Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on their poor start to the season, the threat of Aston Villa and the return of injured players
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00:00 They will understand.
00:02 Of course, lovely people.
00:04 Right.
00:07 Okay, let's begin. Broadcast section and James from Sky, of course. James.
00:16 Maurizio, no European football might be disappointing for Chelsea fans, but for you, has this week felt a bit like a blessing in disguise having a full week with your squad?
00:27 Yes, because I think for us it's about recovering players from injuries and players that were out in the international break.
00:39 For us, the circumstances are good to have time to work. I think it was a very good week.
00:46 We worked really, really hard with the players that we have and then time to recover players.
00:51 If you are involved in competition, like in European competition, it's difficult. And of course, it's a time that for the fans, of course, is difficult because normally Chelsea is a club that is involved in the European competition.
01:05 But at the moment, because of the circumstances, we are not. And I think we need to take advantage of the situation.
01:13 But some positive news for Chelsea fans, or can you bring some positive news on the injury front? Moises Caicedo, Noni, Mwoki, Mark Cagrea, all back for Sunday?
01:26 We need to assess Moi tomorrow. He was training in an individual way, not with the team until today. We need to assess tomorrow and see if he can be back on Sunday.
01:39 Margu suffered a fever and he's back after we restarted the training. Noni was involved also during the week in training.
01:52 I think, yes, and maybe, maybe we meet one day more, maybe Broxa. Armando can be involved maybe Sunday, but he's not sure. We need to assess him tomorrow.
02:03 Yes, we need to recover players. I think it's important that many names and players start to be available to be involved in the game.
02:12 Many names, we're going to throw another one at you, Benoit Balachar. There were reports that he'd suffered a bit of a setback, is that right?
02:19 Yes, but it was different muscle, different thing. But it was minor, it was small, he's training with Rhys James, I've seen Rhys and Chukwumeka also, Chalobah, they are very close to, again, to be involved with the team to start the training.
02:40 Now, on to Sunday, back at Stamford Bridge, first time in three weeks. The fans have been showing a bit of discontent recently. I know you spoke and you understand how they feel, frustrated.
02:53 You're frustrated you're not having your starting first team out because of the injury situation. But how important is it now to get the fans on the side starting at Stamford Bridge?
03:03 I am, no, I really believe that they are going to be behind us. For sure, it's normal. When you don't win, all are disappointed. Like I told after my press conference, it's normal that they show their feelings and emotions.
03:29 They cannot be happy after a draw in Bournemouth, even for us and for the players. But yes, we need to understand our circumstances and I'm not going to say that they need to understand our circumstances because fans are fans and they want to win always.
03:43 But for sure, we are going to feel the support. They are going to be behind the team. The players need the support because they need to perform. And I see with our people in behind, they are going to support better if we don't have this energy from the crowd.
03:58 And finally for me, Conor Gallagher spoke about how he found out he was Chelsea captain last week by lifting his shirt up on his spot in the changing room seeing the captain's armband. Is that something you've done previously? And what was it about Conor that made you...
04:16 He was captain against Wimbledon also. I think it's not new. He's supposed to be captain. It's good to create a good history. But it's nice. But it's normal if you see the starting eleven of Bournemouth.
04:37 I think he was also the captain against Wimbledon. It's not a surprise. And it's not a big thing to create a party. But yes, I think he can be a captain. He's from here, from Chelsea, came through the academy and I think it's perfect for him to represent the team-mate.
05:01 Thanks, Mauricio.
05:02 You're welcome.
05:03 You'll be up against Unai Emery on Sunday. Your relationship with him goes back many years. Are you friends or is there a slight rivalry there between you?
05:13 I think we have a very good relationship. He started to coach before me because he was already in the early days to be a coach. I was after but we started to play when I was in Spain and then in different clubs in Europe.
05:34 Yes, I think he's a great coach. I think we have a very good relationship with him and with all the coaching staff of Aston Villa. I think it's going to be great to see him.
05:44 How much has it earned the benefit for you to not be in Europe this week, Aston Villa playing away? Do you think on Sunday, given the extra time you've spent with your players and the rest they've had, does that put you at an advantage?
05:57 I don't want to take advantage of this situation but I think we are not because we didn't deserve to be involved in the Europa League. I think they have a very good squad, very good players.
06:13 They are prepared to compete in the Europa League and the Conference League. But for us, because of the circumstances, it looks like we only have 15 players and we need to use 3 or 4 players from the academy.
06:37 At the moment, because of the circumstances, it looks like it's not enough. But yes, we were talking, we need time. Of course, we are going to be competitive when the moment arrives that all the players will be involved again in the training and helping the team.
06:55 They got to rest a number of their first team players last night. But come Sunday, do you think it's a good opportunity for Chelsea to get another win against Aston Villa?
