It is undoubtedly the biggest decision Chelsea have to make over the next few weeks and months: should head coach Mauricio Pochettino stay or go?
Judging by Pochettino’s answers in press conferences lately, he has been given no idea what the future holds. Despite having one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, plus an option for another 12 months, there is uncertainty over his position.
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A week after admitting he had not spoken to the co-owners for a few months, which is never a good sign, Pochettino let his frustration show following the 2-0 win over rivals Tottenham Hotspur last Thursday. “I’ve had enough of these stupid rumours,” he said. “You need to ask the club whether the club wants me to keep going or not.
“If I have one more year on my contract here and no one says anything, then I suppose that I am going to be here. If there’s a decision and someone says to me, ‘Ciao’, OK. But we don’t know at the moment.”
An upturn in form, particularly at home, has given Chelsea an opportunity to end the season on a high with a top-seven finish. But will it be enough to convince the hierarchy that he is the right man for the job? The Athletic looks at some of the arguments for and against Pochettino still being at the helm for the 2024-25 campaign.
Positive signs for Pochettino and his players
This Chelsea love looking at data and base their transfer policy around it. Well, if they examine Pochettino’s numbers, they will show there are signs of improvement.
For example, a form table since matchday 20, which was around the turn of year, shows they are the fourth-best team in the Premier League (29 points) with only title contenders Arsenal (43), Manchester City (42) and Liverpool (36) above them.
Stamford Bridge is becoming more of a fortress again. As The Athletic highlighted it was a cause for concern among supporters. Including the back end of last season, Chelsea went on a run of just one Premier League win at home in 14 matches. But they have won nine out of their last 11 since, the last four with an aggregate scoreline of 17-3. Three of the four draws on home soil were good performances against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, games they will feel they could have won.
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The brand of football is getting better and more entertaining. With three fixtures remaining, Chelsea are four short of making it 100 goals in all competitions.
Cole Palmer, now one of the best players in the Premier League, has clearly thrived under Pochettino’s management from day one. But further indication is provided by the improvement of Nicolas Jackson, Conor Gallagher and Noni Madueke as the season has gone on.
He appears to have the support of the dressing room. In the past week, Marc Cucurella and Benoit Badiashile have come out publicly to say that.
Chelsea have had a lengthy injury list since pre-season. If they go on to secure a top-seven finish, having reached the EFL Cup Final and FA Cup semi-final where they were unfortunate to lose to Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, it could be argued that it is a respectable return.
There are other things to consider. One of the issues Chelsea have struggled to cope with since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium bought the club in 2022 is the amount of change that has taken place. Numerous players have come and gone, there has been a big turnover in staff too and a new recruitment structure put in place above the head coach. In less than two years, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor (one game), Frank Lampard and Pochettino have all had a go in the dug-out. Stability is desperately needed.
And is there an obvious guaranteed upgrade available? Former Chelsea managers Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte are out of work, but would their demanding personalities click with this set-up and project? It is not as if it was all smooth sailing when they worked under the previous regime, despite their trophy haul. Tuchel is looking for employment for when he leaves Bayern Munich, but neither party want a reunion.
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Who else is there? Ruben Amorim says he is staying at Sporting Lisbon and Roberto De Zerbi’s reputation has taken a hit with Brighton & Hove Albion’s underwhelming season. Julian Nagelsmann has extended his contract with Germany and another two names linked, Hansi Flick and Girona’s Michel, have never worked in English football and would take time to adapt.
Is another change needed?
Unlike Potter, Pochettino has benefited from having a full pre-season to work with the squad and no European football to put a strain on tired legs. Conte took over with the same advantage in 2016 and led Chelsea to the Premier League title. The Italian inherited a much better squad and no one will suggest Pochettino should have emulated him, but the co-owners can rightly ask the question whether Pochettino has made the most of this situation.
Chelsea have set a club record for most goals conceded in the Premier League, 59 goals with three games to go, an embarrassing statistic when you consider how much money was spent on the squad in the early 1990s compared to this £1.2billion investment. It reflects badly on how Pochettino has organised them and, for all the positivity over recent results, they suffered a record 5-0 defeat away to Arsenal in April. Chelsea were only two points better off at the start of April than at the same stage 12 months earlier when Potter was sacked.
Too often substitutions have been reactive, not proactive. Academy players have been used sparingly, many named on the bench almost for show. Players have been called up, then forgotten. Alex Matos, 19, was an unused substitute on several occasions and decided he had to go out on loan to Huddersfield Town in the Championship for first-team football.
Levi Colwill is one of England’s best young centre-backs, but has been mostly played out of position at left-back and has not looked comfortable. That decision also had a knock-on effect with Ian Maatsen leaving the club on loan in January to join Borussia Dortmund. The Netherlands left-back has shone, helping the Bundesliga club reach the Champions League semi-finals. He has little desire to play for Chelsea now and is expected to be sold this summer.
Sources close to the club, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, talk about underwhelming training methods. And as Pochettino admitted recently, Chelsea have become reliant on Palmer, asking his players before the 22-year-old’s absence against Arsenal to prove they are not “Cole Palmer FC”. It did not work.
The co-owners hoped Chelsea would qualify for the Champions League but they have not come close to challenging for a top-four finish.
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Pochettino began his tenure by saying “Chelsea have to win, no excuses”. But with Chelsea soon labouring in mid-table, the tone changed and it was all about needing time and patience. At the end of last month, the 52-year-old appeared to apportion blame elsewhere, from co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart to the philosophy of “the organisation” put in place before his arrival. That does not come across as a united front.
And finally, will the match-going fans ever really get behind him? There is little connection between them due to Pochettino’s five-year spell in charge of rivals Tottenham, plus an underwhelming record in terms of trophies won.
Pochettino’s fate is a subject supporters will debate until the club make their stance clear. Let us know in the comments what you would do.
GO DEEPER
Pochettino has challenged Chelsea's owners to back him. Are they listening?
(Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
