Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino on Cole Palmer's return, the lack of character shown in their humiliating defeat to Arsenal and the challenge posed by Aston Villa
Cobham, London, UK
Cobham, London, UK
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00:00 Good afternoon. Welcome to today's press conference. We'll start today with Sky Support and Jamie.
00:27 Good afternoon. If I could start with the injury situation, obviously more bad news with the end of Enzo's season, but positive news with Rhys James and Levi Kolver?
00:39 No, they are not available yet. They are close. Yesterday they were doing some training, partial training with the squad. They are close but still not available.
00:54 And Cole Palmer presumably will be back?
00:59 Yes, Cole was training well in the last few days. We assume he is going to be ready for tomorrow and be part of the squad.
01:08 You said on Tuesday night just how much you struggle without Cole. This has obviously been a very expensively assembled squad and I appreciate there's been a lot of injuries as well. But how much of a concern is it that you're so reliant on one player, a 21-year-old player?
01:24 No, we can talk and we can talk and we can talk, but in the end it's the reality. I think Cole is a very good player for us and he's a key player for us and he's showing that we struggle a little bit without him. That is the reality that we cannot hide.
01:42 I think one of the big criticisms on Tuesday night as well was the character or the lack of character. This side, when there is a setback, when they concede the first goal, they kind of fall apart.
01:54 No, that is not true. That is not true because we conceded the first goal, of course, after four minutes and then the team was there. We created some chances and yes, the team was on the game.
02:11 Then we started the second half and after six or seven minutes we conceded the second goal. Yes, after we can talk, then maybe in the second half we showed lack of capacity to believe that it was possible.
02:28 Yes, but not in the first 45 minutes. I think everyone believed and everyone that saw the game, the team was there, was fighting, trying to draw the game, to score and it wasn't the game.
02:47 So that lack of belief, is that something you can fix?
02:50 Yes, lack of belief was with all the circumstances that sometimes happen. After the disappointment against Manchester City and no time to recover, playing against a team that is playing for the Premier League and full of confidence.
03:08 With our circumstances, I think all was negative for the team and that is why we suffered. We were capable one week before to beat Everton 6-0, playing a fantastic game.
03:23 We saw the last few days that yesterday or before yesterday Everton beat Liverpool 2-0 and we were capable to play a fantastic game against Manchester City and then we didn't keep the consistency that you need to be on the game.
03:42 That happened in a situation that we are living that maybe I repeat too much but that is the truth and the reality. And yes, in the second half, after to concede the third goal, I think it was difficult to manage the situation on the pitch.
04:01 Do you see the players on the pitch, the leaders on the pitch who can raise the standards and who can get the rest of the players up when you are 2-0, 3-0 down in the game?
04:13 Yes, but that happens in any team. It is possible that you can suffer this type of result. With experienced players, without experienced players, with leaders, with no leaders, with character, without character, I think that is in football can happen more in the Premier League.
04:38 What kind of reaction do you want to see from your players?
04:44 We were talking a lot, today we had a meeting and I think we tried to realise how we need to behave when the game is tough, when the demands are so high. We need to try to be more strong and to really trust in the way that we play, in our philosophy, in the way that we prepare the games and everything.
05:09 And after to follow and to have the discipline. It is true that, like I told after the game, we cannot blame the players, that the circumstances that we are living are so, again, the team is not helping us.
05:26 But we need to be positive and we need to be strong and believe that tomorrow we can do a good game, good attitude, good approach and go there and to compete. We are going to compete again, another team that is fighting for the top, to be in the Champions League this season.
05:46 We need to think that we are Chelsea and we need to respect ourselves and do our best to try to win the game and be competitive.
05:55 Does the fact that you have already beaten them at Villaparque this season give you the confidence that you can win again?
06:00 Yes, always. Different game, different competition. Of course, we talk at the end of the season, it is always the most difficult part of this period. But I think, yes, we need to believe that we can compete better.
06:20 I think we were so soft against Arsenal and I think we need to repeat and we need to feel the same feelings that we when we compete against Manchester City or Everton and try to apply in our performance tomorrow.
06:43 I think the players really know that they are disappointed also, they feel bad and tomorrow is a good opportunity to get the good feelings again.
06:53 You said before that Unai Emery is one of the best in the world. In your opinion, what makes him such a top manager?
06:59 As always, a top manager needs a top organisation to trust and to provide the good tool to perform. For me, him, in all his career, I know very well because from Spain he is a top coach and for me he is one of the best.
07:18 It is difficult to say who is the best coach but I think he is top for sure.
