Chelsea
have spent £600m on players and need a manager that can properly mine that
investment. It is why Mauricio Pochettino is the frontrunner for the
vacancy.
The memory remains so vivid, that Adam Lallana can recall every detail. The
midfielder described it as "an awakening" when Pochettino first walked into
Southampton's dressing room in January 2013 to give his introductory address
ahead of a training session.
The Argentine had only undertaken a two-hour English lesson booked by his
wife at that point, but possessed a magnetic pull. "He was sharp," Lallana
noted. "He looked the part, he spoke with passion despite the language
barrier. There was so much energy in the room and an immediate connection.
The lads were all buzzing to play for him - and were desperate to know what
fragrance he used!"
Pochettino has a habit of not just making a strong first impression on his
players as a manager, but a lasting one.
At Espanyol, a club he saved from relegation against all logic, Philippe
Coutinho was transformed from an Inter castaway to a stunning playmaker who
would directly and indirectly contribute to Liverpool's golden period under
Jurgen Klopp. "Mauricio gave me a lot of confidence," the Brazilian would
say. "He helped me believe in myself and become the player I am."
Over at Tottenham, Pochettino's influence on Harry Kane - the fourth striker
when he arrived - is well documented. He convinced Spurs to stick with
Heung-Min Son when the club wanted to twist, and his rebuilding of Ryan
Mason - the player plus person - went above and beyond.
Even in the grandiose Paris Saint-Germain show, where egos run amok,
Pochettino was able to solidly steer the dressing room. There were no major
public fall-outs during his spell, unlike the spats that coloured the
periods before and after.
Pochettino is a players' manager; disarming then developing them. He offers
a journey to buy into, a subscription to the collective good. "I look in
people's eyes and it becomes easy to connect," he told this writer. "I
believe people can perceive what you are about and that first impressions
are big - you need to be strong and honest and people will relate to that.
Players need to feel how you work and trust in you."
Chelsea know all this about Pochettino. They have known all this. Twice
under Roman Abramovich, via Marina Granovskaia who held him in the highest
esteem, they attempted to appoint the 51-year-old at Stamford Bridge.
But there is no greater need for his skillset at the club than right now.
Chelsea have pumped £600 million into a seriously bloated squad and need a
figure who can unlock their investment.
There is an abundance of talent, but the group is low on confidence and sans
direction. They are primed for Pochettino's energy, philosophy, and brand of
belief that Dejan Lovren once likened to 'becoming a superhero.'
Chelsea's recruitment staff know Pochettino would work with the tools at his
disposal instead of pointing to transfers. This is a man that performed
miracles at Tottenham with little-to-no net spend, going two successive
windows without making a signing - an anomaly in the Premier League.
The squad is overflowing with intelligent players that would ace
Pochettino's demands for a high press, quick offensive transitions,
overloads and building from the back.
There is also enough versatility to adapt approach to a compact, organised
shape in a mid-block. The attacks from Pochettino's teams have tended to
largely engage the full-backs, an area Chelsea are particularly stocked in.
The list of players who would stand to benefit from his appointment -
Mykhailo Mudryk screams out - is lengthy. But Pochettino will also be
ruthless in trimming down a ballooned roster and cutting out those not
capable of meeting standards or his tactical demands.
He is also exceptional at managing relationships with the powers that be.
Despite desperately pushing Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy for a refresh of
the squad in the years prior to his 2019 sacking, Pochettino has never once
been publicly critical of him.
They remain on good terms, which is the case too with PSG's hierarchy. Given
the hands-on nature of co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali at Chelsea,
this seems an instructive point.
Pochettino has always performed beyond expectation, with the exception of
France's giants. He is in great company in that regard, with Carlo
Ancelotti, Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel proving PSG itself is the problem
not the person in the dugout.
Pochettino saved Espanyol from the drop, defying convention after becoming
their third throw of the dice in 2008-09. He guided them to victory over Pep
Guardiola's Barcelona in a Copa del Rey quarter-final and took them to an
unthinkable eighth-place finish.
Southampton were brave under his watch, winning against Manchester City,
Liverpool (twice) and Chelsea, as well as draws with Arsenal, Manchester
United (twice) and City. He delivered the club's best Premier League points
total at the time in 2013-14 and secured them a hefty profit on player
sales.
Pochettino moulded Tottenham in front of our eyes, turning them from a
laughing stock to Champions League regulars - finalists in 2019 - and
domestic contenders despite having the lowest budget of the 'Big Six' and
being trampled in the market by them.
Spurs have nosedived drastically since his departure, with the fanbase
joining players and staff in wishing they were close to unveiling him again.
It is instead Chelsea who could have that honour. The club sacked their
Champions League-winning manager in Tuchel, and within seven months were
getting shot of his replacement who they swore was part of a long-term
process.
Graham Potter was saddled with players he didn't need in a recruitment
strategy that undercut his coaching approach. Enter Frank Lampard, an
interim move that spoke to sentiment rather than smarts. His record reads
played four, lost four, conceded seven, scored one.
Pochettino makes incredible sense for Chelsea. It's up to the club to prove
they are a logical destination for an elite manager.
Chelsea's remaining fixtures
April 26: Brentford (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7.45pm
May 2: Arsenal (A) - Premier League, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports
May 6: Bournemouth (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 13: Nottingham Forest (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pm
May 21: Manchester City (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4pm
May 25: Man Utd (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports
May 28: Newcastle (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm
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