Mauricio Pochettino believes that injuries have hampered his start to life as Chelsea head coach, drawing a comparison with Manchester City so far this season.
The Blues appointed Pochettino as their new boss following a horrid 2022/23 campaign. The Argentine was tipped to return to rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but they did not approach their former manager, thus paving the way for him to head to Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino began life in west London with a credible 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool back in August, but this was followed by a run of just one win in five Premier League outings.
Chelsea managed to take six points from their last two games and progress to round four of the Carabao Cup prior to the October international break, lifting spirits around the club.
“It’s always about building a team. It’s a young squad, a team that still need to to know each other,” Pochettino said in a sit-down interview with Chelsea’s official website.
“Only with time and training can we provide the team with what it needs. It’s why it is only a matter of time, no doubt.
“We need to be calm in the way we judge players and the team. I think we are growing and very good things are coming. You can feel that, even if sometimes we have some ups and downs. But, in the end, we will succeed together, for sure.”
Pochettino arrived at Chelsea with the club still in transition following the takeover of Todd Boehly and BlueCo in the summer of 2022, while they also added 12 young players to their squad this year and sold plenty of experienced names.
Chelsea have also been dealt various injury blows to begin the campaign, with captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell notably spending long stretches on the sidelines already.
Pochettino likened Chelsea’s situation to that of treble-winners Man City, who have struggled in recent weeks in the absences of the injured Kevin De Bruyne and suspended Rodri.
“We have many players injured, key players who cannot compete and train with us. That is so important. You can see how different it is for a club like Manchester City, how affected they are, when there is no Rodri or De Bruyne, and that’s only two players,” he continued.
“For us, we miss many key players that can help us develop and improve the team faster. Yes, in this way, when we recover all the players, for sure we will be ready to compete for big things.
“Even now, we need to believe that we can compete for big things despite the circumstance.”
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