The debate all over the internet in the last two days has been about Mauricio Pochettino’s future.
The Chelsea manager seemed to be headed towards safety after a rocky first year on the job. Things weren’t great, and there were plenty who wanted him gone, but he had made one cup final and one cup semi final, and with his team unbeaten since February, things seemed to be moving in the right direction – at least enough to warrant a second season.
The briefings being given to journalists to start the week said just that – despite all the doubts, Pochettino’s future would be decided at the end of the season, and there was no great appetite to sack him.
But one battering by Arsenal has changed all of that. Once again Pochettino has been thrown into a very precarious position, and there’s no longer the same confidence there was just a couple of days ago that he would get the green light from those reviewing his position at the end of the season.
Three is the magic number
Nizaar Kinsella’s piece today claims that Pochettino is being decided by three people upstairs at the club. Sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Steward, plus co-owner Behdad Eghbali. We’re not sure why Todd Boehly and none of the other owners get a say. Whether he qualifies for European football is considered a “key factor” in deciding what happens next.
Kinsella points out that the Chelsea dressing room are keen to keep Pochettino in place, and notes that the harmony and calm he brings to the club are considered major positives. However he also writes “there is reportedly a feeling among some at Chelsea that Pochettino has been too soft on his some of their inconsistent players and that a tougher approach is needed.”
That’s something we can certainly sympathise with.
