Carney Chukwuemeka, who made his second start for Chelsea against Manchester United, has disclosed his disappointment following their shambolic outing at Old Trafford. Carney Chukwuemeka accepts that Chelsea ‘need to give more for the badge’ following our 4-1 defeat to Manchester United.
The midfielder was one of three changes made by Frank Lampard at Old Trafford, as he fielded our youngest ever Premier League starting XI.
Chukwuemeka slotted into midfield with Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher and despite the Blues showing some positive signs, we couldn’t keep United out, who raced into a half-time 2-0 lead thanks to strikes from Casemiro and Anthony Martial.
‘We’re in a difficult period,’ Carney explained post-match.
‘There’s been a lot of transition and change, but it’s clear we aren’t playing well enough at the moment. We need to give a lot more for the badge.
‘I thought we had some good chances in the first half and if we’d taken them, then it could have been a totally different outcome on the game.
‘We’re in a difficult period and we need to pull ourselves from this and improve. We’ve got one game left this season and we need to give the fans something to smile about.
‘We need to finish this season on a winning note to take into the summer, then come back in pre-season with a different approach and a different mindset to do better.’
Despite the negative result, being handed a start by Lampard in such a big game was viewed as a real positive by Chukwuemeka and the former Aston Villa man hopes for further opportunities starting with Newcastle’s visit on Sunday.
‘I’ve been waiting a while for an opportunity in the team and I’ve just kept myself ready for whenever the gaffer needed me,’ said the teenager.
‘I think I’ve been training well and I thought I did okay out there. I know I can definitely improve further but I want to be playing for Chelsea on a regular basis and getting the chance at Old Trafford is definitely a step in the right direction.
‘Hopefully, I can train well and have more experiences like that.’
