Mauricio Pochettino's Full Pre-Man City Press Conference.

 Mauricio Pochettino's Insights: A Glimpse into the Pre-Man City Press Conference

As the anticipation builds for the clash against Manchester City, Mauricio Pochettino, the charismatic manager of Chelsea, shared his thoughts and insights in a comprehensive pre-match press conference. Pochettino touched upon various aspects, from his admiration for Pep Guardiola to his assessment of key players and the challenges posed by the dominating force of Manchester City in English football.

1. Pochettino's Admiration for Pep Guardiola: Pochettino began by acknowledging Pep Guardiola as one of, if not the best coach in the world. With a blend of respect and excitement, he expressed the pleasure of facing Guardiola's Manchester City, reflecting on both memorable and challenging moments from past encounters.

Mauricio Pochettino on Pep Guardiola: "He's one of, if not the best coach in the world. It's a fantastic challenge. Too many memories [of facing Man City]. Some good, some not so good. It's a pleasure, and it's going to be really nice to play Chelsea vs City."

2. Cole Palmer's Rise: The Chelsea manager commended the young talent, Cole Palmer, emphasizing his quick adaptation and clever understanding of the game. Pochettino expressed satisfaction and trust in Palmer, recognizing the need for improvement while highlighting the player's evident quality.

Mauricio Pochettino on Cole Palmer: "He's a clever guy that has adapted really quick. He was so clever to see the situation to take [the information in]. We are so happy with him. We trust in him. He needs to improve, but he's showing great quality."

3. Raheem Sterling's National Team Situation: Pochettino addressed Raheem Sterling's situation regarding the national team, emphasizing the importance of respecting decisions. He noted the players' eagerness to represent their country and the need for hard work to change such circumstances. Regarding a potential ban for Sterling, Pochettino maintained a calm and composed stance.

Mauricio Pochettino on Raheem Sterling: "You need to respect the decision. Raheem and all the English players are desperate to go to the national team. Sometimes they feel disappointed. The only way to change the situation is to work really hard, to deserve to be there."

Mauricio Pochettino on potential Raheem Sterling ban: "We cannot find nothing. That is why we are quiet, calm and relaxed."

4. Reece James and Player Decisions: Discussing Reece James, Pochettino clarified that decisions related to players' participation, especially in international fixtures, are based on assessments by the medical, sports science, and coaching staff. He highlighted the player's eagerness to join the national team while emphasizing the club's responsibility to make decisions in the player's best interest.

Mauricio Pochettino on Reece James: "Never the decision of the player. It's about to assess. The medical, sport science, coaching staff take the decisions, not the player. He's desperate to go the national team. He wanted to go. But we take the best decision for him."

5. Reflections on Past Encounters: Pochettino reflected on the emotional rollercoaster of past matches, particularly recalling the "Battle of the Bridge." He addressed criticisms, asserting that such games are about tactics, player form, preparation, and emotional control. He acknowledged the shock of conceding a goal but praised the team's ability to rebound, claiming a deserved victory.

Mauricio Pochettino on Spurs win: "Too many people say to me it was my fault [after the Battle of the Bridge] on how to control the emotions. This type of game is about our tactics, players, form, approach, how you prepare, and to control emotions. When we conceded the goal, it was a big hit to us. It was a shock. After this, we started to control the game. We created chances, disallowed goals, forced them into mistakes. We deserved to win. Crazy, but fair. Tottenham was lucky in some decisions."

Mauricio Pochettino: "When I feel the emotion of the pitch, it's difficult to control from outside. It was really important for the players to keep calm in a tough moment, to force [Spurs] to make a mistake and win the game."

6. Manchester City as a Challenge: Expressing his admiration for Manchester City, Pochettino acknowledged them as the best team and coach in the world. Despite the challenges posed by City's dominance in English football, he conveyed Chelsea's intent to be protagonists and compete with character and talent.

Mauricio Pochettino on Man City: "For me the best team and coach in the world. One of the best organisations in the world. When you show the results, from top to bottom, it shows they are doing really well. We know it's going to be tough. We want to win the three points. We need to go there to be protagonists with our personality and character. To finish the game 1-4 [on Monday], it shows we have character and talent to compete with the best clubs in England."

7. Thoughts on Young Talents: Pochettino provided insights into the progress of Nicolas Jackson, highlighting the young player's potential and the importance of patience in his development. He also touched upon the recovery of Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia, expressing satisfaction with their professionalism and dedication.

8. Pochettino on Manchester City's Dominance: Realistically acknowledging Manchester City's dominance in English football, Pochettino expressed a desire for Chelsea to challenge and eventually surpass such supremacy. He emphasized the need for strategic planning to compete with the top-tier teams.

Mauricio Pochettino on Man City's domination in England: "It's the reality. I don't know if it's good or bad. It's the reality. They are showing they dominate the English football. They deserve. They are the top. The team that you want to beat. All the other teams try to compete with them. They are ahead of us. That's, for sure, are objective in the future to be ahead of everyone and dominate the Premier League. Now we need to be smart to challenge them."

9. VAR and its Challenges: Pochettino addressed the challenges of VAR, recognizing its presence and the need to find the best way to utilize it effectively. He acknowledged the commonality of complaints from managers like Klopp and Guardiola while emphasizing the necessity for clubs to defend their interests.

Mauricio Pochettino: "Monday was obvious all the decisions in VAR. It's normal to complain [like Liverpool's disallowed goal at Spurs]. It's difficult. We need to accept VAR is here. We need to find the best way to use VAR. We cannot go back. I accept Mikel or Klopp can complain, Ange say another thing, Pep... we need to defend our club and interests. That's normal"

As the Chelsea squad gears up for the clash with Manchester City, Mauricio Pochettino's insights provide fans and pundits alike with a deeper understanding of the team's mindset and approach to this highly anticipated encounter.

Mauricio Pochettino on Nicolas Jackson: "It's easy to say after three goals. It's a process. I will not change my mind. He's young, he needs to improve. He scored three. He should've scored six. The most important is to give calm and relaxed. He's going to improve with time."

Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku: "We had some conversations. He said to me: 'Coach, I want to be ready after international break against Newcastle'. It's close. He's doing really, really well. We are so happy with him in his recovery, very professional."

Mauricio Pochettino on Romeo Lavia: "Lavia is close, training today. Hopefully next week he will be involved with the team, then assess when he can help the team."