Liverpool defeat cited by desperate Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea sack talk intensifies

Pochettino and Klopp

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has resorted to comparing his side to Liverpool amid reports suggesting he’s close to being sacked.

Pochettino has been unable to improve Chelsea’s fortunes since being appointed as Graham Potter’s permanent successor ahead of this season.

Under him, Chelsea have reached the Carabao Cup final but they are 11th in the Premier League after their disappointing 4-2 home loss to Wolves on Sunday afternoon.

The pressure is growing on Pochettino as he is currently the second favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

Chelsea travel to Villa Park to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in a FA Cup replay on Wednesday night.

Ahead of this game, Pochettino had his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon and his comments below reek of a manager knowing he’s under pressure as he compared his side to Liverpool.

“I am a head coach, a head coach. Sometimes we can make mistakes. That is football. That happens, we need to keep moving and being strong,” Pochettino said during his press conference on Tuesday.

“We have a very good group of players, but for different reasons, as we have explained from the beginning of the season, we are not performing in the way that the people expect.

“And when the expectation is different from the reality, it’s difficult to get what you deserve. That’s why the patience has never arrived.”

Pochettino added: “When we lost to Liverpool, it was: massive fail, oh look at Chelsea, how bad it is. [When] Liverpool lost to Arsenal, I didn’t hear anything. But it was a similar result to when we played against Liverpool.

“That is affecting the players, because this team needs confidence. We need the support and our fans need to be behind Chelsea. The people need to realise that situation. We cannot send any different messages.”

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Thiago Silva’s wife called for Chelsea to sack Pochettino after the 4-2 loss to Wolves but the former Tottenham boss has insisted that he has a “very good” relationship with the experienced defender.

“He [Silva] came to me today to talk about. I don’t want to talk about it about the ways it’s being talked about,” Pochettino continued.

“He came and wanted to talk to me. After more than 10 years, you know me and my coaching staff are strong.

“We know how to operate when things like these happen. Thiago came to talk and we talked. The matter is private and that’s it. It stays with me.

“It’s good, it’s very good [our relationship]. I think it’s successful and always has been since the beginning. In my press conferences and you can see that by the way I talk about him.”