Mauricio Pochettino issues message to frustrated Chelsea supporters

Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that Chelsea fans will eventually see their patience rewarded if they keep trusting the process at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have endured a torrid start to the new Premier League campaign after winning just three of their opening 10 matches, leaving them in the bottom half of the table.

Chelsea’s defeat at the hands of Brentford last weekend was the latest in a string of disappointing results, with the west Londoners yet to turn things around in spite of their best efforts. Pochettino was quizzed on the topic in Tuesday’s press conference and was quick to insist that fans should remain patient in order to allow him to make the desired impact.

“I think it’s to be with us,” he said when asked if he had a message for Chelsea’s supporters. “I know it is difficult to keep your feelings but it is normal. The fans want to win and sometimes are frustrated when we don’t win. The message is to believe and trust in us and in the end it is about the process.”

Chelsea showed plenty of early promise in pre-season, with the Blues not losing a single game despite facing the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle and Brighton. However, their lacklustre form in the Premier League has shown that they are still lagging behind many of their divisional rivals, with Chelsea already 11 points adrift of the top four positions.

“It’s not fair to talk [about pre-season] because so many details happen and you need always some luck,” added Pochettino. “One of the situations was the injury to [Christopher] Nkunku. We wanted him to provide goals and help the team.

“Like the games, we created chances [against Brentford] and we played well but didn’t get what we deserved. The circumstances are the circumstance. We cannot complain but I think we deserve more if we talk about our performance. We need to be more aggressive.

“In the last game, in chances we were better than Brentford. They play with the block very low and counter attack, the first half they didn’t create. We need to be more aggressive.”

Chelsea will have a golden chance to return to winning ways on Wednesday night when they face Blackburn Rovers at home in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Pochettino went on to confirm that Reece James will be handed a rare start against their Championship opponents after being introduced as a substitute in each of Chelsea’s last two matches.

“I can confirm he is going to start,” said the Blues manager. “I want to confirm only one player but it is good for the team. It is good for him to start from the beginning of the game.”

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