The club’s decision to delay the assessment of Mauricio Pochettino’s role until the end of the season has not hindered their search for potential replacements, including Rúben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi.
Pochettino, who signed a two-year contract upon joining Stamford Bridge in the previous year, is facing an uncertain future due to inconsistent performances. Fans expressed dissatisfaction towards the head coach during Chelsea’s recent 2-2 draw against Brentford and there are concerns regarding his position for the upcoming season.
Chelsea, currently ranked 11th in the Premier League, are committed to avoiding impulsive decisions and top officials within the organization continue to back Pochettino. Despite some ups and downs in terms of outcomes and displays, there is a belief that the team is progressing positively under their former coach from Tottenham. Pochettino has maintained a positive relationship with his team of young players and has dealt with numerous injuries to key players throughout the season.
Unfortunately, the expectations placed on the ex-Southampton coach increased when Chelsea was defeated by an injury-plagued and inexperienced Liverpool team in overtime during the Carabao Cup final last month. The future of Pochettino is most likely reliant on whether or not Chelsea achieves a spot in European football, with their upcoming FA Cup quarter-final match against Leicester on March 17th playing a significant role in the decision.
Currently, the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership does not seem eager to quickly make a decision regarding Pochettino, who has the chance to stay in his position. Boehly and Clearlake are seeking continuity after having four managers in the previous season.
Nevertheless, Chelsea is adopting a forward-looking approach and preparing themselves in case they choose to change course. They are evaluating both Amorim, who has made a strong impression at Sporting, and De Zerbi, who could potentially depart from Brighton at the conclusion of the current season. De Zerbi is one of the potential candidates on Liverpool’s list to succeed Jürgen Klopp and is also catching the attention of Manchester United as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag if he is dismissed.
Liverpool are also looking at Amorim. The 39-year-old led Sporting to the Portuguese title in 2021 and he hopes to help them win the league again this season. Chelsea considered Amorim before appointing Pochettino last year.
Any potential manager for the Chelsea job must be prepared to work within the club’s established sporting structure. Pochettino does not have control over recruitment decisions. The two co-sporting directors, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, have primarily been responsible for a recent surge in acquiring young players. Joe Shields, the co-director of recruitment and talent, has also played a role, while co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali holds significant influence.
Last week, Pochettino stated that he must remain in his role as coach, in response to a question about Conor Gallagher’s future. Gallagher’s contract expires next year and he may leave this summer as negotiations for a new contract have reached a standstill.
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According to sources, Pochettino has not been given a favorable situation by the club. Chelsea is lacking in experienced and authoritative players, and injuries have made it challenging to rotate the team. Pochettino has been forced to rely on Gallagher, Enzo Fernández, and Moisés Caicedo in the midfield due to limited options stemming from injuries to Roméo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Carney Chukwuemeka.
There have been inquiries regarding Chelsea’s decision to bring back Cesare Casadei, a 21-year-old midfielder, from his loan at Leicester earlier this year. Casadei had a total of 25 appearances for Leicester in various competitions, but has only played for 13 minutes since his return. He was not utilized in the game against Brentford and there are concerns that his progress may be hindered.
Chelsea’s strategy has put them in a position where they may receive criticism. Andrey Santos, a 19-year-old midfielder from Brazil, has played a total of four games this season while on loan at Nottingham Forest and Strasbourg.
Chelsea is currently addressing their tendency to lose momentum in the second half of games under Pochettino. Many are annoyed that their strong first-half showings have not been consistently maintained. In their game against Brentford, Chelsea held a 1-0 lead at half-time but were unable to maintain it and ended up with just one point.
Source: theguardian.com
