What's the latest team news, any new knocks?
"I don't hope so. Callum Hudson-Odoi is still out, and we are a bit in doubt with Romelu and Hakim Ziyech. We need to see. They were not in training due to little problems. But we hope to have them in training. We need test and confirmation from training at three o'clock to see if they are available for tomorrow."
How do you rate Callum Hudson-Odoi's chances of returning soon?
"It doesn't look so good at the moment. It's not a matter of days at the moment, I think, it's a matter of weeks. It's a setback. He started in the Club World Cup final – we were just talking about it – he started in the World Club Cup final, and he had an assist in the final. He was crucial on the left side, sometimes as a wing-back but most of the time as a winger. It was one of the seasons that he has had the most game time I would say – he was growing into it. Suddenly it's stopped his season. It's not his fault, but it's an upset."
Two defeats and seven goals were conceded. How concerned are you?
"We are aware of it, and we don't like it. I don't know if we are concerned, but it is very untypical for us. We've had a look into it and talked to the team about it. We constantly try to figure out how we can improve, and we need to stop this kind of direction and stop the development as soon as possible.
"The best possibility is, of course, tomorrow. It is very not like us to defend like this and concede so many goals. That's why we didn't see it coming because it was not the case before the international break. These two matches within five days are very untypical, and that's why it's not easy to deal with because it does not fit to a pattern."
Is the schedule perhaps to blame for it?
"The schedule does not mean you concede seven goals. The schedule is challenging, very challenging because we played in a lot of competitions – and an extra competition with the World Cup – and we played every competition until the end. I think we are, at the moment with Liverpool, far ahead in-game minutes, and this is a big challenge.
"In 2022, we have had a lot of extra times, too, and this adds up to maybe another two matches we played. So yes, when you face teams like Brentford, now Southampton, very soon also Crystal Palace, Arsenal – who are not playing in Europe, not involved in so many games – it's a big challenge. But it's nothing new.
"On one hand, it's a challenge, and it has an impact, but it is nothing to talk about, it's nothing to look for excuses. That's the way it is when you work and play for Chelsea, you need to overcome these obstacles and don't get comfortable in accepting it's hard. We need to embrace it and love that it is hard. That's how it is."
Uncertainty over the owner affecting the players?
"It would be a big surprise. We proved actually it is not like this, and why should it be different now? Nothing has changed for us in our lives. Nothing has changed here in Cobham, the training ground and preparation of the games. No reason why it should have an effect. I don't look for any excuse or reason in these circumstances."
Are you disappointed the deadline for takeover bids has been extended?
"Oh, I didn't know this. Is it? OK, it is what it is. It's a process. I am sure the people who take care about the process, our board and government and the other side, the people who make the bid, take care and are aware of the urgency and take care of it as fast as possible. It is none of my business actually, it's not an upset. I am not involved heavily in the daily process of that. No, it's not a new concern. The situation in general, the situation. We know about it, we can handle it."
Have you had a team meeting after Real Madrid?
"It was not a discussion meeting yesterday. It was more that I gave my point of view, and that is sometimes also necessary. We take the players' views very seriously and often into account, but after the last two games, we thought it is necessary to give our point of view.
"But it was behind closed doors and in an atmosphere where everybody can take criticism. I feel involved in a development like this. We don't point fingers, and we don't look for people that are guilty. We are in this together. We needed to point out some things in our game that we are not happy with and where we could have defended and done better.
"It was about the game. It was about offensive principles in our game – what we wanted to do and lacked doing. Unfortunately, and a bit surprisingly, we lacked structure in the last game. Normally that is our big strength: you clearly see what we try to do and play. That was not the case, and it's a big problem. Then you lacked the rhythm and repetitions of our attacks.
"We lacked discipline in attacking and positional discipline. It was a big disadvantage on counter-pressing because we were not in the places where we were supposed to be. So, this gives a big disadvantage in counter-pressing. In defending, we lacked intensity and investment. That was more or less what we saw. We figured out the details because it's not about general criticism, it's about details about situations. It is about trusting in the players. I love the players, the group, I love to be involved. We can do better together."
Do you feel this form is just a blip?
"I hope so, and of course, we have a lot of reasons to think so. It is very untypical. There are a lot of reasons to lead to a thing like this. It is bad timing, and it came out of nothing, literally out of nothing, because nobody was here. Then we start losing matches and conceding goals.
"It's challenging, and it's for us to find solutions and not complain too much, worry too much. We need to re-focus and re-trust in our strengths and keep the belief. It is the moment to stick together and digest it. It took a while because it was two games, not only one loss. From today on, we allow ourselves to focus on Southampton."
How do you get the best out of Romelu Lukaku?
"I think it's not only for Romelu who is lacking at this very moment a bit of shape. After the international break, I had the feeling that we all lacked sharpness, a bit of shape. It's a lack of form individually, and it affects the group, of course. It's a bit sad that Romelu had one good chance, one very big chance, and nothing helps more than goals. It would have been a huge boost.
"Another thing, the best thing, is to train well and take training seriously and care about the process, which he really did in the last days. He missed training yesterday. Hopefully, he comes back today and feels good with no pain to be available for tomorrow and then we will see."
Are you confident Chelsea could finish in the top four?
"Absolutely confident, but never as a given. I never thought of this as a given because this is the most demanding league in the world. We know where we come from. We know how we struggled through the season and what can make us struggle. I feel in the team that there is nothing bad. We can play on a very high level if we reach our top level. We do this very consecutive and repetitive, very often. Very good. This is our job, what we push for.
