£10.5m-per-season manager is now open to replacing Pochettino at Chelsea
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino still faces a future shrouded in uncertainty, amid a turbulent season where he contends with backlash from fans.
Supporters boo Pochettino as Chelsea tenure grows sour
Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Brentford not only made them lose more irrecoverable ground in the race for Europe but also put more strain on the relationship between Pochettino and the club’s fanbase.
The Argentine’s debut season has been a whirlwind, despite Stamford Bridge chiefs backing him with a £400 million-plus investment in new signings for the squad last summer.
Chelsea currently languish in mid-table with just one Premier League win from their last five top-flight matches, recently losing the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool in extra-time to add insult to injury.
Pochettino still has a chance to clinch major silverware with their FA Cup run intact, but it’s safe to say the former Tottenham boss has had to contend with his fair share of criticism.
Supporters jeered the 52-year-old during Chelsea’s last league game away to Brentford, with Pochettino then taking all the blame for their draw at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“We cannot blame the fans,” said Pochettino on supporters protesting his position.
.“My message is, OK, if they need to show their frustration I prefer it to be through me than the team. I’m strong and with time we’ll change the perception. But I don’t want the fans to blame the players. I prefer that I get the blame to let the players be free on the pitch. I don’t care, I’m strong enough. I’m 52 now.
“The players don’t deserve it. They deserve credit and support from our fans. If someone needs to get the blame, it’s no problem. That’s why I’m the coach.”
While Chelsea have decided to stick with Pochettino until the end of this season, that hasn’t stopped the club from weighing up alternatives. Indeed, the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Ruben Amorim have been linked with the Chelsea job this week, with another surprising name now emerging.
Indeed, Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel is now being floated by sections of the media – with Chelsea’s former boss set to leave Bavaria at the end of the season.
Tuchel open to joining Chelsea after Bayern Munich
According to German news outlet SportBILD, Tuchel is now open to replacing Pochettino at Chelsea – despite the sour end to his last tenure.
Club chiefs unceremoniously parted company with the German in 2022, and his exit wasn’t exactly harmonious in any respect. It could therefore be deemed a shock that he would be willing to make a return to west London, but Tuchel has at least proven to be successful at Chelsea before.
The £10.5 million-per-season boss masterminded a 1-0 win over Man City in the 2021 Champions League final, and also proved popular with certain members of the squad like defender Ben Chilwell.