Things still seem relatively calm at Chelsea, despite the bad results.
Mauricio Pochettino is in charge, and all indications are that he will be until the end of the season, and probably beyond. There are no signs of dissent from the dressing room, the manager diligently backs the owners and their decisions when asked, and there doesn’t feel like immediate pressure, even as we stumble towards another mid-table finish.
But under the surface, things don’t seem as pretty. Simon Phillips’ Substack article about the manager situation reveals some nasty creatures if you turn over the stones at Stamford Bridge.
Firstly, on the subject of Mauricio Pochettino, Phillips doesn’t rule out the idea that he will leave of his own accord – “sources are not ruling out Pochettino walking away,” and there are apparently “some whispers of unhappiness from his camp.”
We can understand why, if he thinks he’s been hamstrung or just hung out to dry by those making decisions above him.
Potential replacements and interim emergency
If he were to go, we can rule out Julien Nagelsmann replacing him. The piece claims that he and the Chelsea suits interviewing him “didn’t see eye to eye,” and Phillips would be “shocked” if Chelsea went for him again. With so many big jobs opening up this summer, that doesn’t leave us many options, and one can see why sticking with Pochettino is the preferred tactic.
But there are “contingency plans,” not something you want to hear in any circumstances. If “results are dire” and we’re knocked out of the FA Cup, “an interim appointment could still be made to see the season out.”
That sounds very much like a last resort – although if we keep dropping points against teams in the relegation zone, the last resort could come around sooner than expected.