Mauricio Pochettino
Can you sum up that game for us? Is there a mentality issue?
“I don’t believe we can call it a mentality thing. I think today the result doesn’t reflect the performance. In football, we need to accept that these kind of situations happen. I think the first-half was really good. Only disappointed and the players are really disappointed in the way we conceded the first goal because we start the game knowing West Ham are so, so dangerous in set-pieces, corners. We conceded a few corners and then we conceded the goal. That is a little bit disappointing. I was really upset at half-time about that. I think the players will agree and feel the same and then I think also we did really well in the first-half. We should be winning the game at half-time. In the second-half, we reshaped the team. The injury to Carney Chukwuemeka, we didn’t find a way from the beginning. Then when we started to find a way to play, we then conceded another goal. Then we started to take different decisions, trying to find the right timing in offensive situations. Yes, disappointed but this is a process and we need to keep working.”
There’s going to be a lot of focus on Moises. Did that reflect not having a pre-season? How do you pick him up after that?
“We took the decision that we would play with him in the last 30 minutes because he is ready to play 30 minutes but maybe he wasn’t ready to play from the beginning, but 30 minutes yes. He did well, some very positive things. Okay, in the last minute we concede a goal but we cannot say nothing wrong. It was positive but we [all] feel disappointed because we deserve more. But in the end we didn’t get the result we wanted.”
You’ve got a very young team, and today you were up against a very physical team in an emotional game. Do you think that had an impact on the players?
“No, I don’t believe so. If we had scored the penalty we missed then we go into half-time at 2-1 and for sure the game, maybe we’re talking about a different game and situation and maybe we’re happy because we won the game. That is football and we need to accept that it happened.
“More on the beginning of the season because there are still things we need to improve and settle. The team have players in and players out but this is not an excuse. After Liverpool, we are going to be the same. We are very excited about the squad we are building, for sure, and the defeat for sure is going to make us stronger.
“We need to move on. Many positive things, not the result but we need to keep working really hard, try to win on Friday and keep the performance levels.”
Why weren’t you able to match the levels of the first-half in the second-half – what did you say at half-time?
“At half-time I was a little bit upset about the start of the game – like I said before because we conceded a few situations that we were aware of and the dangers of West Ham and gave them the possibility to score. We changed Carney Chukwuemeka for Misha. We then found a way to play and then we conceded the second goal and then that helped West Ham to really believe in the result. For us, we rushed situations. We need to be more patient and maybe open later the pitch. But in the last third, we maybe had 50 situations that were amazing but we weren’t clinical enough to score for a different reason.
“I think at half-time, it was about to reveal the team of the situation of Carney Chukwuemeka and to try to keep going and not to try to be affected from the penalty that we missed.”
Goal scoring has been an issue for Chelsea for a few years now. Is it a confidence thing or do you need to go back in the market again? And how is Carney?
“No, I do not believe. These are new players, the players are not feeling what’s happened in the last few years here. It’s about to believe. Players like Nico Jackson, for sure he is going to score because he has amazing quality. I don’t believe that’s happened because of what happened last season.
“Carney, we need to assess him. We will see tomorrow.”
On Mudryk, is getting the first goal playing on his mind?
“Today he played 45 minutes. I think he’s a young player who we need to trust and build these relationships with us and the team. He has enormous quality and talent, it’s only time for him to settle better with the team and find a way to perform in the way that we expect.”
There was a lot of talk about psychological problems last season with the team in front of goal. Do you feel like you have inherited any of that?
“No. No, no, no. I cannot see nothing like this. For sure.”
Is it a cause for concern that you played well for two games and only have one point to show for it?
“Yes. It’s only the beginning. If we played bad and were winning games then I think we should be more worried because I think it’s only a matter of time then we will find a way to perform and to win.
“I prefer to start in this way; showing good performance, good attitude because we dominate Liverpool and West Ham. But I think the attitude is there. I think for the future, with the players and talent we have in the squad, it’s only time to find the right balance, score goals and win games.”
Sterling’s performance, positive? What have you said to him since you joined the club?
“Yes, I don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not. We were talking a lot this week in my office and we trust him. He’s a player that can deliver what we want and today, he was fantastic. For sure, we are not happy and he is not happy because he performed but we didn’t win. But that is the way we expect a player to perform, to be bold and committed with the team.”
