Mauricio Pochettino insists he understands the frustration of the Chelsea fans amid his side’s disappointing season.
Chelsea are 11th in the Premier League table despite more than £1bn having been invested in signings under the current owners, with the west Londoners 19 points adrift of the Champions League places.
There were audible calls for Pochettino and owner Todd Boehly to leave during last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Brentford, with songs sung calling for the return of former manager Jose Mourinho.
Pochettino was asked for his view on the chanting at his pre-match press conference, ahead of facing Newcastle in the Premier League on Monday night.
“It’s nothing to complain, nothing to say. We completely understand the situation and the frustration. We need to accept the criticism and we need to accept the way that they behave. The most important thing is to try and accept.
“We need to improve in the way that we play and the result, and try to change this feeling. Of course we need our fans and I hope Monday the fans will be right behind us and helping the team during 90 minutes to win the game, that is so, so important for our players.
“But we need to accept. This is football. Maybe if I was a fan and I was on the stand, I would behave the same as them because it is Chelsea, we are not matching the expectation and that is why they are reacting in this way. We need to accept and be responsible for our performance. We need to work really hard to improve and win games. It’s what we need to create to better relationship with our fans.”
Asked how he can turn the Chelsea fanbase in his favour, Pochettino said that only results will turn the tide for his team.
“No, I cannot do nothing. The only way they can believe in us is to win games and because of the circumstance, we are maybe not consistent enough. After Wolverhampton, we play Aston Villa, City, Palace, Liverpool and Brentford and we did not lose in 90 games. It’s five games, no?
“Because of the expectation, that is the problem. When the expectation does not match the reality, and you believe that you can win the race and if you are not going to win it, of course that is the problem with the relationship with the fans, the bad feelings arrive.
“On my side, I am the same as when I arrived here. I really believe in the club, I really believe in the fans, I really believe in the players, I really believe in the project. Only the circumstances delay all of the things because you can manage things but when you suffer too many negative things like injuries, like now with three players after Saturday, that is not about the quality of the coaching staff, or the capacity to play more offensive or more defensive, you know?
“This type of circumstance is affecting the expectation of Chelsea winning titles. That is the answer. People want to understand? Perfect. If they do not want to understand? What can we do? I prefer to talk about football, why you play with five at the back, a back four, two midfielders, three offensive players, two strikers, that is my passion.
“I need to come here and always explain the circumstance and to justify why we are not winning or why we are not in the position people expect, because of Chelsea. But it’s true. The circumstances are different, the project is different. For me, to be in another position to talk about football, I prefer 100%.”
