Mauricio Pochettino’s first season at Chelsea has not been a dream start. With 11 wins 6 draws and 10 losses, Chelsea is currently 11th in the Premier League, with 11 games left to play.
The Argentine’s time at the club has seen many highs and lows. The highs include two thrilling games; a 4-4 draw against Manchester City, a 4-1 win against Tottenham, and they are currently in the semifinals of the FA Cup. As for the lows, the most definitive one was the EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool.
Pochettino has had a major injury crisis to deal with since joining the club, that only continues to worsen. This has made his time as head manager of this team of young players, most of whom are new to the club and to first-team football and Premier League football very difficult to say the least. However, with Chelsea considered one of the ‘big 6’, the standards are quite high, and the Argentine is expected to deliver sooner rather than later.
Pochettino is under a two-year contract at Chelsea. However, the pressure has intensified for Chelsea to find a better person to head the team for next season and beyond. A few names have already been dropped, but the club are yet to confirm anything regarding Pochettino’s position.
Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel is set to part ways with Bayern Munich in June, at the end of the current season. Following what is considered a premature leave from Chelsea, a return to the Bridge is not out of the question for the German.
According to Bild, Tuchel is closely monitoring what is happening at Chelsea. He is not resentful and is not closed off to the idea of returning to Todd Boehly, who understood that his club was doing better with the German in the dugout.
Following a very successful spell at Chelsea, and considering the adoration Tuchel has continued to show for Chelsea even now, a return to the Bridge seems possible and might just turn out well for all in Blue.
Roberto De Zerbi
If Chelsea appoints De Zerbi as their next manager, he will become the 12th individual the Blues have poached from Brighton since Boehly’s takeover.
De Zerbi has been receiving a lot of praise for his time at Brighton. Last season, he helpe Brighton finish sixth in the Premier League, which saw them qualify for this season’s Europa League.
De Zerbi’s strategy aims to pressure opponents into making decisions, ultimately leading to advantageous situations for his team. This could mean outnumbering the opposition in certain areas or exploiting space created by defensive rotations, often capitalizing on opportunities behind the defensive line. His style of play along with his Italian heritage may be well suited for Chelsea.
Rúben Amorim
Rúben Amorim, the current Sporting CP boss is also being considered as a potential replacement for Pochettino, should Chelsea choose to dispense with the Argentine. The 39-year-old led Sporting to the Portuguese title in 2021 and just might win the league with them again this season. This is not the first time Chelsea have been linked to the Portuguese manager. The West London club considered Amorim before appointing Pochettino last year.
However, with Sporting currently leading the table in Portugal, it is highly improbable that he would resign. Given the opportunity to carve his name into the club’s history, stepping down seems unlikely.
Julen Lopetegui
There are rumours that Chelsea could pursue 57-year-old former Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui as a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino. Lopetegui’s time as Real Madrid’s manager was not at all successful. However, his time at other clubs is worth noting.
After revitalizing his managerial career with impressive spells at Sevilla and Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has found himself without a club since his sudden departure from Wolves last year. Nevertheless, his standing in the football world remains considerable, as evidenced by Chelsea’s current interest in him.
The only managers that make sense for Chelsea are Tuchel and Mourinho.
I agree