- 2 years ago
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on understanding frustrations, project progress, Everton test and tough job
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00:00 Can you give us any update on Kunku and will anybody else be back and go against him?
00:05 Well, Christophe is still assessing day by day. We'll see tomorrow. I don't believe that
00:19 we'll be involved but we need to assess day by day. We'll see also Malagusto, he can be
00:27 available but apart from that, no other news.
00:51 Chelsea, another frustrating evening, a few boos at the end of the game against United.
00:59 You talk about progress, you're here day to day. Where do you feel that Chelsea have made
01:06 progress under you this season?
01:09 Progress? I think it's not fair to talk too much about progress because I think with all
01:18 the circumstances it's difficult because we need to evaluate day by day and game by game.
01:24 It's true that it's not an excuse because we need to win, we are in a club that we need
01:30 to win and deliver our show but of course with all the circumstances from the beginning
01:34 of the season it's difficult to talk about progress. Progress is about that we know the
01:38 club better, we know the squad, we know the players even if some players are injured from
01:44 the beginning of the season. I think this relationship with the staff and with all the
01:49 people here is a massive progress for us and I think for the team because we know we are
01:55 knowing them. At that point I think every single player knows what we expect from them.
02:02 Another thing is to deliver the show, another thing is to perform. I think we need to improve
02:07 with time and for different reasons, for different circumstances we are not getting what we want.
02:14 I think we deserve much more from the beginning of the season but in the end I think in the
02:20 last few weeks we dropped in our performance that I am fair and realistic in our assessment.
02:27 I think we need again to get the good way to start to perform better again. But of course
02:40 after Brighton I think it was all completely different, the feelings and now after Manchester
02:46 we cannot move in extremes. We cannot go from 0 to 100, 100 to 0. I think it's normal,
02:53 this type of situation, this type of period. Of course it's tough because we are in Chelsea
02:58 but I think we need to see the reality that sometimes we struggle and then we don't have
03:08 the possibility to use all the elements of the squad. Of course not only us, if not any
03:17 club in the Premier League can struggle. But I think it's too many positive things from
03:22 the beginning of the season. I think it's about to try to keep going, being calm, not
03:32 too much when we won and not too down when you lose. Yes, I think the balance is the
03:43 most important in this period.
03:45 When you look at Chelsea after 15 games last season to this season, they are five points
03:53 worse off. So you can understand a little bit of the frustration. When do you feel this
03:59 progress is going to take shape consistently? How far away do you feel that you are from
04:07 that?
04:08 I think it's a process that sometimes is difficult to put a date. To finish and start to perform
04:13 and be consistent. It's a process that always takes time. I think we know really well what
04:20 we want and of course after you need also some luck to keep the players fit, all involved,
04:34 increase the competition in between them. With time I think we will find this momentum.
04:43 But I think at the moment we need to stay calm, keep pushing because we are so close.
04:54 We didn't have the luck that we deserved because I think too many clubs, too many teams were
05:02 winning games sometimes when they didn't deserve. But for us it was always about to deserve
05:08 and to be better and to be clinical and to create more chances when we didn't win games
05:16 that we didn't deserve on the end. That sometimes builds your confidence and your trust. At
05:22 the moment we are finding that. But we are going to keep pushing, working really hard.
05:28 I think we know what we need to do and it's only time that happens.
05:33 Just finally for me, since Everton have had their Queen's deduction, they've won two of
05:39 three, had a kind of galvanising effect. So how much tougher is that?
05:45 It's going to be really tough but they were doing a fantastic season until that happened
05:50 and yes I know very well Sean Dyche and I always admired him because he achieved with
05:57 Burnley, a different club also. Yes it's going to be tough because it's like the feeling
06:05 is that it's so unfair, they were treated so unfair. That is the feeling that they have.
06:11 And of course when you feel like this you feel freedom and nothing to lose. That is
06:16 why I think it's not only for that because they have good players and Sean is doing a
06:21 great job. And it's going to be tough after last night, massive victory for them, again
06:27 Newcastle 3-0 and I think they are going to be really motivated to face us. But every
06:34 game is different in the Premier League and we need to be ready. The most important thing
06:39 is we need to be ready to compete better than we competed last game.
06:45 Hi Mauricio, you have a limited number of players available with all these injuries.
06:52 Do you feel like you've tried everything or do you feel like you've run out of options
06:56 with the players you have available right now?
06:59 No I think we are trying to optimise the players that we have. Yes but then I think this type
07:07 of period we need to be calm because when you are suffering these type of things it's
07:15 about to become disappointing because I think we wanted to win against Manchester and I
07:21 think we were close. Of course they started really good in the game, they showed more
07:28 energy than us and I think we cannot match this energy. But I think at the end of the
07:34 first half and the second half we started really well, controlling the game and then
07:38 we created chances enough. But they were more clinical and of course in a difficult period
07:46 for them also they can get the three points. But yes I think it's always about to deal
07:54 with the situation, we need to deal with the situation, we cannot complain. That happened
07:58 and we need to accept the reality.
08:00 In terms of the consistency, can you tell us a bit more about how you work on that day
08:05 to day? Do you talk to the players, is it psychological, is it fitness related? How
08:10 do you improve?
