Mauricio Pochettino tells his Chelsea players he trusts them to turn up in his time of need because ‘there are too many coaches who have been sacked waiting for a performance’ as pressure continues to grow on the Argentinian

Mauricio Pochettino told Chelsea’s players in a team meeting that he trusts them to turn up in his time of need, warning too many managers have been sacked while waiting for a response as they travel to Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The pressure was piled on Pochettino after the 4-2 Premier League home defeat by Wolves on Sunday when Thiago Silva’s wife, Belle, posted on social media: ‘It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late.’ Pochettino also held clear-the-air talks with Silva in private at the training ground on Tuesday before addressing his squad ahead of Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay.

‘I told the players in a meeting today that I trust you more than ever,’ said Pochettino, who also revealed he had received a message from Chelsea’s owners to say they are still backing him. ‘I am going to support you more than ever. I am not a normal boss. I am the leader and I need to reflect in every single action that I really trust the players.’ 

Reminded that the pressure is on him more than the players, because he can be sacked and they cannot, Pochettino said: ‘Why is it a risk? We understand, the players understand and the club understands. If the club does what you are telling me, it is not in my hands. I trust in the players.

‘Look at all the coaches. There are too many coaches who have been sacked because they were waiting for a performance, for a result, and none arrived. They stopped work because the club decided it. I don’t know why it is a risk to trust the players.

‘If they don’t perform, it is my responsibility and the players’ responsibility always because they are on the pitch. I trust we can turn the situation around.

‘We need to make a good connection with the fans. The fans need to understand now you go to Stamford Bridge and it’s a different Chelsea, a different project, a different everything. It’s our responsibility to create a connection.

‘The fans need from us to see we really care about the club. I promise to every single fan that the players want to perform and want to win. The players suffer a lot when they are not performing, they feel the responsibility. They are desperate to feel the love from the fans but at the same time, they understand the situation. When you don’t perform and you don’t get the result, it’s normal the fans should criticise us.’

On Silva, whose wife’s decision not to delete her social media outburst has surprised some inside Chelsea, Pochettino said: ‘He came today to talk with me. We talked. It was private. And that’s it.’