Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea on Tuesday after just one season at Stamford Bridge following an end of season review with the club’s hierarchy.
It was an up and down campaign for the Blues, who endured a particularly difficult first half of the season, but rallied to finish strongly with five wins in a row to secure a top six finish and a return to European competition.
The timing of the decision seems strange given the upturn in form and the fact the players are clearly huge admirers of the Argentine, with his departure believed to have not gone down well internally at Chelsea.
“That’s not where my focus is”
Attention will now turn to appointing a successor with Chelsea reportedly looking for a “modern and dynamic” manager.
One name the Blues have been linked with is Kieran McKenna who has guided Ipswich to the Premier League following back to back promotions from League One and the Championship.
McKenna was named LMA Manager of the Year on Tuesday night beating Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta to the award.
The 38-year-old was asked about links to the Chelsea job, but was coy with his response insisting he’s not focusing on the speculation.
#Chelsea-linked Kieran McKenna:
“When you do well as a manager, or player, there is always going to be speculation. That’s not where my focus is. Tonight is about what we achieved last season [and] over the last couple of seasons.”
🎥 @SkySportsNewspic.twitter.com/FTRSmevrRQ
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) May 22, 2024
