Mauricio Pochettino faced the media at Cobham in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s crucial Premier League meeting with Brighton on Sunday afternoon
Can we start with team news?
“Yes. Not too many news. We don’t believe that we can recover some players as quickly as possible. But there is still one training [session] more tomorrow, so if we can see if some players are available more.”
I was at training earlier. Christopher Nkunku was with the group, Romeo Lavia was not with the group. Are either of those two players available for Sunday?
“We need to assess tomorrow and then decide. They are close, but we need tomorrow to take the decision.”
So they are not ruled out yet?
“Maybe Lavia is the more difficult [one]. But we need to assess Nkunku.”
Disappointing result last time out against Newcastle. What have you said to the players?
“To clarify the things, to realise what happened. I think it was a tough week for everyone. I am very happy because I think they react very well. Even after you watch the game, I think it was worse, my feelings after the game. I was tough with them inside and outside.
“But it’s to blame ourselves also because I think maybe our approach was wrong and that is to take the responsibility, too. I think it was a good week to realise things we need to improve. We need to be more consistent, more mature. There are things we cannot afford in this process.
“Yes, I am very, very happy so far. Even though it was really, really tough in training and in meetings. But sometimes this type of situation helps a lot to improve.”
The result leaves you 12 points off the top four places. Is it still realistic to have that target?
“It is mathematical. I think we still need to believe that it’s realistic. It’s going to be tough to achieve the places to allow us to play in European competition. The most important [thing] now is not to see the end of the season, but to see the process and to improve every day. That is the most difficult thing always in this type of process; to be focused on today and not on tomorrow.
“That is the aspect we are working on this week, to try and improve ourselves and what the team needs. That is the process. We cannot think at the end of the season because then we will start to stop what is going to bring us there. We will focus on the present and how we are going to be better every day.”
Do you believe you and the owners are on the same page regarding the process? Do they believe that this is a development stage at this football club?
“Yes, of course. That is the reality. It’s not [only] to us. That is the process. That is the realistic situation. They are supporting this, the owners, of course.”
It’s Brighton next. You’ve actually beaten them in the League Cup already. Can you take a psychological edge from that?
“It’s not the opponent. It was Tottenham, it was Manchester City and it was Newcastle. Maybe most likely to take points against Newcastle because they were playing three days before a tough game against Paris Saint-Germain and then we beat Tottenham and an amazing game against Manchester City and then we lost against Newcastle.
“We are our own worst enemies and we need to be focused on us. If we are in a good place, then for sure we will compete in a good way. We are going to pay attention [to Brighton], but at the moment in this process, I think we need to pay more attention to ourselves rather than the opponent.”
You’re often relaxed and smiling in the press conferences. What is it like to have an angry Mauricio Pochettino?
“You know very well, how was my mood [after Newcastle]. I am not here acting. I am not going to show a face I do not feel. When I feel very happy, I’m happy and when I’m not happy, the same and the same with the players.
“It’s not the players on one side and the coaching staff on the other side. Everyone works together. I think it’s always about to put the context on the situation and I think it’s important that the players feel the coaches in a natural way when we are angry and when we are happy. We were tough in our analysis, but tough is about to tell the truth, to show the things we didn’t do, of course, but it’s not to blame them, it’s about to blame everyone.
“Like I told you before, maybe our approach wasn’t right. Then it’s about maybe to pay attention for us to have a different approach in the future. We are a young team, maybe sometimes we need to be tough to learn and sometimes to be nice, and we need to choose in the way we are going to express ourselves and translate the ideas.
“It’s not about after if we feel really well because we are talking some way or if we express ourselves in some direction. It’s about whether they get what we want. Now if we are helping in the way that we explain the things, that is the most important thing.
“I am not an actor. I cannot act. I do not prepare myself to come here to smile. I feel happy because the week was good. Of course I am not happy after the last game. We know really well that we need to perform and to recover the points that we lose against Newcastle.”
Brighton, do you look at them in a different way that you would have done a few seasons ago?
