Mauricio Pochettino has been asked whether he still has the support of Chelsea owner Todd Boehly following their loss in the Carabao Cup final.
Pochettino‘s side have struggled this season as they currently sit 11th in the Premier League and 17 points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s Carabao Cup run offered Pochettino some much-needed respite but they were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool in the final at Wembley on Sunday.
Following this result, Pochettino is the joint-second favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Despite this, Pochettino revealed on Tuesday that Boehly sent him a “very nice message” after Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool.
“We need to keep the spirit up, and move on to tomorrow for another competition,” Pochettino told reporters. “We have a very good opponent in Leeds who have won their last eight games, they are in a very good moment, they will be very tough.”
When asked whether he has spoken to Boehly following the Carabao Cup final, he added: “Afterwards I spoke, we shared our opinion on the game. We spoke about the opportunity we missed to win a trophy, as we played very well for 90 minutes. We created the best chances and were not clinical enough.
“They showed their support, after the game Todd [Boehly] sent a very nice message.”
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Pochettino has also indicated that “it is not in his hands” whether Chelsea’s hierarchy “trust him or not”.
“It’s not in my hands. I have a good relationship with the owners, it is up to them to trust or not,” Pochettino said.
“It’s not unusual [to be given time as a manager] – Manchester City, Liverpool. They are examples of clubs that win. I don’t ask for nothing, but in life you have to look at people who are doing good.
“I back my players. Of course, we have to accept some criticism. It is the pressure of playing for a team with an amazing history, different to other clubs.”
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Regarding Christopher Nkunku’s injury issues, he added: “It is difficult for him, we watched him in pre-season, he was frightening on the pitch until he got his knee issue.
“Now it is nearly eight months, and even when he’s involved he is not the same player.
“We have the potential best Nkunku that we saw in Germany, but we did not have that same player in the final.”
