Speaking ahead of tonight’s FA Cup fourth round replay against Aston Villa, Pochettino responded to questions about Chelsea’s recent form, following the back-to-back Premier League defeats to Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Our head coach believes those performances and results were not a fair reflection of the quality within his squad, but knows building the platform needed for those talents to shine within a team is not a process that can be rushed.

Indeed, it is more important to take the time to get it right now, rather than rush ahead and take one step forward only to go two steps backward later due to trying to take shortcuts.

‘We are a young team and we need to be more mature to compete, that is why we need time and people need to understand that we need time,’ said Pochettino. ‘You can have good players but in the end, it is a collective sport. To create a team, to build a team is important.

‘It’s like if you’re going to build a house, you need to be sure of every step you need to take. If you make a mistake at some point, after you bring in the nice furniture and start to move you find you have a problem.

‘Always we need time and we are building from zero. Sometimes it looks like you move forward but then you need to go back because some problems appear. Always it takes time.’

Pochettino also urged patience with the players who have recently returned to the squad after long spells sidelined by injury, pointing to full-backs Ben Chilwell and Malo Gusto as examples of those who are not yet match-fit.

‘The reality from the beginning is we are not playing with so many players because they were injured and now they arrive but look what happened after 75 minutes of the last game.

‘We had Chilly and Malo – Chilly was injured for a long period and Malo for a shorter period but injured also – and they were with cramps after 70 minutes. In the end, they are important players, but they need time to be at their best.

‘You can see why sometimes in games we maybe lack the energy you need to win the game, and if you miss the energy in the Premier League it is a tough situation for you.’

However, although the injuries and recovery times have played a part, Pochettino believes it is the mental aspect of building a team and integrating players that will be key to getting the best out of his squad in the future.

‘It is like this in football, when you arrive at a new club with pressure, the players need to find their place and feel good and be happy. It is not about the quality, we cannot blame the players’ quality because they are not performing.

‘We are thinking every single day about how we can help. Sometimes it’s mental, it’s not physical or about quality. They need to feel the confidence and the trust, they need to find their place.

‘I trust in the players and then if we cannot perform it is of course my responsibility and the players’ responsibility always, because they are on the pitch, but I trust that we can turn this situation around and change the results.’