Enzo Maresca threatened to humiliate Chelsea star after boos in Southampton win
One home player took to the field at Stamford Bridge last night under huge pressure to perform.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that keeper Filip Jorgensen was one false move from being substituted last night during the 4-0 win over Southampton.
After a harrowing run of two wins from 10 games, the Blues regained some momentum against the league’s bottom side as the 22-year-old kept a welcome clean sheet.
The Swedish-born player went into the game under pressure after his glaring error at Aston Villa last weekend, allowing Marco Asensio’s shot to squirm under him for a late winner.
He had also been error-strewn in the previous loss at Brighton, failing to capitalise on being given a first-team chance after Maresca opted to drop the under-fire Robert Sanchez.
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In contrast, Jorgensen enjoyed a relatively quiet night against the league’s bottom side. However, he did make a fine-diving save to deny a Paul Onuachu header with the score goalless.
But he was still targeted with jeers from much of the home crowd at Stamford Bridge for his persistence in playing the ball out from the back. Amid their post-Christmas slump, the Blues have been frequently caught out in possession around their own penalty area, leading fans to urge the keeper to be more direct.
After the game, though, Maresca spoke candidly about the consequences for the ex-Villarreal man had he tried to change his team's tactics. And he shrugged off the notion of crowd boos, insisting players have to adhere to this game plan.
"My message to Filip was, 'If you play a long ball, I will change you’,” said the Italian. “They (the players) have to follow the plan."
Despite being defended by his manager, Jorgensen’s future remains the subject of speculation. He joined on a seven-year deal in the summer for a fee of around £20million, but the club have already been linked with new keeper targets.
Belgian teenager Mike Penders, currently on loan at Genk, will also be available to Maresca from the summer. In the build-up to the Southampton clash, though, he insisted Jorgensen would remain his No.1 for the time being despite the Asensio error.
Asked if Sanchez was in line for a recall, he replied: “If we have to change players every time they make a mistake, then we’ll need to change every game. But no, nothing’s changed.”
The win took Chelsea back up to fourth in the Premier League table. However, they will drop back two places if both Manchester City and Newcastle pick up wins tonight.
