‘Do whatever they want’ – Mauricio Pochettino reacts to dressing room visits from Chelsea owners Todd Boehly & Behdad Eghbali

Todd Boehly sparked controversy last season when it was revealed that he had stepped inside the locker room to deliver post-game speeches to an underperforming squad. It has now been reported that fellow co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali faced up to the Blues players following a 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

Pochettino could be forgiven for feeling as though his toes are being trodden on by those from the boardroom, as the dressing room is his domain, but the Argentine insists he is happy for those pumping big money into the club to go wherever they like. He has said: “I like when the owners come, in all my career as a coach, at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham, Paris-Saint Germain. It is good that the owner came to the dressing room. The way they approach the players is most important. If they are in a good way and a correct way, they are very welcome.

“After my press conference after the game against Aston Villa, they came and chill with us, like normally. Also against Liverpool, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, they came with Paul and Laurence and Behdad. We talk about the game. I don't see it in a bad way. It would be different if they came for a speech or something, but with the way they came, of course they are very welcome. They own the club, they can do whatever they want! We are so glad they came and shared with us – even when it's good things and we won the game, but even on Sunday where we lost and we are suffering.”

Pochettino is said to be falling under mounting pressure just a matter of weeks into his tenure at Stamford Bridge – with Chelsea currently sat 14th in the Premier League table – but he says the job he has taken on is no tougher than he imagined. The South American added: “It's not worse than I thought. I think we always knew the new project is always difficult. This period is a worse scenario than we can think to anticipate the situation. It looks like all is against us because the performance of the team deserves more points. All teams go through different periods, and I think we have the capacity to turn this.”

Chelsea, who have collected just five points from six games this season, will be back in action on Wednesday when facing Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.