We are not the only ones to note how mad the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino was, at least from one perspective.
This team a year ago the club spent a huge amount of time selecting the Argentine from a host of candidates. In fact, the club appointed Frank Lampard as caretaker manager just so that they had more time to work on picking the right guy.
So the fact that he’s ultimately been sacked not for bad results, but for being a bad match with the project, is scandalous.
Liam Twomey’s piece on the subject for the Athletic makes that same point. This, finally is an article which addresses the fans’ view that it’s the sporting directors should be under fire and not the coaches. They’ve appointed 2 managers and have sacked each of them within a year. But for fans hoping that it’s Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley who will be under pressure, it’s bad news.
A stronger position than ever for double act
“Stewart and Winstanley retain the total confidence and unequivocal backing of Chelsea’s ownership,” Twomey writes.
“The ownership believes [they] have assembled one of the three most talented squads in the Premier League.”
Not only that, it seems Pochettino’s chafing at working under them led directly to his dismissal:
“The moment Pochettino spoke publicly against them in a press conference, even in veiled terms, he crossed a red line”
It seems that their position is actually safer than expected if anything, and the hiring and firing of coaches isn’t being held against them. Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly do want stability, but they think that stability should come from keeping a consistent structure above the head coach, rather than by keeping the same head coach.
We wonder, if we’re in the same position in a year’s time, where things will stand then?
Ive learnt to trust what i see, not what I’m told. The last time we were in trouble was when we were knee deep in the crap with Abamovich. Because these guys spent a billion pounds on players, I for one cant see them as anything other than the good guys. I always had a problem understanding what Potch said. Cole Palmer is the Kante that won trophies for Leicester and Chelsea. The DeBruin that helped Man City, and the one who is largely responsible for where Chelsea is at now. Potch is just not Chelsea. Getting a new Manager is perfect. And if he’s no good, we’ll get another. No one said it would be easy, but I truly believe we’re going to be something else next season.
You mean start all over again. Potch worked wonders and progressed to a point way above what was expected. Facing Champions/Europa competition with a team he sculpted after being given more than enough players which was not necessary. 2024/25 could have been great to watch but now very much in doubt. Constant changing is NOT good ! Consistency starts with the manager. A better idea would be to get rid of Todd Boely he has caused more than enough problems and doesn’t know Premier League football or football at any level come to that. Time to step down and let someone who does know about football.
Haven’t you been reading the stories? Todd Boehly had nothing to do with the decision to remove Poch. It’s such a lazy, reflexive move on the part of fans to constantly blame “the Yank” in all this, but Boehly was the one at the club who was most supportive of Poch according to all available reporting! Poch’s release had everything to do with the brittle egos of the sporting directors and their inability to accommodate Poch’s wishes to have a little more control over player recruitment.
Spot on I don’t know what that Eddie idiot is on about. Knee deep in the with Abramovich? I hope he isn’t attacking Roman agree re Boehly getting all the flack when it’s Eghbali and the two flower pot men Winstanley and Stewart were buying mediocre garbage like Sanchez, Disasi and Badieshelie for starters. They spent stupidly and are trying to sell academy products to cover their backsides. It’s unbelievable and now another story Pochetinno was told to play their signings explaining Badieshelie playing no matter how bad whilst Colwill sat on the bench
perfect observation
I agree 100✅✅
Consistency was better especially when the guy had worked so hard to build the team. He now knows the players in and out and tactfully place them to win unlike early days.
Look at Pep, Ateta and the like, they all started the same but look at where they are now with their teams.
I began to be proud of Chelsea again like those days, boasting among my friends that all is well with us next season, they will face us. All the hope has been shadowed by this move.
Hope the players are not affected too. It takes the players and coach to win games and not executives. Watch the space.
I can not agree more than this. The change of fortune in the last five games was God’s intervention. The injury to Enzo proved to Potch that he should not be playing Enzo and Conor in the same team. Potch was not listening to advice. Playing players out of positions was Chelsea’s downfall.
Downfall?
Winning almost all their games in 2024?
The mind boggles!
Come back Carlo
Chelsea needs to address their football philosophy. I see it not working for over the years and seasons – score and defend mentality.
Midfield should be defensive and attackers, see with Arteta’s success. I think Chelsea are record back passers.
Changing managers every season has great impacts on players, better for the manager and players to develop consistency progressively
Your problems I believe comes from people in jobs there not suitable for. Did any of these owners directors of football earn a cent from sport .I would guess no . Too much money and no conscience doesn’t make for a winning combination. What’s needed is a puppet manager to dance to the money men’s tunes. Look at the successful clubs. Alex Ferguson long term appointment. Bob Paisley Jurgen klopp with a net sped of practically zero. Supporting a club like yours must be hard work. As the song says money don’t buy you love or football titles. What a shame to see a manager mould a team and get the sack because he doesn’t smile at your stupid.
Winstanley and Stewart are the main problems here without a doubt. If you have a close look at what they have done it is absolute joke and they should be booted out not Pochettino.Some of their signings Sanchez Disasi Badiashile and many more. Stewart is the one who pushed for these two centre backs and I wonder why well Stewart was at Monaco when they were playing and when the club sacked the Head Groundsman and his son Stewart brought in the Groundsman from Monaco how strange!! Winstanley was the one who wanted Sanchez and also bringing in back room staff from Brighton absolute joke. The club should never be run by Sporting Directors and by Two of them and the Manager gets no say in anything at all. Porch done a great job in my mind as he got the club to a Cup Final which they should have won and also a Fa Cup Semi Final when they should have beaten Man City and also 6th in the League.
I believe the winning streak towards the end of the season was ‘too little too late’. Plus all the teams that we overtook during the run in were in decline. Everyone should remember our away performances at Liverpool and Arsenal which were embarrassingly bad, in addition to the costly dropped points against Sheffield Utd and Burnley (who only had 10 men). Don’t let the latter games paper over the cracks and let’s embrace the new Manager and the new era.