- 3 years ago
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on their form ahead of Wolves visit and his reaction to their transfer business
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00:00 Hi, Mersey.
00:02 Hello, Boer.
00:03 Armando Broglie obviously left the club,
00:06 what was the thinking behind that?
00:10 I think it's a very good thing for him to have the opportunity to play maybe more,
00:15 and of course I think it's a good move for him,
00:21 and I hope that he can take the opportunity to play more.
00:27 No striker came in on the final day,
00:31 how do you assess your options in that area,
00:33 and how does it change the dynamics of the striker forward areas?
00:37 I think it's important to recover Christoph,
00:41 and of course today arrived Nico Jackson,
00:45 and then also sometimes we forget,
00:50 but David Washington is here with us.
00:54 Yes, I think the options we have in front, I think it's enough.
01:00 Generally quite quiet in the January window,
01:03 do you have a theory on why that was?
01:06 I think it was calm and quiet.
01:10 I think I was listening today to the Spanish radio,
01:13 I think one year ago the Premier League invested nearly one billion,
01:21 and today we are talking about 80 million,
01:25 and Spain was the opposite last season,
01:29 and this season they spent more money,
01:31 but that is normal,
01:32 without this situation I think the market was quiet in the whole Premier League,
01:39 and Championship also.
01:41 Away from the market, on the pitch,
01:44 you were very honest the other night after the Liverpool game,
01:47 what kind of response do you expect from your team at Stamford Bridge on Sunday?
01:53 You say that I was honest?
01:55 Yes, honest about the performance against Liverpool.
01:58 Yes, I didn't want to go on to talk about the polemics,
02:01 about the decisions,
02:03 I think we need to split the situation,
02:07 I think the performance was good enough,
02:10 that I repeat again.
02:13 It is important to be critical,
02:17 to analyse the scene in a way that happened,
02:19 being realistic,
02:20 that we were not good enough,
02:22 but what I can say now after two days,
02:26 that it is a normal decision that happened during the game,
02:31 maybe today or after the game we should talk in a different way.
02:36 But at the moment we cannot complain,
02:39 of course I need to defend my club,
02:41 the interests of my club and my fans,
02:44 but I think it was so evident and so clear that
02:47 we didn't have the luck that you need
02:51 when you compete and you want to win games,
02:54 and to change sometimes the direction of the game.
02:58 What I can say is only that we didn't have luck.
03:04 Is that one of those instances you've watched back over the Penalty incidents
03:10 and you get more frustrated as you watch it?
03:13 I think after five minutes I think everyone saw that it was clear.
03:17 It was so clear.
03:19 And after you see the decision last night,
03:22 maybe not so clear.
03:24 And the same situation,
03:29 or similar situation,
03:32 with the same person,
03:35 two different criteria.
03:38 I think it's so difficult to understand.
03:41 I don't want to complain and I won't again split.
03:46 We were not so good.
03:49 I think Liverpool was better after 90 minutes.
03:52 But with different things happening,
03:56 and the decision should be different,
03:59 maybe that provides us confidence and
04:04 builds trust.
04:07 Maybe the direction of the game should be different.
04:10 But now we can only guess.
04:13 We cannot change.
04:15 That is why I was really relaxed after the game.
04:18 Because we can change the situation.
04:21 But now after two days,
04:24 because normally with all the emotions during the game,
04:27 I think you cannot say too much.
04:29 But after two days, it's still here in your gut.
04:33 The bad feeling.
04:35 Because of course we accept we didn't play well,
04:38 but I think we didn't have luck.
04:40 Just a final question on Christopher Nkunku.
04:43 He scored his goal when he came on against Liverpool.
04:46 He looked very sharp.
04:48 Are you confident you can get a run of games from him
04:52 and an impact from him in the closing months of the season?
04:55 Yes, it's good to see him.
04:58 But only that we need to anticipate things
05:02 that 45 minutes was good.
05:05 We wanted to work a little bit more after the game,
05:08 but he can't.
05:11 He didn't because 45 minutes was enough for him.
05:16 We need to analyse and assess him
05:18 if he can start for the next game.
