Pochettino warns Chelsea fans they face TWO YEARS of pain just weeks after insisting Blues must challenge for title now
MAURICIO POCHETTINO has pleaded for patience ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Fulham this evening.
The Blues make the short trip to Craven Cottage having won just one of their opening six Premier League matches under the Argentine.
Fans have been left underwhelmed by their side’s performances, with the blunt Blues having scored just five Prem goals so far.
Chatting to Sky Sports ahead of tonight’s match, Pochettino conceded that his young side will take time to get better.
He said: “We need more experience, but that is about time. We need to provide the players playing in the Premier League the experience that they need.
“Because it’s a tough competition. I think it’s the most tough competition in the world.
“And yes I think we need time because I think we have talented players but that is one of the key points, that we need time to improve individual and collective the team in the way we want to play.”
Asked how difficult the job is compared to his previous posts, Pochettino added: “I think it’s tough, of course and then at the same time it’s exciting because it’s a massive challenge, to operate in a different way than was Chelsea in the past.
“We need to respect the history but in the moment we are in a different way to build the project.”
It was then pointed out that, while he preaches a project, Pochettino’s contract only runs for two years.
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Further quizzed about how long the project will take, the 51-year-old laughed as he replied: “Two years. I understand because the owners and the sporting director, when they explained…
“I think it’s about to know people. It’s about if they are happy with us and we are happy with them.
“We are working like it’s not a problem to have two years, five years or ten years contract – the most important is to be in the right project and for them to identify us as the right people to drive this ship.
Asked what he would deem as success this time next year, Pochettino didn’t beat around the bush.
He said: “I think to win. I think the competitions that we are involved we need to try to win.
“To be successful is to win because Chelsea is about to win, the history is about to win.
“We are very confident that we are going to be successful here.”
Back in August, Pochettino conceded that he can’t afford to take his time to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
He said at the time: “It is a process that needs time, but in football you can’t ask for time. We know we need to deliver now.
“My message to everyone here is: ‘We are at Chelsea and we need to win. Today, not tomorrow’.”