Manager Mauricio Pochettino insisted Chelsea were “building from scratch” and appealed to supporters to give the team time to recover from their poor form.
Pochettino’s position as manager is not under immediate threat, but the head coach is under increasing pressure following humiliating defeats against Liverpool and Wolves. The atmosphere around Chelsea’s training ground was somber after fans revolted during the Wolves match. Questions have been raised about Pochettino’s tactics and his application to team training.
Inexperience of the team does not solve the problem. Owner Todd Boley and Clear Lake Capital’s decision to focus on acquiring young players has yet to pay off.
This has led to criticism in some quarters of the reinforcement strategy overseen by sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Lawrence Stewart, with Chelsea set to face Aston in an away FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday. A loss to Villa will only fuel further anger.
But Pochettino remained defiant ahead of the game against Villa, telling his players in a meeting on Tuesday that he trusted them more than ever. “We need time and people need to understand why we need time,” the Argentine said.
“It’s about building a team. It’s like building a house. You have to check every step you take. We’re building from scratch. It always takes time. Like Manchester City or Liverpool. Look at the project. There will always be a time, and very clear leadership like Pep. [Guardiola] Like Jurgen [Klopp]. It is clear that you are building these projects from there. ”
Pochettino joked that he would not lose his dark brown hair due to the team’s lack of consistency. “Soccer is my passion, not a job,” he said. “In order to focus on football, your mind needs to be free. You can’t allow yourself to be influenced by the stock market in New York or Tokyo or the weather, where you don’t know where you are because the farms can’t grow grain. So the hair… That’s how I feel: I don’t suffer because I’m not in charge. I’m just trying to improve the players for the sake of the sport, for the sake of soccer.”
“That’s sports. You can win and you can lose. If it doesn’t rain on my farm, I can’t grow crops. You destroyed my family’s farm and they need money. That’s stress. When that happens, your hair might fall out. But your opponent was better at it, so you can’t let it fall.”
Pochettino has cleared the air with Thiago Silva after the Chelsea defender’s wife appeared to call for a change of manager on social media during the Wolves match. “He came to talk to me today,” said the former Tottenham manager. “That’s private.”
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The manager also revealed that he received a text message of support from the club’s owner after the Wolves loss. “I think we’re all united on this and that’s important,” Pochettino said.
“I received a very nice email. [the owners],” he added. “Of course I’m in contact with them and the sporting director every day.”
