It is four-and-a-half months since Pochettino and his staff arrived at Stamford Bridge. Much work has been done in that time, both on the training pitches at Cobham and within the first-team building, to forge relationships with with players.

Throughout pre-season and during the early weeks of the campaign, when performances weren't equating to results, the atmosphere within the squad remained positive. And that has now been rewarded with three consecutive victories in all competitions.

Yet Pochettino believes there is far more to come from his side as the campaign progresses. Speaking exclusive, he said: 'It’s always about building a team,' It’s a young squad, a team that still need to to know each other.

'Only with time and training can we provide the team with what it needs. It’s why it is only a matter of time, no doubt.

'We need to be calm in the way we judge players and the team. I think we are growing and very good things are coming. You can feel that, even if sometimes we have some ups and downs. But, in the end, we will succeed together, for sure.’

It is well documented that Pochettino – and those in his coaching team – invest a lot of emotional energy into their work. That approach to man-management is not an easy one, but the Chelsea head coach believes it is vital to achieving success.

‘Young guys today demand a lot of energy,' said Pochettino. 'They need your work, your support, your say always. They need to feel confident and comfortable.

'For that, you need to know each other and spend time together. It’s a big job from all the coaching staff but it is a thing that we love to do.’

The international break has given Pochettino an opportunity to take stock of the progression made in recent weeks. But there is also the chance to look forward to what can be achieved this season once a number of players return from injury.

He said: ‘We have many players injured, key players who cannot compete and train with us. That is so important. You can see how different it is for a club like Manchester City, how affected they are, when there is no Rodri of [Kevin] De Bruyne, and that’s only two players.

'For us, we miss many key players that can help us develop and improve the team faster. Yes, in this way, when we recover all the players, for sure we will be ready to compete for big things.

'Even now, we need to believe that we can compete for big things despite the circumstance.’