Mauricio Pochettino has admitted fearing for his Chelsea future after the Blues’ 4-2 home loss to Wolves in February.
The Blues compounded a 4-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool with a damaging reverse at home to Gary O’Neil’s side to slip to 11th in the top-flight standings.
In a season of transition and turmoil, Pochettino has now conceded that represented the low point.
The Argentine and his coaches sat together in a two-hour debrief afterwards, shocked at the nature of the loss.
Thiago Silva’s wife Belle tweeted straight after the final whistle: “It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late.”
Pochettino insisted he did not expect the sack, but did reveal the isolation that follows for a manager after a significant defeat.
Asked if there was a point in the season when he thought he would be sacked, Pochettino said: “I can be honest? I think after Wolves, the home game, you remember what happened also.
“I didn’t think that I was going to be sacked, but I did think it was a tough moment, that defeat at home was really, really tough.
“In this moment when you are a coach and coaching staff you can feel the loneliness.
“When you feel like everyone is seeing you like you are guilty of something that you don’t know really what that is.
“I think in this moment we felt the loneliness, because we were alone after the game.
“I think we spent two hours, that was the longest time after the game we were there, the coaching staff, in a very small room.”
Chelsea could record five straight Premier League wins for the first time under their new owners in Sunday’s season-closing clash with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino has turned the Blues’ season on its head, from 11th at the start of April to a possible fifth-place finish.
Europa League qualification should now be forthcoming, and Pochettino could easily secure a second season at the Chelsea helm.
The Argentine coach will meet with Chelsea’s two sporting directors and owners next week, at which point his future will be ratified.
All this is a far cry from the fallout of that Wolves defeat, and that left Pochettino in reflective mood.
“We were sad, and we felt it was an unfair situation. Bad results put you in a very difficult situation,” said Pochettino.
“The problem was the circumstances. The circumstances were really, really bad.
“Because of the situation with the injuries we couldn’t find the facility to go with the same players.
“That was the disappointment and the sad situation that we could not provide the fans and the club too much. It was a really, really sad moment.”
Chelsea have hit back after that Wolves loss however, losing just once in 14 Premier League matches since.
Pochettino has been quietly pleased with his side’s recovery, but insisted that he will still not be happy with the final standings.
“We were talking this morning, the coaching staff, that it’s not enough, we are not going to take a picture, to celebrate finishing fifth or sixth,” said the Blues boss.
“It’s not enough for the club, for the owners, the fans or the players. The ambition is always to be at the top.“But within the circumstances to finish in a very good way can give some satisfaction.”
