Mauricio Pochettino was in a very pleasant mood after Chelsea picked up a much-needed win over Newcastle United.
Coming into the game, all the talk was once again about the head coach’s future at the club and whether or not he would be forced out of Stamford Bridge. The Blues players, though, are clearly still playing for Pochettino after they put in a resilient performance to see off the Magpies.
In a very packed media room at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino fielded several questions about a variety of topics. With that being said, Bobby Vincent brings you the full transcript from the Argentine below.
What does Mudryk have to do to earn a run of games in the team?
“It was a very good goal, he scored a really good goal and that is what we expect from a player that came from the bench, an impact. Then it’s about to compete with different players in the position he can play and then deserve to play. It’s more of a question for him than for me.”
There was some pressure on tonight. Did that feel like a big win?
“I think we need to understand we are in Chelsea and of course when you are in a project that is completely different, some people can be confused. When people don’t want to listen, it is difficult, but we are trying to explain that we are in a different Chelsea, building something different and of course it is going to be tough.
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“It’s about believing, even when it is in a tough situation, a tough circumstance, like when we were playing in the final for 120 minutes, after three days we play in the FA Cup and then against Brentford. In six days we play three very tough games and with all of the circumstances, nearly with the same team and the players were really tired.
“If that means we are a disaster, okay, but the most important thing is that it is not affecting us, it is not affecting the team. The team knew what they needed to do and we kept believing. I think win the game today, it is important for us and our fans to be a little bit more calm. If we don’t win next game then it is going to be again a problem, but that is Chelsea and the most important thing is to try and translate the reality.
“I don’t want again to explain the situation but some problems don’t exist. The problem is that the team needs to be more mature, the team needs to be more together. Today the defensive line played together for the first time – Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella. They were good, yes, but we made some mistakes because of this situation that they didn’t play together before.
“But that is not an excuse. That is a fact, that is a reality. The most important thing is to keep moving because we are not going to give up, be strong, and we all agree the fans are right to complain, of course, but we have no right to give up and say we don’t believe. No, no, no, it’s to show the character and to live with this type of situation and keep moving.
“Today was great to show the players fighting, performing, okay not maybe great, but yes of course caring about the team and in the end beating a team that last season was fighting for the Premier League, the top four and fighting in the Champions League. And this season have good players, it’s not easy, Newcastle are a very good team. Good credit to the team and to everyone.”
Todd Boehly was happy at the end of the game, walking across the pitch, he gave me a smile. Did he tell you he was happy?
“Yes, he came with his son, and I think Behdad [Eghbali]. All of the owners were there. Yes, it was a nice chat, only a few minutes because I needed to come for the interview and the press conference. Yes, it was good, the relationship is good.”
Do you think Nicolas Jackson is developing and improving?
“Yes, of course. Of course, we need to understand the player when they are young and arrive from out of England, they need to know first the Premier League. They also need to know their teammates to perform. But he is performing really well.
“The effort is always there, how he presses, the work-rate is massive. Of course, he has the quality. With more games, with experience, he is going to be more calm in front of the goal and he is going to be more clinical. We think he has the capacity but we need to keep believing that he can be the player, the striker, the offensive player that can score for Chelsea too many goals, a lot of goals.”
Was Cole Palmer a bargain?
“Look, I think he is doing well. I think he arrived in the last day of the transfer window and it was so easy to adapt to the team and the demands from the coaching staff. I think he is showing his quality and of course it is good to have him in the squad and in the team.
“He is doing things that maybe before was a little bit not to have a player that can link the game. Today, he is doing well, he is doing fantastic, he is getting more mature every day and of course I think he still needs to improve but is doing a very good job.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