“They are doing a fantastic job and of course they are a very good team with very good coaching staff. I know very well Roberto [De Zerbi] and I think he is doing a fantastic job.”
Seven Premier League games in December. Where do you want to see Chelsea at the end of the month?
“I want to see the weekend, Sunday, with three points more in the table and then prepare the game against Manchester United. It’s step by step, game by game.”
How would you say Caicedo and Sanchez have settled in after moving from Brighton? Have we seen the best of Caicedo yet?
“It’s a process also. The problem is always the intention is to analyse and compare the player from one season to another when it is not fair. Different environment, different moment with how the situation is now. If you talk about Robert, in the last three or four months [at Brighton] he didn’t play and then he arrived late in the transfer window.
“Moises also arrived when we had already played games in the Premier League, with no pre-season and all the emotional situation with him. He then got injured with the international team, and then trying to rest and recover.
“For us, now it’s good to have a few months with the possibility of having all the players there and to start to give more possibility to rest and to play and to be focusing on Chelsea. It’s completely unfair to compare players from one season to another. We have no doubt they will perform in the way we expect.”
Is the size of the transfer fee affecting Caicedo?
“It’s easy now to blame the money, it’s easy to blame different aspects. He is a human being. When something is covered in expectation, then [people] find something to blame. But it’s a process, it’s normal. For him it’s tough also, but for everyone, the expectation is different. The shirt is different, the badge is different, the context is different, the teammates are different, different club, everything is different. It’s about time to fit and to start to perform.”
Every word Mauricio Pochettino said on Chelsea anger, Nkunku return, James apology and Brighton
Mauricio Pochettino faced the media at Cobham in his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s crucial Premier League meeting with Brighton on Sunday afternoon
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ByBobby VincentChelsea Writer
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Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino (Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Can we start with team news?
“Yes. Not too many news. We don’t believe that we can recover some players as quickly as possible. But there is still one training [session] more tomorrow, so if we can see if some players are available more.”
I was at training earlier. Christopher Nkunku was with the group, Romeo Lavia was not with the group. Are either of those two players available for Sunday?
“We need to assess tomorrow and then decide. They are close, but we need tomorrow to take the decision.”
So they are not ruled out yet?
“Maybe Lavia is the more difficult [one]. But we need to assess Nkunku.”
Disappointing result last time out against Newcastle. What have you said to the players?
“To clarify the things, to realise what happened. I think it was a tough week for everyone. I am very happy because I think they react very well. Even after you watch the game, I think it was worse, my feelings after the game. I was tough with them inside and outside.
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“But it’s to blame ourselves also because I think maybe our approach was wrong and that is to take the responsibility, too. I think it was a good week to realise things we need to improve. We need to be more consistent, more mature. There are things we cannot afford in this process.
“Yes, I am very, very happy so far. Even though it was really, really tough in training and in meetings. But sometimes this type of situation helps a lot to improve.”
The result leaves you 12 points off the top four places. Is it still realistic to have that target?
“It is mathematical. I think we still need to believe that it’s realistic. It’s going to be tough to achieve the places to allow us to play in European competition. The most important [thing] now is not to see the end of the season, but to see the process and to improve every day. That is the most difficult thing always in this type of process; to be focused on today and not on tomorrow.
“That is the aspect we are working on this week, to try and improve ourselves and what the team needs. That is the process. We cannot think at the end of the season because then we will start to stop what is going to bring us there. We will focus on the present and how we are going to be better every day.”
Do you believe you and the owners are on the same page regarding the process? Do they believe that this is a development stage at this football club?
“Yes, of course. That is the reality. It’s not [only] to us. That is the process. That is the realistic situation. They are supporting this, the owners, of course.”
It’s Brighton next. You’ve actually beaten them in the League Cup already. Can you take a psychological edge from that?
“It’s not the opponent. It was Tottenham, it was Manchester City and it was Newcastle. Maybe most likely to take points against Newcastle because they were playing three days before a tough game against Paris Saint-Germain and then we beat Tottenham and an amazing game against Manchester City and then we lost against Newcastle.
