“Perfect fit for Cole Palmer” “Conte 2.0” – Chelsea to sign 39-years-old ‘best manager in Europe’ as Pochettino replacement
Undoubtedly, Chelsea’s 2023–24 season has been a bust. Despite Todd Boehly’s £400 million investment in the playing roster since the summer, the team is currently in 9th place, 19 points outside of the Champions League spots.
Despite controlling the game for longer stretches of time, Mauricio Pochettino’s team has lost twice at Wembley this season—once against Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal and once against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. This is the team’s second consecutive year without a trophy.
It makes sense that some are wondering about the Argentinian’s future after such a poor season, given that the former Tottenham manager has found it difficult to have a significant impact at Stamford Bridge.
He’s only managed to pick up 1.45 points per game in the Premier League this season, winning on just 13 occasions out of the 33 league matches he’s taken charge of.
The club could potentially look to explore other options at the end of the campaign, with the club weighing up three options to replace Pochettino at the club.
Chelsea monitoring three alternatives to Pochettino
According to TEAMtalk, the Blues are targeting Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi and Hansi Flick as possible replacements for Pochettino should owner Todd Boehly decide to part ways with the Argentinian this summer.
De Zerbi has taken the Premier League by storm with Brighton, securing Europa League football for the Seagulls last season, and implementing a possession-based style that has seen the club average 61% possession in the Premier League this season – the fourth-highest in the division.
The deal for the Italian may be a complicated one, given the interest from other sides across Europe, but with De Zerbi being under contract at the AMEX, the club will demand a hefty compensation fee.
However, Chelsea are also eyeing up former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick, with the German’s 4-2-3-1 system similar to that implemented by Pochettino this season.
Despite the interest in the duo, the club should focus all their efforts on the third target, with the manager being the perfect fit for this current Chelsea setup.
The perfect manager for Chelsea
Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has been subject to interest from Liverpool and West Ham in recent weeks, with the Portuguese manager a man in demand.
The “remarkable” Amorim, as dubbed by Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent days, and the Blues should do everything within their power this summer to convince him to move to the Premier League.
He’s utilised the 3-4-2-1 system in Liga Portugal this season, a tactic that has seen the club sit at the summit of the table, four points clear of Benfica with a game in hand.
His system is very similar to that of Antonio Conte, who took England by storm with his 3-4-3 formation, which relied on multiple key positions in order to thrive and subsequently win the club the title.
Amorim’s formation depends on his three centre-backs being comfortable on the ball, with the central player out of the three often playing slightly more advanced in possession to allow for a third man in the middle of the pitch – subsequently creating an overload.
Trevoh Chalobah could be a player to hugely benefit from any arrival of the Lisbon boss, with the English youngster featuring at centre-back and right-back, potentially allowing him to transform into the perfect defensive option.
The two attacking players behind the central striker would have a crucial part to play in any success, with the two wing-backs often providing the width, allowing the number 10s to stay central.
Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s most influential player this season, scoring 20 times in 29 Premier League appearances. His best display came in the 6-0 battering of Everton, with the former Manchester City talent playing in a more central role, scoring a remarkable four goals during that rout.
Therefore, Amorim – who has been described as the “best young manager in Europe” by the Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke – could be game-changing for the youngster, who would no doubt take up central positions on a more frequent basis, a decision that would allow him to shine even more than he has in this campaign.
There’s no denying the Blues are in desperate need of a change, especially given the poor results throughout this season. However, if Boehly is to make a change, he should 100% be making the Lisbon boss his number one target, with his system perfect for the current crop of Chelsea players.