05:21 That is all the circumstances.
05:23 Sometimes when we see the result of things,
05:28 we need to put in context everything.
05:31 We hope he can cope with the demand of the game
05:34 and he can maybe play more than 45 minutes.
05:37 We need to keep working with him.
05:39 After six or seven months, it's always difficult for a player.
05:44 But I think he's starting to show after playing 45 minutes.
05:48 We can see one option, one chance.
05:51 He was able to score a great goal and show his quality.
05:58 You're welcome.
06:00 How long do you think he'll be before he can start?
06:05 Is he ready to go straight back in?
06:09 We need to assess Nico.
06:12 Today was his first training session with us.
06:15 He didn't play too much, but of course he was one month away.
06:22 That is why we need to assess him really well
06:25 and not take a risk.
06:27 For sure we'll be involved.
06:30 Nothing happens tomorrow in the squad.
06:32 For Sunday, we'll be on the squad.
06:35 Do you have to be careful with him bringing him back?
06:39 Yes.
06:41 We need to care about his situation, step by step,
06:50 building his confidence and his fitness.
06:53 He needs to work really hard to get his best.
06:56 Of course, I'm happy with the way he's helping the team.
07:04 But we need to be careful in the way that we're going to push him
07:08 to get fit in the way that we expect.
07:12 Just from a compartmental position you're playing him in at the moment,
07:15 do you think that gets the best out of him?
07:18 I think so. He was playing well.
07:21 He cannot be in a bubble when the performance is not so good.
07:28 The collective performance wasn't good.
07:31 I think the influence of every single player is there.
07:37 But I think it's not important in the place that he started from the beginning,
07:43 if not in the dynamic of the game.
07:45 Because if you see the game, he wasn't a striker.
07:48 He was playing like an offensive midfielder,
07:51 sharing with Conor in the first half,
07:54 and in the second half he was in Kunku, the number nine,
07:58 and he was like a third midfielder, not an offensive midfielder.
08:01 I think he was playing in the position that he liked to play.
08:04 But we cannot put out of the context of the team,
08:10 I think the performance wasn't great, but also for him.
08:13 As you said, it wasn't great in Liverpool, but can you see progress being made?
08:18 And if it is being made, do you think it's too slow?
08:21 No, I think it's important to realise.
08:24 It's true that today we want the result today, and it's difficult to wait.
08:31 I don't know who makes me remember that after the third year of Liverpool,
08:36 I think they came to Wembley, we were in Tottenham,
08:39 and we beat them 4-1, and no-one said,
08:42 "Oh, it's the end of the world for Liverpool."
08:47 After that, look what happened.
08:49 They won the Premier League, they won the Champions League,
08:54 and in the year four they started to win.
08:57 That is why after six months, and you go to play again in Liverpool,
09:01 in a situation that they are fighting for the Premier League,
09:05 that they are very consistent in the last few years,
09:08 that is a very solid team,
09:11 and with all the circumstances that happened during the game,
09:16 and also saying that we were not good enough and they were better than us,
09:21 I think we were there.
09:24 What we can do is only to move on and prepare for the next game.
09:28 It's only a game that we lose.
09:30 Becky, PLP.
09:32 Speaking of moving on to the next game,
09:36 you run a run of Premier League wins,
09:39 and then you come up against a side like Liverpool.
09:42 Has it given your players a bit of a reality check
09:45 when facing a team at the top of the table?
09:48 Have you noticed in training that perhaps they want to work a bit harder
09:52 because they realise there's a gap between them?
09:55 Of course, reality check.
09:58 Liverpool is there because they deserve to be at the top of the table.
10:03 And then it's a game that we lose for different circumstances.
10:10 Now we can talk in different ways and use different topics.
10:15 The most important thing is to realise why,
10:19 or in the way that we need to do the thing to compete better.
10:23 It's not only to work harder,
10:25 it's to work more.
10:28 It's about also improving as a team.
10:33 In different periods of the game,
10:36 we show a lack of experience as a team.
10:39 To show that we were capable to approach or play in a different way
10:46 and do the things that we were practising.
