Pochettino works 15 hours a day to revive Chelsea
The Argentina coach said the Chelsea coaching staff was busy building exercises, deciding on the right tactics for the match against Liverpool and trying to create the best environment for the players to feel comfortable. Pochettino wants to set an example for his students to have the highest determination for the new season.
"Every day, we go to the training ground at 6:20 or 6:30, and leave at 8 pm or 9 pm," he said at a press conference before the match against Liverpool. "We could spend 14 or 15 hours there, and sometimes it seems at the end of the day we still have a lot to talk about. You always need time, even if you work more than 12 hours and I think that's it. It's a good sign for everyone in the club. It's hard for the fans to see this step, but I think it's important to establish the rules."
Last season, new President Todd Boehly spent more than $ 700 million to recruit 17 players and change coaches three times, respectively with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard. But Chelsea's performance went down, when they finished 12th in the Premier League, were eliminated in the third round of the FA Cup, the third round of the League Cup, the quarter-finals of the Champions League and were absent from the European Cup this season.
Pochettino wants to change the way he looks at Chelsea, from a chaotic team last season to a team capable of winning as the club's inherent position. "In the last few years, maybe Man City, Liverpool or Arsenal are at the top of the table," said the Argentina coach. "But in the last 15 years, Man Utd and Chelsea have only been mentioned when it comes to competing for the Champions League and Premier League titles. That's a position I want to bring back to the club."
The 51-year-old coach admits Chelsea is changing big in the summer and needs time to settle down. He emphasized his job is to build trust, help the club play beautifully, satisfy the fans and win good results, right from the opening match against Liverpool in the first round of the Premier League today.
In the summer of 2023, Chelsea bid farewell to a series of seasoned and seasoned players such as Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz, N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta or Christian Pulisic. On the contrary, they welcome potential young players like Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Lesley Ugochukwu or Angelo Gabriel.
However, Pochettino rejected the view that Chelsea is currently an inexperienced team. According to him, a club can only be successful if there is a harmonious combination of young players, potential and experienced people. "Sometimes you have players with experience but no desire to win," he said. "I prefer players who want to go on the pitch, fight for the club, for their teammates, rather than just have experience. Only results can tell if Chelsea are weaker or stronger than last season. We still have needs. players with a lot of experience playing in the Premier League, and young, quality players who want to show quality."
Choosing Reece James as the new captain to replace Cesar Azpilicueta joining Atletico Madrid shows the faith that Pochettino places in the next generation of Chelsea. James grew up in the club's academy, won the FA Youth Cup twice with Chelsea U18, and currently has 11 goals in 147 games for the first team. According to Pochettino, the English defender is the perfect player to captain Chelsea, as he matures from the youth academy, has the right qualities, personality and is the future of the club.
