Mauricio Pochettino urges Chelsea young guns to not lose sight of current goals
Mauricio Pochettino has urged his inconsistent Chelsea side to remain grounded and focused on consistent improvement, rather than obsessing over sealing a top-four finish this season.
Speaking ahead of a pivotal clash with high-flying Brighton on Sunday, in an interview covered by Football.london Pochettino reiterated that Champions League qualification remains mathematically possible. However, he stressed the priority now is fixing internal flaws first.
“If it’s mathematic (possible) we have to believe it’s realistic, but the thing right now is not to see the end of the season, it is to see the process and improve every day.
The Chelsea boss emphasised that substantial development is needed before dreaming of next season’s European competitions. Drawing on their recent extremes in form, Pochettino noted his Blues remain their “own worst enemies.”
Between thrashing Tottenham 4-1 and fighting back valiantly versus Manchester City, Chelsea crumbled meekly 4-1 at Newcastle last week. Now the Argentine feels progress will only come by addressing glaring weaknesses, rather than gazing wistfully at the table. There is too much internal turmoil for Pochettino to entertain faint top-four hopes just yet.
While the manager understands success-starved fans crave signs of progress, Pochettino believes obsessing over long-term goals will distract focus from urgently needed daily gains.
“That is the process. We cannot think at the end of the season because then we will start to stop what is going to bring us there. We will focus on the present and how we are going to be better every day.”
Getting the basics right again after last season’s meltdown is the only path back towards the elite level Chelsea expect. Pochettino’s project remains very much a work in progress, with patience vital.
For the supporters, seeing real development will offer more encouragement than fixating on ifs and maybes. The road ahead is long, but Pochettino feels it starts with the next training session, not hypothetical qualification.
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If Chelsea’s faulty foundations can slowly be repaired, then blue skies may yet return to Stamford Bridge. But Pochettino is urging realism, not dreaming of illusions. Progress depends not on targets but on self-improvement.