Mauricio Pochettino is said to have granted the Chelsea dressing room's requests on Sunday. Reports suggest that Pochettino complied with the wishes of several Chelsea players by including Thiago Silva in his starting line-up for their match against Sheffield United.
The defender rewarded his teammates' faith with a goal, but the Blues concede a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane. The pressure keeps piling on Pochettino, as a significant section of the Chelsea fanbase has started to lose patience with their manager and are demanding a change before the start of the 2024/25 season.
The former Tottenham boss has struggled to extract the best from his squad, valued at over £1billion, and the club risks missing out on European football again if they don't raise their game in the remaining eight matches of the season. Chelsea's draw in Sheffield further highlighted the Blues' difficulties, squandering crucial points by failing to defend effectively in the final moments of the match against Chris Wilder's side.
However, the issues aren't confined to the pitch, reports the Express. As per the Telegraph, numerous Chelsea players had advocated for Thiago to start against the Blades due to concerns about the defensive weaknesses displayed in recent weeks.
Pochettino eventually succumbed to these demands, giving the Brazilian international his first start since 12 February. Thiago's time at Chelsea appears to be drawing to a close, with the 39-year-old's contract set to expire in June.
Reports suggest that it's unlikely the former Paris Saint-Germain defender will be offered a new deal as he approaches the end of his career. Whether Pochettino will utilise his experience in the season's final games remains to be seen,
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