'The fans need to trust us' says Pochettino as exit rumours played down

Cameron Smith

• 6 Feb 2024 16:03 GMT
• 3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino has played down rumours linking him with a Chelsea exit by revealing he “received good texts” from the club’s owners after their 4-2 defeat against Wolves.

The Blues are currently 11th in the Premier League table following back-to-back losses versus Liverpool and Wolves, and Pochettino is now under immense pressure at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fans have called for his head online, while Thiago Silva’s wife, Belle, publicly suggested that Pochettino should be sacked.

However, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss has insisted that he still has the board’s support and has urged the club’s supporters to back him.

What has Mauricio Pochettino said?

During his pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup fourth round replay against Aston Villa on Wednesday, Pochettino admitted: “I think we are all together in this and that's important.

"I received very good texts from [the owners]. Of course I am in contact with them and the sporting director every day.”

Chelsea have spent well over €1 billion on new signings since Roman Abramovic left his post as owner in 2022, but they finished 12th in the English top flight last season and have fared similarly this time around too.

Despite this, Pochettino has called for the club’s fanbase to rally behind his team.

“The fans need to trust in us," he said. "We need to provide the calm for the players to feel free to play.

"We need to create a good connection with the fans. The fans need to understand when they go to Stamford Bridge it's a different Chelsea, a different project, a different everything. It's the responsibility of the players and the staff to create a connection, something in between they appreciate,” Pochettino continued.

"The fans need from us to see that we really care about the club. I promise you and the fans that the players want to perform and win games. The players suffer when they are not performing.

“They are desperate to receive the love from the fans but at the same time they understand the situation. If you are not performing it's normal the fans should criticise us. We need to be together.”