There’s one good thing about the interviews that players have been giving from home during the Coronavirus break. It’s that instead of having those rigid conversations supervised by the club, footballers are way more relaxed to answer to some questions when speaking on web chats.
This is the case of Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, who’s spoken to ESPN Brasil this weekend. Talking about the Blues’ ups and downs this season, he’s been very sincere on the form the club has been going through this season.
“When it started, we ended up doing more than expected. But we did it very fast! And then the expectation was up there for us to keep what, honestly, was not what we were ready to do,” Jorginho told ESPN Brasil reporter Natali Gedra.
“Change of so many players, change of coach. I’m not even going to talk about the youth issue, which has a lot of young players this year. But it’s normal, if you stop to evaluate our squad, our team, it’s normal for us to make these mistakes. And it’s normal for us to have to grow up, learn from it to reduce mistakes and be up there.
“Sometimes, honestly, there’s a lack of group experience, of understanding the moments of the game, you know? Sometimes you can’t attack, attack, attack. Sometimes you have to hold the game a little. So whether you like it or not, I believe it is also a matter of time to be able to grow.“
Jorginho has also spoken about the criticism he’s received in the last season, and how the arrival of Frank Lampard made him recover the affection from some of the fans who disliked him.
“This has a lot of merit for Lampard, due to the importance he has at the club. And the way he talked about me as a person and as a player at the beginning of the season. Then the view and thinking of those who criticised me began to change. Because, in my opinion, they criticised me without foundation, sincerely. The numbers said the complete opposite of what was said, of how they looked at me. So I have a lot to thank this coach for. And it’s thanks to my work and his words, because it is also not easy for a coach to talk about a player that the crowd, in quotes, doesn’t like.”
The Brazilian talked about the departure of Eden Hazard, and the fact that Chelsea don’t have a main star to rely on this season.
“It ends up with the good side and the bad side too. Not having this responsibility on a single player, it ends up falling on all players. And in my view, this is good because it ends up holding us all responsible for what is happening. Often, when there’s only one, the merit goes to him, and so does the blame. Football, in the end, is a team effort.”
Finally, Jorginho was asked by ESPN about when he sees Chelsea fighting for big things once again, and he’s not very optimistic about that.
“Oh, honestly? I believe it takes at least next year. But maybe I’m here talking in two years, and next year Chelsea will be there! It’s complicated, it depends on how the team reacts to the learning, if the team has the capacity to absorb information and learn faster.”
