Chelsea’s season has taken a turn for the worse after their recent 3–0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League. The Blues, who were already struggling to begin with, now have a Herculean task to secure a finish in the top five. In fact, they are closer to the bottom half of the table. So, their chances of qualifying for the Champions League look slim.
Nevertheless, the overall performance from the Chelsea squad against Man City was certainly disappointing. Despite the Blues having some of the best youngsters in the world, that hasn’t reflected on the field. The club need a change of strategy if they want to get back to competing with the elite.
In the meantime, Gary Neville has slammed two established Chelsea players on his podcast after their defeat at the hands of Man City. However, it wasn’t for their poor showing in the match.
On the contrary, the Manchester United legend has called out Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella for their ‘selfish’ off-field behaviour and public remarks. Both players have made the headlines lately for their public comments.
Gary Neville criticises Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella for their recent off-field conduct
Fernandez claimed he would like to live in Madrid someday amid links with a move to the Bernabeu. Cucurella criticised the club’s transfer policy. And Neville has made his feelings clear on what he thinks about the situation involving two of Chelsea’s leaders.
Neville, speaking on his podcast (via GIVEMESPORT) said:
“It’s a struggle and you add to that the ill-discipline of Enzo Fernandez and Cucurella who have been speaking up in the last few weeks.
“As a football player in a dressing room, what do the rest of their teammates think?”
Neville further went on to add regarding the matter:
“When you speak like they have, that’s entirely selfish. It’s entirely selfish. It’s not helping your manager who is young and inexperienced. It’s not helping your teammates. It’s not helping the fans because they’re thinking you’re discontent.”
What next for Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella at Chelsea
Fernandez was absent against City as he served a two-match sanction handed by the club. This came after his comments hinted at a possible move away from Stamford Bridge.
On the other hand, Cucurella has criticised the Blues’ management approach in the transfer market. The fans would agree with the subject matter for sure. It is the same thing they have been talking about for years now. And they will be hoping that a senior player calling it out leads to some change.
It is true that both players have the right to decide their future, especially with Chelsea clearly struggling to compete for silverware. But doing so publicly, in the middle of the season, is not something anyone expects from them. Fortunately, Fernandez is said to have already apologised for his conduct and is expected to be back against Manchester United.
This is a time when the Chelsea players will need to rally behind the manager and give it their all for the team. Although things aren’t looking too bright for them now, there is still time to salvage something from this season.
