According to reports, Chelsea’s board are ‘running out of patience’ with Mauricio Pochettino and he is fighting to save his job ahead of next season.
Pochettino is yet to have a full season as Chelsea head coach but he is already under serious pressure.
Chelsea consider sacking Pochettino
Under the former Tottenham head coach, Chelsea have not significantly improved following last season’s 12th-place finish as they are currently 11th in the Premier League and 19 points adrift of the Champions League places.
The pressure on Pochettino has increased following his side’s 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final and he is among the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.
Speaking on Thursday, Pochettino admitted he empathised with supporters who booed Chelsea as they drew 2-2 with Brentford last weekend.
He said: “We need our fans. I hope they will be behind us on Monday. It’s so, so important to our players.
“But we need to accept that it’s football. They are frustrated. Maybe if I was a fan in the stand I would behave the same way as them.”
Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim have been linked with Chelsea in recent days, but according to journalist Ben Jacobs, they ‘could look’ at Eddie Howe.
Newcastle have been tipped to sack the Englishman at various points this season and Jacobs reckons Chelsea may consider appointing him if he and Pochettino are dismissed ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
READ MORE: Chelsea managers ranked by how much the fans want them to replace Pochettino
Jacobs explains: ‘Hansi Flick and Julen Lopetegui could be looked at, and even 46-year-old Eddie Howe should he leave Newcastle.
‘A Thomas Tuchel return is unlikely, even though the current Bayern boss is a free agent this summer. Tuchel’s return would prove very popular amongst the fanbase, but his exit in September 2022 was down to not being deemed a strategic or personality fit rather than based on football reasons alone.
‘Behdad Eghbali, in particular, would need to change his mind on Tuchel and tweak the highly collaborative model to suit Tuchel’s needs and style. It’s not thought this will happen.
‘There is some talk of a Jose Mourinho return as well, which would be another PR win, but several of Chelsea’s hierarchy feel the move could back-fire in the long term.’
‘Two conditions’ for Pochettino
A report from Football Insider suggests Chelsea are ‘running out of patience’ and ‘Pochettino will only avoid the sack in the next weeks on two conditions’. The report adds.
‘Sources told Football Insider last month (26 February) that the Argentine is set to remain as the Blues’ manager until the end of the 2023-24 at the very least.
‘While Pochettino is not expected to be sacked mid-season despite Chelsea’s ongoing struggles, his medium and long-term future is up in the air.
‘Well-placed sources have told Football Insider that the 52-year-old’s position will depend on whether he can oversee a strong end to the season and there are clear signs that his expensively-assembled team is developing.’