07:24 You always come across as a naturally positive character, individual, but this must be testing you, isn't it?
07:35 No, it is not testing me. It is testing everyone in the club. I think he is about to be strong. I was in different clubs, different periods, different circumstances and of course those are circumstances that are not easy to deal with and to manage.
07:59 We are not in the place that we wanted to be but we are positive and trying to help the team to perform.
08:06 Do you speak regularly with the owners? I just wonder what their message is at the moment.
08:11 No, to be honest, in the last few months we didn't cross messages. We communicated through the sporting director but nothing has changed. My view and my feelings are not changing. Even if now in the last few weeks we are not crossing texts.
08:34 What is the mood like with the players at the moment and their mentality? It must be difficult after a game like Arsenal. What is it like around the club?
08:43 Too many circumstances that make us not easy to manage. Now with Enzo, we talk about being all together and having a big squad.
09:08 Now it is another thing that we need to deal with. We need to be positive. The only way to move forward and to take positive things is to be positive.
09:24 We never give up. We are pushing them and trying to get the best from the players that we have in our hands and the players that are available tomorrow to compete. We have no fear, no excuse. We need to go there and try to compete.
09:43 Was there a possibility that Enzo could have played until the end of the season and then had the operation?
09:50 In the moment that he feels the pain and he feels the limitation because of the problem, the most important thing is to fix the situation and fix the problem for him. If he doesn't feel well and cannot perform because of the situation, it is not good for him, it is not good for the team, it is not good for the club.
10:12 As soon as possible to fix the situation and then move on and now be focusing to recover as soon as possible.
10:19 You weren't here last year, but after Chelsea's silverware was sent into the Champions League, the league form just fell away and the season ended on a very bad note. Chelsea are now out of the FA Cup this season. How important is it that history does not repeat itself, that you still end the league season on a good note?
10:47 When the possibilities of a title or a goal were dissipated, the team's form fell. Are you sure that the situation is not the same?
11:00 Yes, if you see after Manchester City, the semi-final of the FA Cup, of course it was a disaster, the result. Again, Arsenal. That is the challenge and we are going to try.
11:17 Is it hard to lift players with the challenge of qualifying for the Conference League, the Europa League, rather than the trophy?
11:27 Is it difficult?
11:37 If we think that we are responsible to motivate the player, wow. It's difficult to accept. If you play for Chelsea, the motivation is there. Even when you play for nothing in a friendly game.
11:55 When you play in a friendly game, when you play against your team-mates, if you don't have the motivation, it's difficult. If you ask me that we need to motivate the player to go tomorrow and to play or to perform or after tomorrow, I think we have a big problem.
12:13 I don't believe that is the problem, the motivation. The problem is about having the capacity to perform. Of course, we cannot give them the excuses not to perform and not to be focused.
12:35 But at the same time, we are a group of people, we are not machines. We are all in a certain circumstance. Maybe you lose a little bit the reference of the thing.
12:51 But we are here to try to help, to be focused. The player needs to be focused because it's still six games to play. Important six games. For me, it's an important six games.
13:06 The players need to feel the same. Of course, it's our responsibility to translate the idea that they need to perform, they need to be focused and they need to try to give their best. It's not that, "OK, go and only six games, three weeks and then holidays or international duty."
13:25 No, I think it's really important to finish in a good way. It's true that the disappointment against Arsenal is massive, but now it's a great opportunity tomorrow to be again focused on the competition and trying to gain games.
13:43 It's true that it's going to be difficult because Aston Villa is doing a fantastic season, but we are Chelsea and we need to feel and we need to show the arrogance sometimes in a good way that we are Chelsea and we can perform.
13:55 Do the players also have to show that they should still be part of things next season? That they have to prove that they are good enough to be part of Chelsea going forward, even though they're on loan?
14:08 Yes, because it looks like only I need to prove. The coach needs to prove that they deserve to be here next season. I think we are all part of the responsibility of the situation and I think we need all to prove that we deserve to be here next season. That's a good question.
14:30 Last question in the broadcast section. Bobby?
14:34 Hi Mauricio. Karni Chokhameka and Raheem Sterling have been added to the injury list. Can we have a brief update on them if possible?
14:41 Sterling suffered a pain in his low back and then Karni felt some pain in his knee, related to his problem before. I hope that it's not a big issue and can be available as soon as possible.
14:58 Again, because now we are going to lose two players that were there, thinking to help the team. Positive is a few young guys who will join the team for Aston Villa and I'm looking forward to playing for these guys.
15:19 Thank you.
15:20 Thank you.
15:21 Cameras off please at the end of the broadcast section.