RUUD GULLIT BLASTS CHELSEA STAR AND WARNS COLE PALMER OVER 'HONEYMOON PERIOD'
Ruud Gullit has blasted Chelsea’s ‘horrible’ performance in their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City and taken aim at Mykhailo Mudryk for wasting an opportunity to equalise in stoppage time.
Chelsea will feel they let a huge opportunity to slip through their fingers at Wembley, with Nicolas Jackson guilty of spurning a host of chances to break the deadlock before Bernardo Silva’s 84th-minute strike proved decisive for the holders.
The Blues’ painful loss came less than two months after the club’s previous disappointment at the stadium, when Virgil van Dijk’s header deep into extra-time steered Liverpool to Carabao Cup glory.
The result ended Chelsea’s hopes of lifting any silverware this season given Mauricio Pochettino’s men find themselves languishing down in ninth place in the Premier League, 27 points off leaders Arsenal ahead of the sides’ meeting at the Emirates this evening.
Despite Chelsea spending in excess of £1billion on new signings since Todd Boehly’s takeover in 2022, Gullit believes there is still a dearth of ‘quality’ within Pochettino’s squad in west London.
‘There really is a lack of quality,’ the legendary former Chelsea and Netherlands midfielder told The Sun.
‘You see that in the important moments, when the pressure is on. 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***ed, 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.’
Chelsea were handed a chance to draw level after being awarded a free-kick from an inviting angle in the eighth minute of stoppage time, with seven players waiting to capitalise inside the box.
But Mudryk, who had been introduced in place of Noni Madueke in the 79th minute, struck the ball straight out for a goal kick, with the Ukrainian’s team-mate’s throwing their arms in the air in despair.
‘How was it possible he could do it that badly?’ Gullit added.
‘Of course it p***ed 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***ed off with it but this is what people think. Then they can work on it. They can do something about it.’
In a separate interview with The Mirror, Gullit revealed he had been blown away by Cole Palmer’s barnstorming start to life at Stamford Bridge, though warned the young attacking midfielder that he may be enjoying a ‘honeymoon period’ in the wake of his summer arrival.
‘Palmer has fantastic numbers. He was a gift,’ the iconic Dutchman – the player-manager of Chelsea from 1996 to 1998 – said.
‘He’s come in this first year and played all the games, which is great because I like to watch him.
‘I think he has huge potential, that’s for sure. But he had a difficult time against Man City in the FA Cup semi-final.
‘You forget he is still a kid. He is young and he’s been huge for Chelsea this season but this is his honeymoon period.
‘Let’s see how he does after that. Let’s see what happens next year because there will be real pressure [to deliver again]. The team as a whole has to improve a lot next year too.’
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2024-04-23T09:57:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd