Mauricio Pochettino started his new role as Chelsea’s manager at the beginning of July, and it is fair to say that after last season’s disastrous campaign, the Argentine has a massive job on his hands.
Pochettino has a complete mess to sort out. There is a squad of talented players there to work with, of that, there is little doubt. But after the shambolic season the Blues have just endured, Pochettino could be forgiven for not knowing where to start.
Welcome to Chelsea Football Club, Mauricio Pochettino! 💥💙 pic.twitter.com/3iOKp1Z4e6
— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) May 29, 2023
Will Pochettino be given time?
It might sound like a stupid question to be asking about a guy who has just started the job, but after what happened with Graham Potter, it seems a valid question.
Already bookmakers are taking bets on who will be the first manager to leave his position this season. In the Betfair football betting, Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui leads that betting market at 9/2, while Pochettino is at odds of 25/1. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely that there will be many football betting tips for the Chelsea boss to be shown the door first. But that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to be at Chelsea for the whole season.
The Blues board backed Graham Potter for longer than most expected, until his departure from Chelsea in April. They may not be so patient if a similar situation arises this season.
Balancing the books
Although transfers in and out of Chelsea don’t seem to be solely the manager’s remit, Pochettino will have a say.
After all the incoming signings last January, there will have to be players heading for the exit door. This is because Chelsea needs to balance the books and avoid falling foul of the financial fair play rules.
Pochettino will no doubt have a big say in who goes. So the Argentine will need to quickly identify who he sees as a part of his squad moving forwards.
Identifying new targets
Just because Chelsea is set to offload players doesn’t mean they won’t be bringing new ones in.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta confirms he is leaving the club after 11 years at Stamford Bridge. 🔵❌
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 6, 2023
This squad is far from perfect, and as any football fan could see last season, is very unbalanced. So as well as identifying players who can leave, Pochettino will also need to quickly decide the areas of his squad that need strengthening, to allow the club a chance to make the correct signings before the summer transfer window closes.
Build a team
This may also sound a bit silly, but does anybody know what Chelsea’s best team is? That hasn’t stopped places such as Football.London from guessing, although that’s a brave task considering the number of factors to consider.
Some of the players who finished last season in the starting XI have already moved on. And of the January signings, some of them struggled and were left out of the team after Frank Lampard took over.
Confidence at Stamford Bridge looked shot at the end of the 2022/23 season, and it will take a huge effort from Pochettino to rebuild the belief in whoever he selects as his core group of players.
Back the manager
Whatever the expectations are for Mauricio Pochettino in his first season at Stamford Bridge, one thing he needs from the club, his players, and the fans, is their collective backing.
It shouldn’t matter what Blues fans think of the two English clubs Pochettino has previously managed, he did a decent enough job at them both.
The man has a proven track record in England, and most fans backed his appointment at the Bridge. Given their full backing, there is a good chance Pochettino can bring back the glory days.