Pochettino’s Chelsea exit is proof Boehly and Co are indifferent from actuality
It would be unfair to compare Todd Boehly to Ted Lasso – Ted Lasso wouldn’t allow Mauricio Pochettino to leave while Chelsea were beginning to, faintly, resemble a functional football club.
Pochettino became the fourth manager to wander into Stamford Bridge and head straight back out with his belongings after less than 18 months. He departs the club in sixth position and, providing Manchester United do not beat Manchester City in the FA Cup Final, in the Europa League.
Groundhog Day is back – Round and round the Chelsea manager merry go round goes – who’s on next and how long will they last? Nobody knows. It could be Roberto De Zerbi, maybe Kieran McKenna and, most outrageously, Thomas Tuchel – Boehly’s old sparring partner – may fancy another crack.
READ MORE: Chelsea squad’s reaction to Mauricio Pochettino’s exit as players learn news on WhatsApp
READ MORE: Mauricio Pochettino leaves Chelsea after club’s end-of-season review
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When everything is considered, what manager would want to be taken for a spin by this dysfunctional roundabout?
The Chelsea ownership have torn up the rule book since they bought the club. Amortised transfer fees, player contracts resembling death row prison sentences and eye-popping transfer spending has so far yielded zero trophies, zero top four finishes and four managers.
What is your reaction to Chelsea’s decision to part ways with Mauricio Pochettino? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: IKIMAGES/AFP via Getty Images)
It says something that Pochettino’s exit was greeted with horror and disappointment by a fan base that was chanting: “You don’t know what you’re doing”. Pochettino looked to have finally found the right formula at Chelsea.
His decision to invert Marc Cucurella looked to be a similar sliding doors moment to Antonio Conte’s decision to turn Victor Moses into a right-wing-back. Conor Gallagher and Moises Caicedo were flourishing, particularly for the latter who was paying back the £115m price tag.
The Ecuadorian, who finished his campaign with a spectacular 50-yard effort against Bournemouth, was beginning to resemble Blues’ legend Claude Makelele in the midfield.
(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea revelation Cole Palmer sent a message of his own to the club by stating how respected and loved Pochettino was by the Blues players. But the Blues’ board has reverted back to type.
Following Pochettino could be Gallagher, who has deputised so brilliantly as skipper while captain and vice-captain Reece James and Ben Chilwell have nursed injuries.
Trevoh Chalobah, one of the Blues’ best players in the second part of the season, is also understood to be available for as little as £25m – a third of what the Blues paid Leicester City for the injury prone Wesley Fofana, who did not play a single minute of football under Pochettino.
(Image: Getty Images)
Chelsea squeezed into Europe by winning their last five matches in a row.
Squeezing into the top six was a fine achievement but Pochettino’s biggest win was giving legs to the Blues’ Frankenstein like squad of raw youngsters and injury prone senior players.
Even Boehly was gushing over the “fluid” performances Pochettino’s players were putting together. Before he serenaded the performances, the American also spoke about “stability”.
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
It’s understood Pochettino wanted to inject some experience into this young Chelsea side, who have just waved goodbye to defensive titan Thiago Silva. Ironically, various reports understand the Chelsea board are after a younger manager to succeed the Argentine.
Chelsea sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, in apparent perfect sync if the Blues’ statement is to be taken literally, said: “On behalf of everyone at Chelsea, we would like to express our gratitude to Mauricio for his service this season.
“He will be welcome back to Stamford Bridge any time and we wish him all the very best in his future coaching career.” It is now back to square one for the West Londoners and their fan base who looked to have finally accepted Pochettino as one of their own.
(Image: Getty Images)
It’s simple, the Chelsea board cannot afford to get their next appointment wrong.
As well as the Premier League, the next manager will have to contend with, depending on the FA Cup Final result, the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
Whichever competition they find themselves in, Chelsea will surely be the favourites, adding a new layer of expectation.
The roundabout will be spinning even faster and if Pochettino and Potter’s fate suggests anything it is that the apparent project that has already consumed two top managers looks hungry for more.
Maybe, just maybe, the next Chelsea boss will not bother unpacking their suitcase – if previous years suggest anything, their stay may not be long.