“We are our own worst enemies and we need to be focused on us. If we are in a good place, then for sure we will compete in a good way. We are going to pay attention [to Brighton], but at the moment in this process, I think we need to pay more attention to ourselves rather than the opponent.”
You’re often relaxed and smiling in the press conferences. What is it like to have an angry Mauricio Pochettino?
“You know very well, how was my mood [after Newcastle]. I am not here acting. I am not going to show a face I do not feel. When I feel very happy, I’m happy and when I’m not happy, the same and the same with the players.
“It’s not the players on one side and the coaching staff on the other side. Everyone works together. I think it’s always about to put the context on the situation and I think it’s important that the players feel the coaches in a natural way when we are angry and when we are happy. We were tough in our analysis, but tough is about to tell the truth, to show the things we didn’t do, of course, but it’s not to blame them, it’s about to blame everyone.
“Like I told you before, maybe our approach wasn’t right. Then it’s about maybe to pay attention for us to have a different approach in the future. We are a young team, maybe sometimes we need to be tough to learn and sometimes to be nice, and we need to choose in the way we are going to express ourselves and translate the ideas.
“It’s not about after if we feel really well because we are talking some way or if we express ourselves in some direction. It’s about whether they get what we want. Now if we are helping in the way that we explain the things, that is the most important thing.
“I am not an actor. I cannot act. I do not prepare myself to come here to smile. I feel happy because the week was good. Of course I am not happy after the last game. We know really well that we need to perform and to recover the points that we lose against Newcastle.”
Brighton, do you look at them in a different way that you would have done a few seasons ago?
“They are doing a fantastic job and of course they are a very good team with very good coaching staff. I know very well Roberto [De Zerbi] and I think he is doing a fantastic job.”
Seven Premier League games in December. Where do you want to see Chelsea at the end of the month?
“I want to see the weekend, Sunday, with three points more in the table and then prepare the game against Manchester United. It’s step by step, game by game.”
How would you say Caicedo and Sanchez have settled in after moving from Brighton? Have we seen the best of Caicedo yet?
“It’s a process also. The problem is always the intention is to analyse and compare the player from one season to another when it is not fair. Different environment, different moment with how the situation is now. If you talk about Robert, in the last three or four months [at Brighton] he didn’t play and then he arrived late in the transfer window.
“Moises also arrived when we had already played games in the Premier League, with no pre-season and all the emotional situation with him. He then got injured with the international team, and then trying to rest and recover.
“For us, now it’s good to have a few months with the possibility of having all the players there and to start to give more possibility to rest and to play and to be focusing on Chelsea. It’s completely unfair to compare players from one season to another. We have no doubt they will perform in the way we expect.”
Is the size of the transfer fee affecting Caicedo?
“It’s easy now to blame the money, it’s easy to blame different aspects. He is a human being. When something is covered in expectation, then [people] find something to blame. But it’s a process, it’s normal. For him it’s tough also, but for everyone, the expectation is different. The shirt is different, the badge is different, the context is different, the teammates are different, different club, everything is different. It’s about time to fit and to start to perform.”
Talking about VAR again. Is there anything you would change or something you’d want to improve?
“It’s so difficult. We were at home watching games and it’s difficult when you make a mistake, when you have the possibility to see it in different angles and how the opinion is different from one guy to another.
“It’s not the technology, it’s how you see the things. That is the most difficult thing; to put it all in the same line. But I don’t know. We are using VAR to discuss, having a subject to talk and to create debate. But I think it’s the football we live in and we need to accept.”
Reece James came out publicly to apologise for his sending off against Newcastle. How has he been in training? Have you had a word with him?
“Yes, of course. It’s part of the process also. Too many times he was injured but now step by step, he is building. I think he was a little bit tired in the moment when he got the second yellow card. And of course, he realises he is still far away from his best condition, to complete 90 minutes. He is working really hard.
“He feels sorry about the situation because it was tough for him and it was tough for the team. But it is always good when the player takes responsibility. He is doing really well. It’s a thing that can happen in football. It’s good when you realise because then you can learn for the future.”
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