the correct word...' Calum McFarlane reflects on his first victory as Chelsea's manager
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Chelsea Football Newsletter
Calum McFarlane has hit back at suggestions his Chelsea squad is “broken” amid their lengthy Premier League winless run.
Last weekend’s surprise defeat by a heavily rotated Nottingham Forest was their sixth loss on the bounce, with Joao Pedro’s injury-time consolation their only goal in that spell.
Speaking after that match, Jamie Carragher described the Blues’ squad as ‘broken’, with a parallel drawn between Chelsea and the current behind-the-scenes turmoil at Real Madrid, where players and staff have reportedly fallen out acrimoniously as they face the prospect of a trophyless season.
However, McFarlane insists that no such crisis is taking place away from prying eyes at Cobham, insisting his players have remained professional throughout their winless run.
“The group are disappointed with the performance against Forest,” he declared. “They are elite players who have got to this level by having the talent, and the mentality, and drive. It's just about bringing it out.
Calum McFarlane insists heads have not gone down in his squad
“You don't get to play for this level of club or countries these guys play for if you don't have that. It is just about supporting them and doing as much as we can as a staff and giving them everything they need to go out on the pitch and perform.”
First-choice Chelsea shot-stopper Robert Sanchez is set to miss the trip after sustaining a head injury in a collision with Morgan Gibbs-White last time out.
Jorgensen is set to deputise, but he has endured a difficult campaign. His appearance off the bench against Forest was his first since an error-strewn 15-minute spell in Chelsea’s 5-2 Champions League drubbing by Paris Saint-Germain.
“I still have faith in Filip,” McFarlane declared.