LONDON (Reuters) – Mauricio Pochettino did not win any trophies with Tottenham Hotspur, so he is taking the League Cup quarter-final against Newcastle United very seriously as the new manager of Chelsea.
Pochettino’s main goal is to improve Chelsea’s position in the Premier League and get them back into the Champions League. However, he is aware that he has yet to win any titles in English football.
The last time Chelsea won the League Cup was in 2015 when they defeated Pochettino’s Tottenham. Pochettino also led Spurs to the brink of winning the Premier League, as well as to the Champions League final and back-to-back FA Cup semi-finals.
“Of course, I want to win a trophy here in England. I want to lift a trophy now in this competition because it is important,” Pochettino told reporters, emphasizing the significance of the League Cup due to Chelsea’s mid-table position in the Premier League.
“It means a lot because we want to deliver the job for our club. Delivering a trophy, the most important thing is to win,” he added. “It’s difficult to measure, it is a priority. It’s in our mind, our objective, we need to be ready tomorrow to be closer to winning a title. My desire is to win.”
Pochettino’s first season at Stamford Bridge has been challenging as he tries to find the right combination for the team, despite their recent win against Sheffield United.
Although he won the French league title and French Cup with Paris St Germain, Pochettino’s resume is still lacking silverware in English football, but he is not overly concerned about it.
“You need to be in the right club, in the right moment with all of the elements to win,” he said. “To be an elite manager, it’s not necessary to win titles, many elite managers still didn’t win or are going to win.”
“It’s important to analyse every single project and say you can progress or not or deliver the job everyone expects. (The League Cup) is important for the club because it’s going to be a boost in energy and I really believe in the project.”
Newcastle is also eager to make it to the League Cup final after losing to Manchester United last season, which denied them their first major trophy in 55 years.
“For Newcastle it is also an important competition but from the beginning of the season it has been one of our objectives,” Pochettino said. “We face a very good team and will be tough.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
