Injury news
"For N'Golo, it comes a little bit too early. Jorgi is out as well. Callum is still out, and Ben Chilwell is out. That's pretty much it, the rest are available."
We're assessing the top-four race every week. How are you calling it?
It is not of interest, how I call it. I can understand that you assess it all of the time. We would rather not be in your assessment, but we are, and it is our responsibility, and that's why we need another reaction. That's where we are. We had a week to prepare which was nice, but not nice because we would prefer to play the Champions League. It was nice to have the team to have influence in training, to set the focus on the things we want to improve. We want to meet our standards, and we demand a lot from us. I think there are a lot of reasons why it is maybe normal to drop in intensity and in the level of effort but as we are an elite sports team, we compete on the very highest level of this sport. There is not much room for normal behaviour. We want elite behaviour. This includes me. We need to step up, show another reaction and that we can play better, have more impact and effort in the matches and start from there tomorrow.
What is the latest you've been told on the takeover?
I was told last week that we have a preferred bidder, and things are going forward. It is a pretty important week now for the club. I was not involved, fully focused on the pitch, but after what I heard last week, I am confident.
What makes you think it is so positive?
Clearance is always the best, as when the situation is clear, you can take action and make judgement and actions. You can act. Otherwise, you are in a passive role. This is what we are. We try to make the smallest issue possible, but of course, it is always there. We prefer to have it in a clear and forward-thinking situation. This is what we are looking and hoping for, that we know what we deal with and what the circumstances are in improving the team, that we can act and not react or, even worse, do nothing.
READ MORE: Chelsea sale: Todd Boehly and Clearlake set takeover conditions to avoid Man Utd's Glazer issue
Romelu Lukaku didn't come on against Everton, how will you get the best from him? Do you see him being an important part of the squad?
Always, yes and yes. I want him to be an important part of the squad. Right now, he is a very important part of the squad next season. There is no way, no recruitment, no players about to leave because it is simply not possible. If the situation changes, we need anyway to adapt all the time to contractual situations, individual situations of the players, what we want and think, and what the development will be. We signed a big player, and he is still a big player. He didn't come on (vs Everton) because we had three changes and used one. Unfortunately had to use one at half-time for Jorgi. Otherwise, there was a huge chance we would have had the same changes as against West Ham, where he was involved with Hakim and Pulisic to turn the game in our favour. He trained very well, and maybe he will start tomorrow. Let's see.
What needs to happen for him to have an impact on a consistent basis?
I don't know, actually. He needs to happen. Everybody needs to happen. This is life as a footballer on this kind of level. Everybody does their very best, it is like for every other player. We do our very best to integrate him. It needs to happen. We need to support him and trust what we do. There is not one thing we can provide or need to find to make this happen. It is about trust, commitment, the feeling for the game, a bit of luck, and game momentum. That's it.
On recruitment:
There is none in the moment, not possible. You say so (the club will be taken over before the transfer window). We are not sure. Maybe yes.
Of course (looking for replacements for Antonio Rudiger & Andreas Christensen). In the moment, it's a very small process. You look at it, that's it. We cannot make contact, get in touch, convince nobody. We cannot make offers, so we are having a look, and have ideas. That's it.
Are you behind in the transfer window?
Yes, we are behind in that race. We said before, yes. Maybe it is a disadvantage but not a decisive disadvantage. Whatever team it is will be competitive because we have competitors. The club will always be strong. Even if things turn out and it's the same squad, we will arrive for the very first match to win the match. We have never done anything else and will never do anything else. We have clear ideas on how to improve, how to freshen the squad, improve the squad, bring new energy and new quality. It would not be the first transfer window where you have a wish and cannot make it as a coach. We will find solutions, but first of all, we must adapt to the general situation. Then we see if it is possible and what is possible.
Would the takeover be an explanation to some recent results?
"It surely affects the team, but I cannot tell you to which degree. The longer the situation goes, now it has a huge effect because Toni leaves us in the middle of the process where we are sanctioned and could not even fight, do another offer or be in negotiations. It clearly has an effect, and it makes no sense to deny it. We lose one of our key players, so it is proven and has this kind of effect. This decision has an effect on the dressing room because Toni is not isolated here at Cobham and does not talk to anyone. He is a huge part, a leader. The situation is like this. The situation regarding the future of every individual player is not clear. There are no talks for anybody at the moment. We try to minimise this and accept it, not to use it as an excuse. If there is any degree of distraction or uncertainty, we accept it. There is still another 100% to reach. This is still our level.
There are many reasons, look at our schedule. If you come from the situation was like you come from big knockout matches like against Real Madrid, playing in Wembley, then go back to the league and play for points. Maybe the team had a bit of the feeling that we have not so much to win, not so much to lose - you maybe lose the edge. This can be enough to lose matches and lose confidence. There are many reasons. It is maybe normal this happens. We are in the same point as the beginning, but normal is hard to accept for us because we demand more than normal. We are in an elite situation where normal does not bring us to the goals that we demand from ourselves. We have to fight it, go against ourselves, against normal behaviour, to be on the top level. It starts with physical input tomorrow.
