Mauricio Pochettino rants about stock market and cereals in fight against Chelsea pressure

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has insisted you need to be 'free in your mind' in order to focus on winning matches, believing the stress of football does not compare to real-life situations and hardships.

The Blues slumped back into the bottom half of the Premier League with 4-1 and 4-2 defeats to Liverpool and Wolves respectively last week, while they have won only once against top-flight opposition in 2024.

Though pressure is said to be cranking up on Pochettino, the Argentine himself has explained he is not feeling such stress.

"To be focused on playing Football, you need to be free in your mind," he said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Aston Villa in their FA Cup fourth round replay. "You can't be affected because of the stock market in New York or Tokyo, or the weather in I don't know where because the farms cannot grow the cereals.

"That is why I keep my hair like this. It's because I do not suffer for things that I am not in charge of. I only suffer for sport, for football, to try to improve the players, to give them good things. A good platform to win games.

"If there is no rain at my farm, I cannot grow the crops. You kill the business of my family on the farm and they need money. That is stress. With that, you can lose your hair. But I cannot lose my hair because the opponent was better than us."

After Wednesday night's FA Cup replay with Villa, Chelsea head to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday. They then face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium before rounding off the month with the Carabao Cup final, taking on Liverpool at Wembley.

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