Trevoh Chalobah interview: defender says Chelsea players and Pochettino must improve despite Toon victory

Trevoh Chalobah is only 24 but he's one of the most experienced players in this Chelsea setup. He's come through the ranks, played with some big-name players and is now quietly helping build a new Chelsea.

Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto have all improved in the last two months and Chalobah who joined Chelsea as an eight-year-old when he arrived from Freetown, Sierra Leone, says there are clear improvements under Mauricio Pochettino even though they need consistency to back it.

He said: "Consistency is what is key. At times this season, we've been up and down and it is important for us to find our feet and get that consistent run in. We know we've got the quality, once we get that consistency we will have a very good time on the pitch."

Pochettino, a former Tottenham manager now in charge of a new Chelsea project, was always going to face challenges in west London, especially if he did not hit the ground running. Chelsea are 11th after 27 games in the league and Chalobah admits he, the manager and his colleagues should be doing better.

He added: "Fans demand a lot. This is a massive club and the expectations they have, we haven't been meeting them. It is a learning process for us.

"We try to just focus on what is going on in the camp, improving ourselves day in and day out. We're all together, all for the manager and the manager is for us. We will keep working no matter what the fans say. We want to try our best and make them proud, it will come."

But despite all the recent doom and gloom about Chelsea needing a striker, Nicolas Jackson is leading the line well. Nine goals already and Chalobah says the Senegal international showing growth and adding another dimension to his game.

"He is a very good player, getting the goals this season," he said. "He brings that dimension of going in behind and taking players in behind which is very good to take the pressure off other players. If you have a striker who is willing to run in behind a lot it helps us. That is the side of the game that he brings and he's adding goals which is good."

Chelsea's win against Newcastle was massive, now they will have to back that by beating Leicester and returning to Wembley where they will feel they have unfinished business after losing to Liverpool in the League Cup final last month.

After the Newcastle victory, Pochettino made the point that his side have struggled with injuries, and he's been unable to field a consistent back four. Although the manager added that his players have to "mature" if they want to compete at the top.