Mauricio Pochettino has a warning for his huge Chelsea squad (Picture: Getty Images)
Mauricio Pochettino says there can be no cause for complacency at Chelsea, with the players who have signed extremely long contracts not guaranteed a place in his team.
The owners at Stamford Bridge have been handing new signings unusually long contracts of seven or eight years, which has not been seen too often in English football before.
With their futures safe for years to come, some might assume complacency could set in among the Blues squad but Pochettino is having none of it, saying that none of his players can expect to play unless they show the right attitude.
‘If you have an eight-year contract, you need to be responsible,’ he said. ‘Players need to show respect, need to show commitment, need to show the performance that we expect from them. If not, they’re not going to play.
‘The player cannot be upset. If we sign a player and give an eight-year contract and then the player is not going to do what we expect or what he needs to do and then he doesn’t play, it’s because of him, not because of us.
‘They need to give their best and for sure if they have the talent that we assume and we paid for them, they are going to play.’
Moises Caicedo has signed a contract at Chelsea which runs until 2031 (Picture: Getty Images)
Pochettino has no intention of trying to convince any unhappy players to stay at Stamford Bridge, saying that anyone unwilling to battle for their place in the team is welcome to leave.
‘Players that aren’t happy and don’t want to fight for their place, to be part of the team, playing or not playing, the door is open (to leave),’ said the Blues boss.
‘The players have a clear idea that they need to compete for their place and then it’s the coach that is going to decide who are the best for every single game.
‘It’s not that (if) we sign a player and we spend big money, that they are sure to play. I don’t tell Moises [Caicedo] or [Romeo] Lavia “you are going to play, (whether) you are good or bad”. It’s not like this, football.’
Chelsea are back in Premier League action at West Ham on Sunday.
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‘They’re not going to play. The player cannot be upset.’