That Mauricio Pochettino managed to shape his inexperienced Chelsea squad into a moderately competent outfit should have been proof enough that he was finally coming to grips with the side forced onto him. Photo: AFP
Comment by Morgan Bolton
Chelsea have made a habit of doing bad business these past few seasons.
American owner Todd Boehly has spent £1 billion (about R23.1bn) on transfers, assembling a squad of young players for contracts seven, eight and nine years long.
Inexperienced and petulant, they have gone on to produce some mesmerising displays, mixed in with a hefty bit of embarrassing moments.
Walking this tightrope, flanked by dismal failure and mortifying performances, it seemed the only sane mind – the only adult in the room, because he probably was, so to speak – was Mauricio Pochettino.
Imagine the utter despair then when it was announced that the London-based club had decided that his services were surplus to requirements on Tuesday night.
I say they decided this because reports suggest that Laurence Steward and Paul Winstanley had arrived at the meeting on Tuesday with a sheet of gripes and criticisms ready to unload on Poch.
They have called it a mutual separation, but the feeling is that there was a premeditation on their part to ditch the Argentine coach.
Club statement: Mauricio Pochettino
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 21, 2024
It became clear in recent months that an outspoken Pochettino was frustrated with the club’s restructuring attempts, as he pushed for greater control of the players and transfer business.
That he managed to shape his inexperienced squad into a moderately competent outfit by the end of the season should have been proof enough that the 52-year-old was finally coming to grips with the side forced onto him.
The players, it would seem, also came to appreciate his vision. They banded together, winning their last five matches to help the Blues finish sixth and qualify for a European competition, played in a final during his first season and made it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they lost to the juggernaut that is Manchester City.
Missing out on the Uefa Champions League was, of course, a major setback, especially for a team as ambitious as Chelsea.
But when considering the wild ride Pochettino has had to endure on the field, and the politics he has had to play and the power struggles he has been beset by off it, it is honestly quite impressive that he managed to lead the team to any success – moderate as it may be.
Cole Palmer’s performance against Manchester United in April is up for the 2023/24 @PremierLeague Game Changer of the Season award! 👏
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 22, 2024
He probably deserved another season at least at the helm of the club to continue his project.
Instead, Chelsea will now return to the drawing board, inviting a new manager – who will have to win the respect of the changeroom – to start his plans anew, with a new list of objectives and goals set out.
Early indications are that they are eager to employ a much younger manager, one not so set in their ways as Pochettino, one that doesn’t have “antiquated” notions of how to coach a team, and one that will be easier to control and do what he is told.
Early reports suggest that former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi is the favourite to replace the departed Pochettino, while Ruben Amorim and Kieran McKenna of Sporting and Ipswich Town, respectively, are also in contention.
Young coaches are in vogue at the moment, and that certainly shows if that shortlist is true, as the trio range from 38 to 44.
Whoever is selected, Blues fans can only hope that it doesn’t prove to be more bad business.
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