07:05 It's always an opportunity. I think it's a really important game for us. I think we need to win. We need to keep going, playing well because I think we are playing well.
07:21 But in the last few weeks, I think we need to be more clinical in front of the goal and to profit the chances that we create and convert in goals. I think that is the most important thing in football because I think we are in all the data on the top four.
07:39 It's difficult to find some data that you say, no, Chelsea is not on the top, but after, in the efficacy in front of the goal, we are in the bottom. And that is why we don't have the point that we deserve.
07:55 But football is, you cannot say the server does not serve, it's about winning games.
07:59 Are you finding it frustrating watching your team at the moment? Because you know what you want, but it's not happening and it might not happen for some time given the players who are out there.
08:11 No, I am not frustrated because I've seen, if we talk about performance, I've seen the team performing well. The performance, we cannot complain about the performance of the team with different players and missing many, many key players on the team.
08:25 I'm not frustrated. I am disappointed because I've seen many teams with less score more. And that is what is the feeling, that is why we feel bad.
08:41 Because the players deserve more, the team deserves more. But the only way to find what we want is to keep pushing, keep playing, keep doing the right thing that we are doing, replicate again and again and again and again, every single game.
08:57 I am so happy in the way they felt after Bournemouth and of course after Nottingham. They really cared about the club, they really cared about to win the games, they really cared about to perform better and to win games.
09:12 And I think this week was good to work really hard and create good atmosphere every single day to try to, after, to translate to the competition.
09:23 And you're confident the goals are going to come, because it has been a problem here for quite some time, scoring goals. Broglie, you say, is close to coming back. Could he be the answer?
09:33 Sorry? Broglie?
09:35 The answer to the lack of goals.
09:37 Yeah, but it's the same situation that maybe we can talk about many players. I think Broglie arrived and maybe will be involved the weekend, but it's after, I don't want to say nothing, nine, eight months that he's not competing.
09:59 And we cannot put the responsibility on him. Always the responsibility should be, must be the team, the collective effort and it's not only the offensive player need to score.
10:12 We need to try to score all the players that are involved in the team. But I think we cannot expect that Broglie arrives and, you know, if he has the possibility to play, he's going to score in every single touch.
10:23 I think he needs time also to feel the competition and start to perform in the way that I think we expect that he can perform.
10:31 And how's the owner, Todd Bode, do you speak to him regularly? What are his feelings on the start of the season? Are you in constant contact with him?
10:39 Well, with Todd, but also with the dad and with the sporting director. We are in contact. Yes, normally, yes. And I think normally they are supporting the project and they are also not disappointed because I think the performance, I think we share the same ideas about the performance is good.
11:03 But we need to score more if we want to win the game.
11:09 Last question in this section. Simon Johnson.
11:12 Hello, Simon.
11:14 Nicholas Jackson, four yellow cards, one yellow away from a ban. Have you had a worry, because I think you've all been dissent and you clearly can't afford to be losing him?
11:26 I thought today we were talking about that. But today, because we were in a meeting with him and also Enzo, I think, come on, a striker, four yellow cards to, you know, to ask the, to protest, not to talk with the, only for the referee.
11:47 I think you need to get some yellow card because in different action, but not because of that. It's so easy, so cheap, you know, yellow cards and I think it's going to put in a very difficult situation to the team.
12:02 I think he understood, but we were talking about Brogia, but Jackson is 21 also and he's young, need to learn, need to improve, need to settle himself. I think he's a fantastic player. He's going to be a fantastic player, but need time.
12:18 Was one friend today, we dance and say, oh, we were talking about the players and like, I like always to do some similar, you know, similarity with another club and say, oh, but Jackson is a fantastic player.
12:32 Yeah, but he need to be calm and relaxed in front of the goal and for sure he's going to score a lot of goals. He say, yeah, but remember, Vinicius arrive and after three season or two season and a half, he start to perform.
12:44 And always we forget that we are talking about young players. Of course, you can blame us, blame me and you can talk about tactics, but they need time. They need time to settle.
12:56 For me, it's no doubt that we have the talent, amazing talent on the team, but now they need time to settle and for sure they are going to start to perform in the way that we expect.
13:06 Do you think the dissent...
13:08 But he need to be clever not to, you know, to protest and to the referees in his way.
13:13 Just quick to add on, do you think that's a sign of his frustration that he's getting booked for dissent?
13:19 Maybe because it's his normal behave, no, on the pitch. It's a thing that maybe need to improve. Maybe this season change the rules. He came from Spain, it's different, you know, the relationship with the referees here in England now changed and is more sensitive.
13:37 The people about this, he's all about to adapt himself and he's clever and for sure he will adapt. Hope that Sunday not again we are talking about that he's clever and then first action, yellow card.
13:53 OK, we'll leave it there.
13:55 Hope for a different reason.
13:57 Camera's off please, thank you.
13:59 Thank you.
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