08:11 It's holistic, it's a little thing from every part of the component and I think it's
08:19 not only one thing that you need to talk or to work. Yes that is the composition of the
08:25 squad, that is the profiles, that is the players that cannot be involved. Every single game
08:35 we need to try to find the good balance on the pitch and that inconsistency came from
08:42 different parts of the team. Yes, that is to repeat the same when we start the season.
08:53 The challenge was to settle everything and to try to behave like a team and for different
09:00 circumstances I think we are late in that situation, in that way. The period that we
09:07 are taking to try to settle everything I think we should be early but for different circumstances
09:16 we are late.
09:17 You mentioned after the Manchester United match that you didn't have as much time as
09:22 them to recover. This time you will have an extra day, do you think that will make a difference?
09:27 Yes but the accumulation of effort is there, it's not the same. It's tricky but it can
09:33 look similar but it's not similar because you need to see how you accumulate effort
09:41 and then to recover as soon as possible. Now we have another game away, we need to think
09:49 only and be focused to try to perform and forget that someone is tired and is not going
09:55 to play. We need to put a fresh team to try to perform and match their energy because
10:01 they are a team that show great energy.
10:08 Is this a harder job than you thought? You've been in the job now for four months, is it
10:17 harder?
10:18 No, no, no. For sure. Better is to be in a different position for sure but we knew when
10:29 we accepted this offer that it was going to be tough.
10:34 I think from the outside everyone thought when you came in, 'Right, Chelsea, it's suddenly
10:38 going to be challenging top four again'.
10:40 We are going to challenge, yes. Maybe not now but for sure in the future.
10:46 Can you put a timeframe on it, how far in the future?
10:51 Yes, who knows? Who knows? Hope as soon as possible but for sure we are going to challenge
10:59 the top four, yes.
11:00 The players you have are all on very long contracts, that's the way the club has been
11:05 operated, by players, young players, given a long contract. Does that make it difficult
11:10 if they are not the right players to change things up, to get players out and get players
11:15 in either in January or in the summer?
11:18 No, I think we need to give time. This type of player, there are a lot of players that
11:22 arrive and they have, yes, a very long contract, longer than us. Of course, but now it's not
11:30 only to bring the player and give an eight-year contract. It's about to work with them and
11:35 to try to put all in context, to create a dynamic and to create, with all the different
11:43 profiles, to create a team. That is the most difficult challenge that we have ahead because
11:49 I think we have talented players but now it's the most important to create this platform
11:54 that they all find their place and start to behave and belong and start to feel that they
12:02 belong to this group and the team and the club.
12:09 Finally, from me, some of the young players, you put them in the team, you take them out
12:14 of the team, out of the firing line, you give them another chance. Some of them don't seem
12:20 to be improving, maybe the speed some people would expect.
12:24 But how can they improve in the pace that everyone wants? In a club like Chelsea, the
12:30 culture is about to win. If the priorities are settled, belong to create different things,
12:39 that in the end is to perform and win games. The most important now is for these young
12:45 players, I think they all are improving because they know exactly what we expect from them.
12:54 Then I don't want to repeat again because I understand that this type of press conference
13:00 is easy for you and it's not easy for me but I think when we talk about young players,
13:07 they need to be in a place where they need to feel comfortable, they need to feel the
13:14 confidence and of course to perform in a club like Chelsea, we cannot forget that we are
13:19 in Chelsea and the pressure is massive because it's about to win. If we don't win, you
13:23 feel the pressure. It's not the same to use this badge than another.
13:29 Of course, that is why we know what we need to do, we know what we are doing. It's only
13:35 a matter of time, sometimes it's six months, sometimes maybe one year or maybe four months.
13:42 But for sure we will arrive at the situation because I think we are building something
13:50 that is going to pay off.
13:57 You've got experience of playing teams managed by Sean Dyche. What has made it difficult
14:04 to play against his team?
14:07 I think it's a football where they manage a different style. I think they can play in
14:19 different ways. They are always aggressive teams. I think Sean is like his personality,
14:27 he is really aggressive, he is brave. We are going to find a team that is going to try
14:34 to press high and be aggressive and can build from back and also can play direct. It's
14:41 going to be interesting because it's going to be a massive challenge for us.
14:45 You talked about the points deduction and how that gets the club going but also the
14:51 fans. You experienced that sort of atmosphere at St James' Park recently. Do you need
14:56 to get your players ready for that?
14:58 Yes, because in adversity you build something special in between all the areas of the club.
15:03 When something happens like this, what is going to create is to only five everyone and
15:10 to feel part of the decision. Of course, make it stronger. Yes, we are going to find a really
15:21 tough atmosphere but the Premier League is like this and if we want to perform in the
15:26 Premier League we need to deal with this.
15:32 How concerning was it that the fans turned on the players on Wednesday night for the
15:38 first time? You are talking about needing time and the players needing time. Do the
15:44 fans also need to be more patient with what they are saying?
15:48 Fans, we cannot say nothing to the fans. The fans react how they feel and we cannot blame
15:56 them. We cannot say nothing again and I think we need to accept if we are not playing well
16:01 it is normal that we will get the criticism from them. I think we need to accept that.
16:09 Thank you.
16:10 Camera's off please.
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