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Chelsea are settling on a permanent manager and it’s one with extensive ties to the Premier League in Mauricio Pochettino, according to multiple reports. The former PSG, Tottenham, and Southampton boss is set to succeed Frank Lampard who has been interim manager since Graham Potter was fired earlier this month. While the club’s shortlist also included Luis Enrique and Julian Naglesmann, it was Pochettino who ended up rising to the top of that list.
At the moment, it’s unclear if Lampard would see out the remainder of the season before Pochettino comes in ahead of a busy summer but the club are at least aligning their preferred choice as soon as possible. With roles such as the one at his former club Tottenham also open at the moment, it does make sense for Chelsea to hire a manager sooner than later before other clubs circle and nab their top choice.
Here’s what to know:
Time is of the essence
While the Argentinian manager has struggled to get stars to perform to their expectations, he has been excellent at building up clubs where he can get players to buy in. Featuring academy players and a high-pressing system, Pochettino and Chelsea can be a perfect fit if owner Todd Boehly allows it to be. The Blues aren’t 1-2 players away from competing for the title and if they operate as such, this is a move that will go up in flames like hiring Potter.
Cobham is one of the best academies in the world and Chelsea needs a perspective shift to trust it. Just like his time at Tottenham, Pochettino may not be the coach to lead the Blues to glory but he can help stabilize things before a manager comes in to take things to the next level. But the key word is time because all of this can’t be done in a season. There are players who need to be sold over the summer, the question of who will score goals for the club next season remains and what does Mason Mount’s future hold?
Boehly’s involvement has held the club back so far but if his second chance at getting his manager leads to him taking a step forward, Chelsea could see rapid improvement. Forcing stars on Pochettino won’t last but allow him to work with his players and the results will show. There’s an argument to be made that no players at Tottenham improved after Pochettino left the club and while that’s an indictment on managers who came after him, it does show what he can do.
Fullback superpowers
Known as the fullback whisperer, Pochettino will play to Chelsea’s strengths in Ben Chilwell and Reece James, but more importantly, he’ll be able to find and train capable backups. Chelsea’s attack sputters when James isn’t in the lineup but with Ben Davies, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, and Serge Aurier, Pochettino was able to make the fullback positions consistent no matter who was in them. At a club where the starting XI is already fluid like Chelsea, knowing what you’ll get from two positions is invaluable.
An answer to the Mason Mount question?
On the fringes of Chelsea as of late, Mount has been a player without a position lately. Not really a winger and not really a No. 10, he has struggled to get back into the XI but Pochettino could offer a lifeline if the Blues move to a 4-3-3. Enzo Fernandez has played in more attack-minded roles in Argentina for River Plate and could do so for Chelsea when N’Golo Kante is healthy, allowing Mount freedom in the middle to pull the strings. With support from fullbacks and consistency in the middle, it’s an easy way to jog the attack even if a new striker takes time to enter the fray. It feels too early for Chelsea to move Mount elsewhere considering the chaos that they’ve had everywhere, and if Pochettino sees him as an answer in midfield, it solves a very expensive question.
A similar situation is the one that Christian Pulisic is in. One of Chelsa’s best attackers per 90 minutes played, he needs a clean slate under new management. He knows the pressing game and is able to create for teammates while also taking his own chances similar to other star wingers who have played under Pochettino.
