Mauricio Pochettino: I am desperate for a trophy — so I will take Carabao Cup seriously

Mauricio Pochettino admits he is anxious to end his trophy drought in English football as he begins his Carabao Cup campaign with Chelsea.

Pochettino wants to win silverware quickly at his new club and is intent on competing in all three domestic competitions this season. That stance will be underlined by his plan to name a strong starting line-up for Wednesday’s visit of AFC Wimbledon, who arrive at Stamford Bridge in League Two, 62 places below their opponents.

The manager failed to land silverware during previous spells at Southampton and Tottenham, but asked about whether he is now more of a winner after securing a league title with PSG, Pochettino insists there has been no change in his appetite for success.

“I was desperate to win before but my message was maybe not arriving in the best way,” he said. “Maybe I couldn’t translate it how I wanted because of my language. I was desperate before and I am desperate now too. I want to win everything. Every game, even friendly games. If we lose, we are in a s--- place.

“We achieved things. Maybe we didn’t lift trophies — in Paris yes — Tottenham, no. But we built the training ground and stadium and it was so important to be in the Champions League every season.

“We could win but it was completely different. It is always important with experience to learn [how to communicate]. My message has no doubt. It is to win, not complain about the circumstances. Win, win and win.”

In the past, Chelsea’s obsession with winning has seen players from the academy often overlooked. However, in the past few years, the first team has been full of Cobham graduates.

Chelsea have since had to sell off a host of academy players this summer to balance the £1 billion spent across the past three transfer windows.

There was discontent at the exits of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Hall — with Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and Ian Maatsen potentially leaving to balance the books further before deadline day on Friday.

Pochettino insists he plays a role in building a connection through the academy, adding: “I hope we can change this feeling for the fans in the future.

“It can again be the philosophy of the club. I think always the record was fantastic and we again need to reinforce and energise the academy.

“First, because we believe in them and then because Chelsea was famous for bringing good players from the academy to first team.”

He will give “four or five” players aged between 16 and 17  a chance to potentially make their debuts from the bench.

It’s a signal of intent from Pochettino, who was given a chance to debut at 17 in the Rosario derby for Newell’s Old Boys, and he wants to show the important role of the academy in west London.

He added: “I was 17 years old and I was in training, playing 11 v 11. I kicked the captain of the first team, Gerardo Martino, who is now the coach of Inter Miami with David Beckham and Lionel Messi.

“I remember the captain and coach said, “What are you doing, child? You’re crazy!” They said to me, “Two metres! Two metres! You cannot be close. If not, you go home”. I said, ‘OK!’

“Then when we finished the training session, the coach called me and said: ‘You will be involved in the squad to play in the derby against Rosario Central’. I made my debut playing 15, 20 minutes. It was amazing. Then I was involved normally with the first team and started to play and play, play, play at 17 years old.

“I know what it means. Which is why I cannot give the names [of the players involved].

“But it’s good. It’s fantastic for us also to feel that energy … the young guys for the first time came with us yesterday and today, training with the first team and you can see the happiness.”