|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Raheem Sterling, like Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid, according to MAURICIO POCHETTINO, can win over Chelsea’s boo-boys.
When Sterling entered the game as a substitute on the Blues’ previous trip to Bournemouth in May, some Blues supporters began to yell at him.
Despite his presence sparking a 3-1 victory, it was the lowest point of a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge for the £47.5million signing.
But Pochettino said: “Maybe Sunday can change these boos to claps” as Chelsea got ready to head back to the Vitality Stadium this afternoon.
Chelsea fans have high hopes all the time. What do people anticipate from you when you join Chelsea as a player or coaching staff?
“To win, to win medals, to perform, to score.
“Right now, our team is young, and some of the players represent significant financial investments for the team.
“It’s not fair to say, ‘Okay, one game, two games, three games they’re not performing and we paid money and they need to perform like this,'” the speaker said.
“I always use the same illustration. Real Madrid paid an enormous sum—I’m not sure what—for one player.
“The player’s name was Zinedine Zidane, who was outstanding. What have we purchased, you can inquire of Bernabeu, Real Madrid, and locals after six months?
“And after seven or eight months, he began to perform. When you bring a player that is 18, 19, 20, or 21 years old, be careful because they are not machines. Zidane was 26 and 27.
Pochettino hopes Sterling, 28, who is starting to turn things around at Chelsea and is entering his 13th season in the Premier League, will have a beneficial impact on the flow of young, primarily foreign talent to the Blues.
“We’re thrilled,” he remarked, “because he’s an experienced player who can assist the young ones develop. The player and the squad will benefit greatly if we can help him get better, score goals, and provide assists.
“I am overjoyed with his performances and the way he has conducted himself over the past two weeks. He put in a ton of effort.
Although Sterling was sad to be left out of the most recent England squad, Pochettino was able to get to know the player better because, as he said, he used to “hate” him when he was the opposing coach.
“Now I want to enjoy him,” Poch stated. But in earlier seasons, we were in pain! You can tell he’s in shape, prepared to compete, rising to his level, and getting better. Additionally, he found the previous two weeks to be crucial going forward.
Following their match against the Cherries, Poch’s team will play league games against Aston Villa, Fulham, and Burnley in an effort to get past their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge prior to the break.
“One thing is a bad feeling due to results, another is the process—and I think we’re in a good way,” the Argentine leader continued.
“Once all of our injured players are back, we’ll be very competitive and difficult to play against.”