Mauricio Pochettino concedes he is feeling the lack of love from Chelsea’s fans after their jeering during Saturday's draw but has defiantly vowed to win them over – if given the time by the club’s owners.
The supporters sang for their manager to ‘f*** off’ as they relied on a late leveller from Axel Disasi at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Pochettino said after this disappointing draw of the anger shown towards him: ‘I am not worried. We need to accept this relationship.
‘Someone asked me do you feel love from the fans? No, between the coach and the fans, you build your relationship through winning games, but at the moment we cannot match the expectation.
‘If we are not matching the expectation, am I going to ask for love? Normally in football you show your frustration with the coach, the people above. I will not ask for nothing. I will continue to work and try to change this perception and win games.
‘We now have one week to prepare for Newcastle. We need to manage some reality. We are working really hard to win games. The team is fighting.’
Pochettino was celebrating his 52nd birthday at Brentford and said he is old enough to know that if he does not deliver, he faces the sack.
‘I know very well this business,’ he said while suggesting Chelsea’s schedule is harming them. ‘But I am never going to give up. I am going to fight tomorrow again and after and the next game. we are going to keep going.
‘The commitment of the players is massive. We are suffering because of the fixtures.’
Brentford boss Thomas Frank took aim at those supporters who booed when they were trailing 1-0 at half-time.
‘Is that support?’ Frank said. ‘Brentford against Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world, we’re down 1-0. I can’t swear but what the… I would like to speak to the fans who booed.’