by There was a time when the Chelsea job was one of the most attractive in Europe. Managers would be lining up to take charge of a squad full of talent and know-how, with the promise of spending millions and a big payout when former owner Roman Abramovich decided he’d had enough.
No one had to kid themselves about projects or patience. The rules of engagement were clear and supporters could be confident that each sack would bring another high-profile appointment. Life in the fast lane was exciting and guaranteed thrills and spills…and, of course, trophies.
Those years of success under Abramovich could be tarnished if Chelsea are found to have broken rules and been punished, but no one can honestly argue that they didn’t know what they were doing and that the supporters still show that they have no regrets singing the Russian anthem. name
The fact that Mauricio Pochettino, after losing the Carabao Cup final, is facing a make-or-break run until the end of the season to hold onto his job as Abramovich’s head coach is clear – but the trophies and the he has achieved fun. the fans along the way.
Whether or not it was explicitly stated when he was appointed, Pochettino’s minimum target this season has been to qualify for Europe, which makes up for Wednesday night’s FA Cup tie against Leeds United and means that need Chelsea, who are currently 11th in the table. finish their Premier League season strongly.
Pochettino knows he will be under pressure if Chelsea fall short and he can have no complaints that a mid-table finish would be hugely encouraging for supporters, some of whom can’t get over their old Tottenham bounce Hotspur.
But if co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, with the advice of sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, have sacked their third manager since taking over, all talk of projects, patience and philosophies may be thrown out the window. What will have changed since Abramovich’s hire’em, fire’em days is that there will be no trophies to show for all the changes and the queue for the Chelsea job will be much shorter.
Liverpool and Bayern Munich are already far more attractive offers than Chelsea, and Barcelona, for all their problems, should at least be able to offer Champions League football . They could pay the compensation fee to take another member of the team from Brighton, but it is unlikely that Pochettino’s old friend Unai Emery would be able to manage Aston Villa to put his neck on the line for Eghbali and Boehly.
An associate of a top coach who would almost certainly be involved with Pochettino’s successor if Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter succeed said: “Every manager will be in trouble with this team.”
Add to that the fact that almost everyone in football believes that Chelsea are in danger of getting into trouble with profit and sustainability rules, and the threat of punishment and possible point deductions from the Abramovich era, then the prospect of Pochettino will become too good. to turn
Eghbali and Boehly have spent over £1billion on new signings since buying the club, but Chelsea will have some tough choices to make going forward if the cash flow is to continue, as it did in the Abramovich days when financial balance far. easier to get around.
Questionable judgment in the transfer market
Good luck to the head coach for sending out a potentially toxic team at Stamford Bridge if Conor Gallagher or even Reece James were to be sold to allow Chelsea to continue trading.
And who will pick the next big signing? The head coach? Not likely. Pochettino did not sign any of the players who went off in extra time of the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. It was back in the Potter days when Eghbali and Winstanley jetted off to land the £80million signing of Mykhailo Mudryk, whose only contribution from the bench on Sunday was to let Virgil van Dijk take charge of Liverpool’s winner.
Some Chelsea insiders were predicting that Mudryk could be one of the players of the year when Pochettino arrived last summer, which raises questions about his judgement.
There are good signings like goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto, although it seems impossible that Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez will not improve. Whether Caicedo and Fernandez are fit to play together is an entirely different question.
Nicolas Jackson is a threat and should develop, but what head coach wants to trust the boys who spent £1bn and failed to sign a known goalscorer with their reputation and future?
The managers were happy to be Abramovich’s losers, knowing they would pick up a trophy or two to add to their CVs along the way. His gun-toting approach also left no ambiguity as to what was to be achieved.
But which of the best coaches would want to ask the fans to trust the process for Eghbali and Boehly if they prove that Pochettino’s sack really has no Chelsea project? The answer is probably not as much as they may think.
