Mauricio Pochettino suggests Chelsea are a ‘different project’ to the one Champions League-winner Thomas Tuchel took over as former Spurs boss struggles to make the most of £1billion spent under Todd Boehly ownership
- Pochettino says he has inherited a ‘different project’ at Chelsea to Tuchel
- The former Spurs boss has won just one of five Premier League games this term
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Mauricio Pochettino does not believe it is fair to compare his early Chelsea tenure to that of former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, who is now in charge of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, won the Champions League in 2021 just months after arriving in the Stamford Bridge hot seat.
Life at Chelsea has not been so straightforward for former Spurs manager Pochettino, who has seen his new side win just one of their first five Premier League games this season.
His squad has been ravaged by injuries in recent weeks, with only 15 first-team players available for the goalless draw at Bournemouth last weekend.
However, more has been expected of Chelsea after they passed the £1billion mark for spending under owner Todd Boehly and investment group Clearlake Capital.
Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that Chelsea are not the ‘same project’ that Thomas Tuchel took over in 2021
The German head coach led Chelsea to their second-ever Champions League title just months after taking over at Stamford Bridge
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Pochettino has claimed Chelsea are not the same club that Tuchel took over more than two years ago.
He said: ‘Thomas arrived in a different project. A project that was already built. We arrived in a project where the principle guide was changing. That is why it is different.
‘Should we win every game because we are Chelsea? Yes. We are not the Chelsea that won the Champions League or Premier League, we are Chelsea in progress, to improve, to find our way to behave and to perform together. But I accept the competition will not wait for us.’
The Argentine also explained that the experience of the Champions League winning side sets them apart from the current crop of Chelsea players.
The summer transfer window saw N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Cesar Azpilicueta all depart Stamford Bridge, and big fees were spent on young talents Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Pochettino hinted that a lack of experience among his squad has proven costly so far this season.
Injuries to Reece James have left 23-year-old Conor Gallagher to captain the side in recent matches against AFC Wimbledon and Bournemouth.
Chelsea have won just one of their first five Premier League games of the season after Pochettino arrived in the summer
A young Chelsea side had been captained by the likes of Conor Gallagher this season after a number of experienced players departed in the summer
He said: ‘All of the positions are important. Like all coaches, you have key positions, solid players with experience, individual experience, also experience in the environment you are going to compete. If you are in the Premier League, you need players with experience there.
‘We need to accept there was a project, an idea, but undoubtedly we are going to build something for the future, important but with time. You can destroy in one second but to build and to start to work, the steps are little.’
Pochettino added: ‘From the outside, it is difficult to see the improvement and progress but from the inside we are doing well, we are building a very strong institute and for sure we start to get the results we want.’
Chelsea host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, hoping to improve on a run of four league wins in their last 18 homes matches stretching back to last season.
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