"We know how special he is" - Pat Nevin urges Chelsea star to be 'more direct' after 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin was far from impressed with Raheem Sterling's performance as the Blues suffered a 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the League Cup on Tuesday, January 9.

Chelsea faced the Championship outfit in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash at the Riverside Stadium. Mauricio Pochettino's team struggled to break down the hosts' low block and were undone by a Hayden Hackney goal in the 37th minute.

Cole Palmer missed a glorious opportunity to level the scores just before halftime when he volleyed over the bar from close range. But Nevin believes Sterling didn't do enough with the ball and failed to be direct with it.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live Sport (via The Chelsea Chronicle):

“Sterling has to be more direct, we know about his capabilities, we know how special he is. He has to use that directness a little bit more often… Get the ball, turn, and ask every defender a question.”

Sterling played the full 90 minutes but proved to be ineffective on the left wing. The 29-year-old landed zero shots on target from just one attempt, was dispossessed four times, and lost seven duels.

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Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino delivers verdict on his side's display after Middlesbrough loss

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino believes his side were the better team but admitted that he was disappointed they couldn't make the most of their opportunities. His comments arrived after the Blues were defeated 1-0 against Middlesbrough in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.

Chelsea dominated possession with 72 percent of the ball. They also had 18 shots in total, with five being in target. In comparison, Middlesbrough had just six shots, with two being on target but Chelsea were unable to break down the hosts' low block.

"I think today the approach was good, we cannot say anything about the attitude. Only that we made some mistakes in the first half, I think we gave the chances to score and then, yes, they were so aggressive and really tough," Pochettino said (as per METRO).

"They played in transition, in counter-attack, and with a really deep block. It was difficult for us to break down this block," he continued.

"We had many chances to score and didn’t score, that is football, of course. Really disappointed, but it is the first half of the tie because after this 90 minutes we have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge. I think we need to be positive," Pochettino added.

Chelsea will face Middlesbrough in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, January 23.