10:49 But sometimes you can practise every single day and prepare the game,
10:52 and after it's about to arrive and to show the right energy,
10:58 the right attitude, the right way to play,
11:01 be brave, show personality, character.
11:06 Because football also is that.
11:11 But it's not a reality check.
11:15 It's the difference between a team that is solid
11:20 and has played consistently in the last four or five years for big things,
11:26 competing with another team that wants to reach the same level.
11:30 Did you watch the Wolves-Man U game last night?
11:33 Yes.
11:34 What did you make of the Wolves' performance?
11:38 I think it's always like a reference when you see different games,
11:46 when you watch different games.
11:49 That is the beauty of the game,
11:52 because you can't guess what is going to happen.
11:55 Some reference, of course.
11:57 In the last five years, we always took five games as reference to prepare the games.
12:02 To see the patterns and all the things that you repeat, like a team.
12:07 But of course, it's a team that we play against them,
12:13 and we know very well.
12:16 Of course, it's going to be very competitive and we need to be very focused.
12:20 We need to show a solid performance if we want to win.
12:24 Thank you.
12:26 You're welcome.
12:27 Simon, Athletic.
12:28 Hi, Richard.
12:29 Nicholas Jackson is two yellow cards away from a two-game ban.
12:35 Have you had a chat or are you planning to have another chat with him?
12:42 We already chat a lot.
12:44 It's like if you chat, be careful with that, it's after it happens.
12:48 It's better to be aware.
12:50 I think we are all aware of that.
12:52 But if you...
12:55 It's like, you know, Murphy's law.
13:00 When you talk about something, this thing happens.
13:04 And if you ignore this thing, and then when it happens, you say, "Why didn't I tell?"
13:11 No, he's aware, we are aware.
13:14 He needs to learn, he needs to improve.
13:17 Now, after one month, for sure, he's motivated to play.
13:21 He didn't play too much.
13:23 He feels really sad and disappointed with the African Cup nation.
13:32 And of course, he's so excited to have the possibility to play again here with us.
13:39 And just to follow up on that, how important is it that he keeps his discipline?
13:43 Now that you've let Broglie go, you're one striker down, you can't afford to give that to him.
13:50 Yeah, but we have Nkunku now.
13:52 During six, seven months, we didn't come with Nkunku, who was injured.
13:57 No, I think it's not going to be a problem.
14:00 The most important, he needs to play free and try to be aware of the things that he needs to avoid doing on the pitch.
14:08 That is really important.
14:10 If you want to grow, I think it's important to start to be aware of the things that, of course, some action can happen, but not to silly yellow card.
14:20 Last two in this section, Ruben and then Bobby to finish.
14:23 Can you talk a bit more about Wolves' quality and how dangerous they can be?
14:27 Sorry?
14:30 How dangerous can Wolves be and what are their qualities?
14:33 I think everyone knows. It's not a team that is coming from another country that no one knows.
14:43 I think the quality is there, good players.
14:46 I think the system that they're using is working really well and they are fantastic, doing a fantastic season, have very good players.
14:53 And I think we know how they play.
14:56 I think it's not about to talk about it in the way that they develop the way to play.
15:02 You took Kai Seidorf in the second half against Liverpool. How much does the partnership between him and Enzo need to improve?
15:08 I think collectively, I think we all need to improve. It's not only him or him and Enzo in that case that you asked me.
15:18 I think we all need to improve. We need to improve all, the whole team.
15:24 Last question, Bobby.
15:26 Hi, Mauricio. How's Ivar Colvo? Has he got any chance of being in the squad?
15:31 I don't believe. Today he didn't train and we'll see tomorrow.
15:35 But I think, I don't know at the moment.
15:39 You ask me today, no, but we'll see tomorrow, the evolution.
15:44 And Travis Chaliba?
15:46 He's really close, he's trained really well. We need the permission of the medical area to have the possibility to be selected and to be on the squad.
15:57 At the moment we don't have the permission.
16:00 Thank you.
16:01 Thank you.
16:02 Cameras off please.
16:03 That's the end of the broadcast section.