Play with this kind of Gusto and Poch is OK

ACCORDING to Mauricio Pochettino, Todd Boehly sent a “very good text” after the embarrassing defeat to

Wolves at the weekend.

And that probably did not surprise Chelsea fans, whose appreciation of Boehly’s regime could be gauged – a mere 10 minutes into this one- sided tie – by their enthusiastic chant in support of a club owner.

Unfortunately for Boehly, it was not in support of the current club owner.

“Roman Abramovich, Roman Abramovich,” sang the visiting contingent, seemingly to a man, woman and child.

That tells you where Chelsea loyalists park the blame for the general mediocrity this season, and that tells you why Boehly and the ownership will not be putting pressure on Pochettino any time soon.

But what Pochettino really needed was not a few nice emojis from Todd – he needed an emotional response from his players to the hammerings at Anfield and from Gary O’neil’s side.

And he got one. Unlike those losses to Liverpool and Wolves, they looked like they cared, like they were willing to bust a gut for the cause, like they had been motivated by a boss with a trophy resume that matches his reputation.

Malo Gusto ( top), for example, could be used as a poster- boy for the folly of Boehly’s recruitment policy.

Bought for a lumpy- looking £ 30million, Gusto, 20, is a largely unproven talent who now has a contract that runs into the next decade.

He was hooked late in Sunday’s humiliation after giving away a penalty to hand Wolves their fourth goal.

But Gusto produced the sort of individual performance Pochettino has been crying out for – combining a fierce determination not to be beaten in defensive situations with an attacking threat that always looked like causing Villa problems.

His drilled cross for the clever Nicolas Jackson header that doubled a first- half lead – which had been earned by Conor Gallagher’s clean strike – was a peach of an assist.

But it was the France star’s attitude and approach that suggested Pochettino – contrary to what Thiago Silva’s wife might think – has a stronger connection with the dressing room than recent evidence seemed to show.

Put it this way, if Chelsea can play with this sort of Gusto every week, Pochettino might be just fine.