COMMENT: Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea. For experience. For reputation. The Argentine represents everything you expect in a Blues manager. It makes sense. It feels right. At least it would before this season’s events at the Bridge…
Chelsea. It’s a job Pochettino covets. Not the job. That was Manchester United. But he’ll take it. Even with his Tottenham background, Pochettino is willing to risk that connection to take charge at Stamford Bridge.
Being beaten to the United post by Erik ten Hag has haunted the Argentine. The decision to hold his interview over video call, in contrast to Ten Hag making the trip to Old Trafford for face-to-face talks, something that has gnawed away at Pochettino since losing his job with PSG at the end of last season.
But he’s back. At least that’s what the good money says (with this Chelsea who can actually predict anything?). Back in London. Back in the Premier League. And back with a major club. PSG, as ridiculous as it sounds, was a rest-stop. A stay between gigs. Paris never took to Pochettino – and the feeling was mutual. The Argentine never bought all in.
Even with Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at his disposal, Paris’ football fraternity always had the sense that Pochettino was passing through. The Premier League – and particularly United – appeared to always have his focus. It’s partly why he was replaced not by another big foreign name, but Ligue 1 local Christophe Galtier. The pundits. The top brass. They were never convinced of Pochettino’s commitment.
Retaining his London base only further raised the doubts. Which is why Pochettino has agreed to take the job. Even in the chaos. The calamity. Even with everything we’re seeing from Chelsea this season, Pochettino offers Todd Boehly and his board some genuine standing.
And they should be grateful. For even this search to replace Graham Potter has bordered on farce. Julian Nagelsmann, of course, pulled out of the running – publicly – after being left non-plussed by Chelsea’s recruitment strategy. But beyond the former Bayern Munich coach, the make-up of Boehly’s other candidates suggests nothing has changed. Pochettino apart, Chelsea were seeking talks with a relative rookie in Vincent Kompany, of Burnley, and the Australian Ange Postecoglou at Celtic. Like Potter before them, such names would never dare be raised in strategy meetings during the Roman Abramovich era. Such choices are baffling. Bewildering. And raise the question of just where on earth do these Chelsea owners expect to take the club by pursuing such options?
But Pochettino has rescued them from that. At least for the moment. As we say, the former Tottenham and PSG manager isChelsea quality. He’s a top four coach. An adopted Londoner. And someone with a record of success to lean on.
But just what is he letting himself in for? This isn’t Tottenham circa 2014. A young Harry Kane seeking guidance. Christian Eriksen about to explode. Kyle Walker. Dele Alli. Harry Winks. An exciting local core with a connection to the club and the support. All eager, ready, to run through brick walls for the right manager.
This isn’t the dressing room Pochettino will walk into on preseason’s first day at Cobham. We’ve seen that from these past five games of Frank Lampard’s return.
Passion. Emotion. That’s what this column claimed Lampard would ride on as he took this caretaker post to the end of the season. We were wrong. Dead wrong. There’s no passion in this lot. No emotion. And to be fair, why should there be? There’s no relationship with the fans, nor the shirt, nor even eachother. Effectively this Chelsea team is a bunch of mercenaries brought together by Boehly’s chequebook. There’s no anchor in this dressing room. No stability. And it’s showing under Lampard.
Consider Wednesday’s opponents Brentford. A team that’s been together a good five years. Playing for a manager who’s entering his seventh year with the club. They’re less talented than Chelsea’s players. Less experienced. But they know who they are. They know who they’re playing for. The fans – individual fans – who they’ve built relationships with. The shirt. The badge. The history of the club and what it means to be now playing at Premier League level. All this matters. All this contributes to a player’s motivation and drive. And it’s everything that Chelsea has lost – by it’s own choice – these past eight months.
Can Pochettino correct that? No. At least, not in the short-term and not on his own. He needs a staff around him and a board above him to actually behave as members of a traditional, modern Chelsea FC. He needs to be allowed to work. He needs a dressing room that isn’t constantly being chopped and changed. And he needs a chairman who understands boundaries. If Chelsea can start acting like a proper football club again, then Pochettino will have a chance.
For experience. For reputation. Mauricio Pochettinois a Chelsea manager. This can work – if those above him can begin acting like Chelsea people.