The challenge of Arsenal and Spurs and also needing to find form for the cup final?
Absolutely. What we need to install and want to install anyway is to be in the mentality and mindset on a daily basis, or every three days, whatever it takes, no matter if it's a cup game, Champions League or a normal league game. This is where maybe we need to close the gap as well. There are reasons for it why the gap is that big. Maybe why the teams behind us could catch up. There is no reason why it should continue like this. The next moment to stop it is tomorrow. I am absolutely convinced that we have enough reasons to trust us and believe in us. There is no need for major doubts.
What took us there is most important. That was hard work, determination, and big effort. This is what we need on the highest level. Once we drop, not insignificant matters a little here and there, we are also a team that can lose or drop points against everybody, and we don't want that.
Is there a fear of missing out on players that rivals will get, and is plan B, majorly looking at loanees?
The loanees have to come back anyway! We are very selfish in that. That's our right. They come back for a point. We have pre-season with them for them to show they can play the role we wish for. They are our players. Whoever takes place needs to do anything to keep the place. The race is on from the first day in pre-season.
In general, the teams we look at - the top two teams - of course, they bring quality also from outside. We need to be very good in recruiting, very good in scouting, very good in decision making - all of us - to sign the players who are the best fit, bring the mentality, the mindset, the positional profile that you need to improve the squad. It is also here, on a very high level. They need to help us install a kind of consistency because we are capable of producing big moments, big matches, big weeks, but we lack. There are reasons for it in the last weeks and through the season. We are not to blame for injuries and Covid situations, where we were a bit unlucky how it hit us. That's it.
There's no major doubt or fear because we are still talking about sports. I am, in general, a very positive person who believes things will turn out in a good way. It's in our hands to make them good. Whatever comes, we will start the season at some point in early July as Chelsea Football Club. Whoever is on the training pitch will need to be ready so that we push them to the limit. We will be in there 100% and be ready for the fight. We will never give in, never make excuses. Part of being competitive is being competitive with signings and being competitive in the transfer market, of course, this is reality.
Wolves have had a mixed season, is it difficult to know what to expect?
Little bit. They had problems in the very beginning with results, and then they were very strong over a large part of the season. They struggled with results in the last weeks. Obviously, everybody sees that. It is a given. If you go a bit deeper into the statistics and analyse the game and the matches of them, you see that it is still very difficult to create chances. It is very difficult to bypass their defenders. They defend very disciplined, and we will not, for me, it is not possible to hurt them by pure ball possession.
We experienced that kind of game in the first match, where we struggled in the first half with their structure on the ball. We didn't allow anything. We defended very well but also struggled to create. We need to be very aware of the moments it's possible to accelerate the game. So far in the season and last matches, it is almost impossible to catch them on a counter-attack because they protect them, very well protected when they attack. We need a good mix between patience, and still, while we are patient, we need to try to play a high rhythm so that we don't get the feeling that everything gets stuck. We will try to implement a high rhythm. I expect their core performance of discipline and a very well structured team.
On Christian Pulisic's dad deleting tweeting about Chelsea's situation
I'm not concerned if a father does not say a player does love me or not! I am not concerned about that, for sure not. (Is everything alright there?) with the father and me? Maybe not! I don't know!
It's a normal thing. Every manager we have our reasons to choose a line-up and have our reasons to go for players in the first eleven. You will never see in this kind of level of competition happy faces from players that are not selected. Between Christian and me exists zero problems. He had a fantastic training week so far, he is in some matches a huge impact from the bench.
From him and everybody else, it has nothing to do with any tweet or reaction from agent or fathers. I didn't even know it. I don't want to get affected by it in my judgement, it has nothing to do with it. The players in the end, are responsible to be and stay in the team. I will do my best to do the right judgement. Am I always right? For sure not. Is it always fair? For sure not. This is what you sign up for in a club like Chelsea. I haven't experienced the same reaction from Christian lately, it was actually the opposite - very strong, very positive in the last weeks.
Do the sanctions make Thiago Silva's deal in January a relief?
Every decision you do, you are convinced is a good decision no matter when you do it. Nobody could see this kind of situation coming, when you are sanctioned and cannot act on the transfer market and cannot act with our players, so of course, we are happy.
We wanted to do it. We did it in the moment where it was not done because a sanction was coming. It was done because we were convinced this is the most important. We had a reason. The player wants to stay, he sees his role, and we see his influence.
It will be a huge challenge for Thiago also. We are aware he is not in the beginning of his career. It will be a huge challenge to keep the level up. If it stays like this, it is a good decision. and has nothing to do with the sanctions."
