Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he is worried Chelsea’s players have fallen into a comfort zone and also questioned the meaning of their so-called potential.
Chelsea head coach Pochettino was critical of his team’s mentality in the 2-2 draw with 10-man Burnley last weekend and was asked whether he was concerned that his players had slipped into a comfort zone ahead of Thursday night’s visit of Manchester United.
Pochettino replied: “Yes. I agree. It was one of the subjects we were talking about. I am going to explain what I explained to the players.
“When I was at Espanyol, I was at the training ground at seven o’clock every morning. Then when I moved to Southampton: 6.30. Then to Tottenham: seven, sometimes 7.30. Then PSG: the same, six in the morning. Now, [at Chelsea]: 6.45, 6.40.
“After 15 years of working, your salary increases, [as does] your bank account. But that cannot put me in a very comfortable zone to say, ‘Now I arrive at nine o’clock and leave at two o’clock’. I need to keep pushing myself, to keep pushing my team and my coaching staff, because we want to win and want to be competitive.”
Chelsea’s owners have signed a host of young players from supposedly smaller clubs on eight-year contracts and Pochettino said: “If I was playing for less money in another club, for less expectation, no one is expecting anything from me – but now I arrive here and people really believe that I’m so good and now I feel the pressure, what do I need to do?
“It is to arrive early, it is to work more. It is to run more, it is to be more focused; concentrate. It is not now to arrive at Chelsea – [slaps hands] – and I am so good because people believe that I am so good, but I do the minimum effort. No, it is more responsibility now. For us we feel the responsibility.
“Never be in a comfort zone. If you are in a comfort zone, you drop your level, you drop your standards. I don’t say that happened here because too many other things happened. But that is one of the things that we are aware of. Maybe it is a mix. Like when you mix this a little bit, a small percentage, easy life, easy that… then when you put it all together it is not easy.”
Pochettino defends £4,000 tickets
Pochettino was dismissive of judging Chelsea’s young players against their so-called potential, pointedly asking his assistant Jesus Perez, who sits in on press conferences, what the word ‘potential’ really means in football.
“We have players here that can be really good, top players,” Pochettino said. “But now it’s the combination of things that need to happen, to see if [Cole] Palmer can be there [raises his hand] or another player can be there. It’s the combination of mentality, heart and talent.
“If not, we go to our mature players, between 26 and 34, that we already know can perform. We have to understand: what does it mean, potential? Jesus? Potential means to guess. ‘I have potential’ – what does it mean? Potential what? We need to assess the players we have today and we can help them evolve, but to what level? Potential teams, potential players, potential coaches. Potential, potential, potential. But we need to win today, no?”
Chelsea set the most expensive ticket price in the Premier League by charging £5,000 to sit in the home ‘dugout club’ behind Pochettino for the United game.
On Wednesday night, there were still £4,000 tickets available to buy in the away ‘dugout club’ as well as some other premium-priced tickets in other parts of the ground, which suggested Stamford Bridge may not be a sell-out for one of the biggest games of the season.
Asked about ticket prices, Pochettino said: “It’s a difficult subject because I am on both sides. I am a fan and I am working for a company that produces entertainment.
“If you want to go to watch a film or go to the theatre, you need to pay. Football is entertainment, but I understand it’s a sport we love to watch; the passion. I understand if fans complain and clubs set this kind of price, I can understand both sides. The club needs to pay the salaries of the players, our salaries. And they need to find different ways to make income and pay for that.”
