Pochettino labels Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Everton as a 'REALITY CHECK'

Mauricio Pochettino says he is not surprised by Chelsea’s lack of progress this season after his side fell closer to the relegation zone than the top four with an unconvincing defeat at Everton on Sunday.

Chelsea have spent north of £1billion under the ownership of Todd Boehly but Argentine boss Pochettino is keen to stress that his team have ‘too many problems’ to command instant success and that his job is a long-term project not a quick fix.

Asked if he was surprised by their poor form - just five league wins in 16 games - and lack of progress despite a huge recruitment drive last summer, Pochettino said: ‘No. Anyone who understands football (knows this) is a new project, a new team.

‘Too many circumstances again, it is tough to explain. Too many problems and circumstances from the start of the season. And it is not easy to build something new. Expectations are massive but the reality is different.

‘At Chelsea, the expectation is always to win the Premier League. But this is a reality check, we need to fight, we need to be there. If we want to win, we have to be more ruthless. We are not going to win games just because we are Chelsea.’

Opposite number Sean Dyche said he is grateful to his players for changing the mindset at Everton, with the club now winning 9 of the last 13 games. ‘The gratitude I have is for them,’ he said. ‘The players deserve the most amount of credit.’

Asked if the 10-point deduction had created a siege mentality, Dyche disagreed and stated there already was one, and said: ‘I thought we were on to something before this. I think we were playing well. I think our performances have been very good.

‘I felt the first marker, we have to improve… can you improve the individuals, the team, the output? Yes, we had done all that. And then some people took some of that away (points deduction) and so we started again. I often think simplicity is genius, let’s take it on.’

On Lewis Dobbin scoring his first Premier League goal, Dyche added: ‘I was most pleased because there was a really authentic reaction. Everyone nowadays wants to have a dance and all that nonsense.

‘He slid on his knees and I thought, “Av that!”. His team-mates were piling on that, that delight in his face, magic. I couldn’t be more delighted for him. You have to wait (for your chances), he is a young player, he is developing, he is learning.

‘My own son is a player and he is not playing, I said, “That is being a professional footballer, son, keep working hard, stay for your chance”. I didn’t put Dobbin on saying, “Ping one in the corner, mate”. But I’m delighted for him, for the team, for the squad.’