“He’s like Arteta”: Chelsea could replace Pochettino with “the best manager in the world
Chelsea have been a rather big mess during the 2023/24 season. That’s putting it politely too.
This was meant to be the campaign where the Todd Boehly era roared into life under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, but it’s followed the trend of his stewardship to date. Spend money and don’t get very far.
It was recently revealed that no other Premier League side spent more on agent fees than the Blues over a yearly period ending in February 2024, and where’s that got them? Not very far.
They are ninth in the table and with two games in hand could still secure European football next term.
That should be the goal at the very least for this Chelsea team but is it enough to keep Pochettino in the job? Arguably not.
Potential Pochettino replacements for Chelsea
It would not be a huge surprise if we saw the Argentine remain in the dugout for the beginning of next season but with a managerial merry-go-round set to commence, Chelsea should get involved.
Jurgen Klopp is on the move, Thomas Tuchel is leaving Bayern Munich, Ruben Amorim will likely take his leave from Sporting and Barcelona boss Xavi will also depart the Camp Nou.
He’s already been linked with the Chelsea vacancy with reports at the end of March suggesting they were interested in the Spaniard.
Would he be a good hire? Well, given he’s a disciple of Pep Guardiola, there is an easy case to make there.
Xavi’s managerial philosophy
The great midfielder was one of the best players to grace the modern game but that doesn’t mean he’ll make a good manager. Or does it?
Well, after a slump of sorts for Barcelona pre-Xavi, the Spaniard has revived the great Catalan club.
They won La Liga last season and are now just 90 minutes away from a place in the Champions League semi-finals after defeating PSG in their quarter-final first leg.
Chelsea could only dream of that but it goes to show that in the midst of somewhat of a crisis, Xavi can dig you out of a hole.
Described as “the best manager in the world” by Joan Laporta, the president at Barcelona, it’s easy to see why that label has been attached to him.
Aged 44, the Barca great is now making a name for himself as a coach and would be a superb candidate to replace Pochettino.
He is very similar to Guardiola in his coaching philosophy, employing the strategy that if you have the ball, you can’t concede a goal. Wise words.
Speaking about how he sees the game, Xavi once said: “It’s clear to me that my team has to have the ball,” the former midfielder told The Coach’s Voice. “I suffer when I don’t have it.
“What interests me as a coach? To play as much as possible in the opponents’ half. If they press us high, the most important thing is to break the midfield line, go into the opposition’s half, and attack.”
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In a further interview, he commented: “My concept is very similar [to Pep]. Guardiola also wants to be dominant, he wants to have the ball, strong possession, lots of attacking movements… It’s ultimately about being proactive within the game.”
Proactive is certainly something Chelsea haven’t been under Pochettino to date so there’s one problem potentially solved.
Vitally, there is a clear pattern to the way Xavi likes his teams to play and he doesn’t stray from it very often.
Unsurprisingly, no team in La Liga has had more of the ball than Barcelona this season. Only one team – Real Madrid – has a better average pass success rate in the entire division.
His team also rank the highest in Spain’s top flight for expected goals (xG), suggesting Xavi knows how to get his team to create chances. They’re also third for expected goals against in La Liga, a tally that also ranks them as the 14th-best side in Europe’s top five leagues, even ahead of Manchester City.
So, the Guardiola method is clear to see and it’s a proven remedy for success. The great Spanish coach has already deployed it in England and Mikel Arteta has taken influence too, notably taking his Arsenal team close to the title.
Xavi’s fellow Spaniard once said of his own style: “I want dominance. I don’t want the opposition to breathe.”
As a result, this potential appointment could be just what the doctor ordered at Chelsea.