Mauricio Pochettino admits he may need to adopt a different tone with his post-match comments after failing to win over Chelsea’s supporters in his first season in charge.
Pochettino has endured a difficult first campaign at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea languishing in ninth place in the Premier League table ahead of Monday’s visit of Everton.
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven league games since a 4-2 defeat to Wolves in February, though four of those matches have finished level.
Read our other football news stories here:
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool players should struggle to sleep after Atalanta rout
West Ham: Moyes takes aim at ‘disgraceful’ Leverkusen after defeat
Sheffield United handed two-point punishment on EFL return
The Blues have played out 2-2 draws with struggling duo Burnley and Sheffield United in their last three, with Oli McBurnie scoring a stoppage-time equaliser to deny them a victory at Bramall Lane last time out.
After that game, Pochettino suggested Chelsea may need three to five years to return to the top of the English game, in comments that did not go down well with supporters.
Chelsea’s fans have chanted for Pochettino to be sacked on several occasions this season, even singing the name of former boss Jose Mourinho at some games.
Pochettino accepts a different tone after frustrating results might help his case, saying: “I think I need to be more cautious about my words after the game.
“It is a fact we have a young squad, but also I need to put out a different message. The message is to try and improve. We are working very hard to do so. We need to accept that is the reality.
“Sometimes I need to be more positive because we have a really good squad – that is the reality.”
Turning the clock back… 🕰️
Next: Everton at Stamford Bridge! ⏭️ pic.twitter.com/ahSFPFEn18
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 11, 2024
Chelsea have been a good watch for neutrals lately, both scoring and conceding at least two goals in each of their last seven matches across all competitions.
Pochettino believes their defensive frailties may be related to the team’s inexperience, saying: “In the same way as we concede goals, we score them. In the past we struggled to score but now we are scoring.
“It’s about getting the right balance between the two phases. That is the normal process and normal balance when the team is not mature enough, you can suffer in these types of situations.
“At the moment it’s about winning games, we need three points. I don’t want to concede chances or goals, but it doesn’t work like this. Chelsea, in my opinion, is about going forward, creating chances and scoring goals.”
🔙 to work. pic.twitter.com/Bi2uz6cBt0
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 10, 2024
Chelsea have spent over £1billion on players in less than two years under the Todd Boehly regime, with the vast majority of that outlay being on young players on long-term contracts.
Asked whether the Blues needed to focus on bringing in more experience in the summer transfer window, Pochettino said: “That’s another thing to discuss in the next few weeks, whether there will be a different strategy for next season.
“It’s something I need to agree with the sporting directors and owners.”
