Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking about what his targets and ambitions are for his debut season with Chelsea as he prepares to manage his first match at the club against Wrexham
Mauricio Pochettino has admitted there have been no direct targets set by the Chelsea board for his debut season in charge of the club.
Pochettino is seen as someone to guide the club forward in the long-term but to do that he will need the board's 100 per cent backing. This summer has seen a major overhaul of the squad, with more than 10 players already being sold and a few signings coming in.
While we do not expect too many more departures, there are set to be a few signings arriving at Stamford Bridge before the window closes. Although saying that, there is nothing advanced just yet in that regard.
"We are so happy with the way they are working. We need to work during this pre-season to build a really strong squad first and then to evolve in the way we want to play and to apply the concept we expect from them."
There are big expectations of Pochettino and his staff in his debut season back in the Premier League. There always is when it's a club like Chelsea. However, Pochettino has insisted there have been no direct targets set by the Chelsea board for his first season in charge of the Blues. Last season and the club's ruthless approach with managers will serve as a warning to Pochettino, though.
"No, it is for us to put the pressure [on]," Pochettino said in an interview with ESPN. "[The owners] say nothing about that because I think when you are in Chelsea, it is about winning.
"It is to win trophies. It is not to put targets from the owners, from the people, the fans, or from the media. When we signed for Chelsea, we knew that everyone is going to expect us to win, even if last season wasn't the way everyone expected.
"For us, it is not an important season, it is about moving on and thinking we can win. We are going to try to win, why not?"
Pochettino, who was sacked by Tottenham in November 2019, was without a job in football since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2022 after not enough progress in the UEFA Champions League. The Chelsea head coach, though, now believes he is a better manager than when he was last in England in north London.
"I hope [I am better now]," Pochettino said. "Because it is experience, in the way that we learn things. I think we have more intuition, more capacity to read situations. I think with experience we are improving, the coaching staff.
"Man-management, I think in everything. Also, tactics, yes, but that is not the most important thing today in football because the knowledge of tactics you can find from the internet. Today, you can learn. It is more about all the areas that are important."
Which of the following prospects would you like to see in the first team, or loaned out for experience? Swipe to have your say...