Poch: I stopped Brazil’s Ronaldo ...and I will do the same with Haaland

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has hatched a plan to deal with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. Stopping City’s goalscoring phenomenon could well be the key to victory for Chelsea – and former centre-back Poch has briefed his backline on how the job is done. The Blues boss said: “You need to run faster, concentrate, focus and try to anticipate him. “You have to be clear in how you are going to defend in the box because he is tall. You need to jump before him. You need to teach people things – but you also need them to feel it. You have to give them good tools.” Haaland (top), who shook off an ankle injury scare to fire a brace against Young Boys in midweek, has 15 goals in 17 outings in all competitions this term. But he failed to find the target in either of City’s 1-0 top-flight victories over Chelsea last season, which provides the Blues with hope. Pochettino certainly knows how to shut out a superstar after famously pocketing Brazilian Ronaldo (above) during a 2-0 victory for Espanyol against Barcelona in February 1997. The Argentine makes no secret of the fact that he would encourage a more “naughty” physical approach against Haaland if VAR did not exist. He added: “Today, with VAR, it would have been impossible to stop Ronaldo.

“Now it’s difficult for the defensive line and defenders to stop players.

“Before we were naughty, there were no cameras there and you could use different strategies. I don’t say it was easy.

“But to be a defender now is really difficult.

“It’s easier for offensive players like Haaland to be successful.

“They have the advantage of VAR, that defenders are cautious to not do fouls, to not pull shirts.

“Before it was like a war, a battle, in every single action.”

Pochettino is also relishing the chance to lock horns again with all-conquering City manager Pep Guardiola following his long-awaited return to English football.

The Spaniard was Pochettino’s first-ever managerial opponent back in 2009 when he masterminded an unlikely 0-0 draw against Barca just days after being handed the Espanyol job.

Fourteen years on, Poch has lost 13 of his 22 meetings with Guardiola – though some of his most credible victories as a coach have come against his opposite number.

Pochettino is aware City are the benchmark for Chelsea and he is now striving to close the enormous gap between the two sides.

When asked if winning the title will even be possible while Guardiola remains at City, Poch said: “Yes, of course. We are all trying to be close to their level. That is the challenge.

“It’s going to be tough, of course, if he continues there, because he now has the experience, the capacity and the knowledge and the squad, and he’s a great coach.