Pochettino warns Mykhaylo Mudryk and co. as he makes promise to Chelsea stars

08 July 2023 , 21:30

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Mauricio Pochettino has vowed to give Mykhaylo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and the rest of Chelsea's young stars the platform from which they can properly launch their Premier League careers.

But the new Stamford Bridge boss will make it abundantly clear to his players that they have to seize the opportunity he gives them. Mudryk endured a torrid first six months in England on the back of his £88.5million move from Shakhtar Donetsk.

While World Cup winner Fernandez was arguably the best of the Blues’ January signings but still has a long way to go to prove himself worthy of the £106.8m they splashed on him.

‌Pochettino said: “Now is a new start, a fresh start and they need to show their real quality. But we need to create this platform for them to feel comfortable and to create the space for them to perform and improve.

“These players were arriving in difficult circumstances to join this football club and it’s a great challenge for us because we love to work in this way. But of course, we need to give them the opportunity to show they are able to cope with the pressure to play for Chelsea and perform with the best.

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‌“It has been important for Enzo to rest a little bit because he was playing, playing, playing for a year-and-a-half. And he had to change everything — culture, language — and it’s always difficult to adapt. But now he knows what it is to be a Chelsea player and he knows the city and is improving in communicating better.”

Pochettino wants to get a feel for each individual and will talk with Mudryk around him reporting back on July 17. He added: “Everything is different in the life of Mudryk, compared to Enzo. That is why it’s really important to spend time to talk.

‌“I’m going to meet him before he comes to start the pre-season. I’d really like to see and to know him, and then with the staff, to design the best strategy to help him be at the level that Chelsea, when they signed him, expected him to be.”

Mauricio Pochettino is keen to speak to his returning Chelsea stars (Getty Images)

Raheem Sterling is vastly more experienced than those two but he also struggled following his summer move from Manchester City. Pochettino said: “We are talking about a really good player.

“But because of the circumstances in a football club, sometimes it’s not easy for a player to adapt quickly and show the same performance that he maybe had at the other club.

“We need to reduce the number of people in the squad because it was so big. People need to find their space first of all in the training ground, then in training, then in the team.

“We can’t just blame the players. We need to see what is going on and why they are not performing in the way we expect. When all is clear, we cannot give excuses to them not to perform. We need to clean everything and say, ‘Come on - now it’s up to you, show me you are ready to play for this football club.’”

Pochettino wants to see and hear that from Levi Colwill, too. He said: “First of all, I need to understand him. I need to hear what he has in his mind. What he expects. And then, of course, for him to listen to what I expect from him.”

While he will talk to his new players, Pochettino also wants to talk to an old one — Dele Alli — to see if he can help him rediscover his way in football.

Pochettino added: “I hope to have some time to call and see because he is a great guy and I want to talk a little bit with him and hear. I want to help him and see what is going on with him. He is still young. And for sure he has the mentality. Now it’s a long time since I spoke to him but I want to contact him again and see what is going on.”