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Mauricio Pochettino thinks that music has the power to bring about change, as proven by the support of Chelsea fans during his team’s 3-1 comeback victory against Crystal Palace on Monday. The fans sang Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’, which helped motivate the team to their win.
During the second half at Selhurst Park, there was a delay due to referee Michael Oliver’s radio equipment malfunctioning. During this time, the stadium’s PA system played the popular 1977 song.
The visiting fans continued to sing the well-known line from the song, “don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be alright,” when the match resumed.
Shortly after, their prediction came true as Conor Gallagher scored off a low cross from Malo Gusto and found the top corner of the goal to tie the score with Jefferson Lerma’s goal for Palace in the first half.
Later, Gallagher, who ultimately scored the crucial goal to give his team a 2-1 lead during added time, revealed that he had been mentally singing the song while helping his team secure a victory. This came after a difficult first half for Chelsea in their match in south London.
Enzo Fernandez netted a third goal in the closing moments of the game while Crystal Palace attempted to level the score. This secured a second 3-1 away win for the Blues in just one week, following their FA Cup triumph over Aston Villa.
Pochettino disclosed that music has played a crucial role in his achievements as a coach on multiple occasions.
He expressed that the fans seemed content and joyful as the team was winning and everything was going well. However, the atmosphere shifted quickly after the team scored.
I was extremely concentrated and did not hear the song, but following the game, our supporters adopted it as their anthem.
Music is incredibly significant for everyone as it has the power to alter one’s mood, energy, and overall outlook.
Some players may have more energy to offer. At Southampton and later at Tottenham, we would often “cheat” during training sessions by placing a speaker in the center of the field and having players run to music chosen by different players each day. While it is important to push ourselves and endure some hardships, incorporating music made it a more enjoyable experience for the players.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to do that here, but perhaps in the future. Music holds great importance in life.”
On Saturday evening, Pochettino will lead his team to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City, with hopes of securing a victory that could potentially move them up to seventh place, their best position this season.
In November, the teams had a memorable match at Stamford Bridge where they tied 4-4. Former City player Cole Palmer, who has scored 12 goals in all competitions for Chelsea, saved the team with a penalty in stoppage time.
The 21-year-old has been arguably the standout success of co-owner Todd Boehly’s mammoth £1billion transfer spend.
Pochettino stated that Palmer, who was signed for an initial fee of £40 million in September, had the potential to become a top player due to his talent.
However, as with most young players, there was always uncertainty surrounding how he would adjust to the team and the new surroundings.
To be frank, he exceeded our expectations and surprised everyone. When signing a new player, you hope for a certain level of performance, but he quickly proved to be a game-changer. Within just one or two weeks, he played like a seasoned member of the team.
“City are world champions, Premier League champions, they won the Champions League. They are in a different place to us, we are in another project. That’s why a player like Palmer can have a place here but maybe would need to wait (at City). Some players don’t want to wait.”
Source: independent.co.uk