"If we don't reach it we can lose to any teams of any quality. Unfortunately, we proved it within five days. This is us. It's nothing bad, just a reminder that this is us. We should not feel ashamed and feel bad to fight for place number three. There is no disappointment. At the moment we are number three, it is a tough competition until the very last day. Do I feel confident? Yes. I have trust from the players, from the Club. I trust in myself, in my work and in my staff. Do we feel that this is a given? No, absolutely not. It never felt like this."
Are Southampton perhaps the perfect opponent given their high-intensity style? You can't sleep against them?
"If you turn it around like this...they will not let us fall asleep. That is clear. Either they play a 4-4-2 with a heavy, high pressing line of six players which they did in the first match of the season, which they like to play and is their usual shape. In the second game against us in the cup, they played a back five, which led to a man mark over the whole pitch, very demanding and intense game.
"We had a look and watched some things of the two matches. Both matches were on a high level of quality, very intense and fluid from both sides. Very active. It is quite a challenge. The schedule is the schedule. We come from another game. It is demanding. Maybe it is good. There is no other way than to accept this physicality. Otherwise, we will be under the wheels."
Is the amount of football N'Golo Kante has played catching up with him?
"I can honestly not answer the question [whether football is catching up to him]. It can be a debate for ongoing debate that nobody will know if it is like this. One thing is very clear, N'Golo is a key player with outstanding qualities and unique qualities. For other teams, maybe it is some strikers or central defenders. For us, it is N'Golo, a unique player who can give something to the team that nobody else can.
"He struggles this season with consistency due to injuries, due to illness. This is also a reason for our bit of inconsistency, of course. We missed him for too many matches; if you look at the minutes he is available, he can play. At the moment, he is fasting due to his religion and his belief. Maybe another reason. He is not doing it for the first time, but if you don't eat during the day for many days, it can have an effect.
"He is used to it, but yeah, maybe it is also part of the explanation why we had the feeling he is not on his highest level if you compare how much of an influence he was in the last campaign against Real Madrid. This is also nothing to be ashamed of or feel sorry for. This is a key player with unique qualities. We try to push him, try to help him because we know what we have when he is on the pitch."
What do you think the reasons for the poor form are, is it a lack of confidence?
"A lack of confidence would be very surprising because there was no need for lack of confidence. It was a very untypical first match to lose [against Brentford] because we were 1-0 up and did not allow much up until then. The goals are very different to what we conceded, they were not a pattern. We defended the last matches in a back four, both matches. Not to be fancy but not to be pinned with too many people in the defence against not enough strikers. Anything can have an influence on that.
"I don't have this one answer. Some of the goals are also about individual behaviour, about behaviour in little groups – two or three players and how we behave. It is also about determination and investment defensively; how many sprints we are doing? How much do we invest defensively, and do we have the determination and challenges to take care of them? Thinking, 'I don't need help to win these challenges' or 'am I protected by the structure?'.
"It is good if nothing happens and you are protected, but sometimes it gives you the feeling of 'oh okay, if I don't win it here, then it will be a goal'. Maybe we are lacking this mentality in the last matches. That it is really, every little challenge matters. We need higher determination and investment in terms of high intensity runs against the ball. This is where we can improve."
Thoughts on Edouard Mendy's form, that perhaps the amount of travelling he has done and are you thinking of taking him out of the team for tomorrow's match?
"He needs to. It's life as a goalkeeper on a high level. The goalkeeper is a very special position in football in general. Once you play at this high level, you are in the spotlight, and when you are so successful like Edou in the last couple of months – win so many trophies and have so many successful games like he has – you are more in the spotlight.
"He was never fully free of mistakes, also not last season. We helped him better. Maybe sometimes we were more lucky. Of course, he can solve this situation much, much better (against Real Madrid), and he knows it. In any match, it is bad timing to do a mistake like this, but in a quarter-final, an occasion like this against Real Madrid is one of the worst moments you can do it. It is so obvious. I hope it does not affect his self-confidence too much.
"This is what goalkeeping is also about, to accept mistakes and live with his mistakes and go back and help your team with performance, focus, re-focus, stay calm, stay confident. This is normally what goalkeepers, what Edou is made of. Now he can prove he is a true champion."
Could the meetings you've had be a turning point in your season?
"There are different types of reactions. Sometimes you are disappointed. Sometimes you know we had a defeat against Liverpool to take, an obvious example – I was disappointed about the result, but with performance, we were absolutely happy and delighted how we played and what a match it was. The feeling the next day was very different than after Brentford and very different than after Real Madrid.
"I felt like we gave a huge opportunity away [against Real Madrid]. It is not normal to play quarter-finals in Champions League. It was a huge night and a huge opponent, and we were not at our best level. That's why we were not only disappointed but also angry. For me, it is best to express it like it is and not to hide.
"It is best to sleep over it. I had to face you after the match and was not so good at hiding my emotions because I felt, like I said, we were so under our own level that it was one of the worst moments to do so. I was disappointed because I know how much better we can play. I knew, I felt how untypical these kind of mistakes and performances were for us. That led to my reaction.
"I don't know if it's a turning point. You need to take care about the process, and right now, yesterday it was, to be honest with the team, explain your reactions and why it is like this. It is necessary for the players to see why it is like it and can handle it if the manager is sometimes angry. I think I had some reasons, and I presented my reasons. From there on, we go.
"Nobody will lack my support from now on, lack my love and appreciation as a group and as players. I love to be involved. Sometimes you have to handle this with any team in the world. This isn't amateur football or youth football. In our group, it isn't the same."
What is the injury Lukaku is dealing with?
"He has Achilles pain too. It is just painful, not a major injury, just painful."
