After a tough time since Graham Potter’s exit, Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have started getting everything right. As a result, they are now set to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach.
According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Pochettino is now in final negotiations with the West London club, to become the club’s new permanent manager.
The Argentine gaffer is expected to arrive at Stamford Bridge with his coaching staff. Of course, the board feels safe with the former Paris Saint-Germain boss.
Reportedly, Julian Nagelsmann was the club’s first priority. However, he was cut off because he wanted faster talks and couldn’t agree with the club on the vision and future project.
Luis Enrique was another manager who got interviewed by the club. However, the Spanish boss was also left out, because he reportedly wanted the likes of Ziyech and other players to stay at the club.
Surprisingly, Mauricio is now leading the race to be in charge of the Blues squad next season. Even though he’s loyal to Tottenham Hotspur.
Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian also confirmed that Chelsea are closing in on appointing the Argentine gaffer. He remains the favorite as talks begin to take place between the two parties.
Despite the fact that the Blues players have gone through a lot since the beginning of the season. They are reportedly backing Pochettino to become their next boss.
Mauricio Pochettino win rate in his managerial history
- Espanyol – 33% win rate
- Southampton – 38% win rate
- Tottenham – 54% win rate
- Paris Saint-Germain – 65% win rate
Obviously, the Argentine boss had the highest win rate with the Parisians. Because he had the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr.
In all fairness, he’s most likely to record close or more than 65% win rate at Chelsea. Because there are many brilliant and talented players at Stamford Bridge.
According to Marca, Todd Boehly and Pochettino met last summer for talks to replace Thomas Tuchel. However, the manager was reportedly not ready at that time.
Fortunately, the Argentine is ready now, and the West London club gives him a different approach. Which means he’s now on the verge of joining the Blues family.
Even though Chelsea may announce Mauricio as their new head coach in the coming days. He would join them in June, not immediately.
Reasons why Chelsea prefer Mauricio Pochettino to Enrique and Nagelsmann?
Apparently, the West London club wants a manager who can mine their £600 million investment. And the Argentine perfectly fit the profile.
After spending massively in their first two transfer windows. The Blues new owners want a coach who could successfully manage their investments at the club so far.
Pochettino may not be able to win trophies next season. However, he knows how to get the best out of his players, as the Blues have many players in the squad.
Mauricio developed many young talents during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. The likes of Kane, Son, Dele, and others are his products.
The Argentine has the ability to stabilize the drowning ship in the squad, improve the youngsters. That’s one of the reasons Todd Boehly places him above Luis and Julian.
Another point is his Premier League experience. Of course, Pochettino spent many years in the English league, both at Tottenham and Southampton.
As a result, the club believes that he won’t struggle trying to cope with the toxicity in the league. He has been there before, so he knows how to face the English teams.
Mauricio is very passionate as a manager, he goes for what he wants at the club. His football is based on principles, but not any philosophy.
At the same time, he has UEFA Champions League experience. He had taken Tottenham Hotspur to a final in the competition.
Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali believe he ticks all the boxes. However, winning any trophies under him may be questionable. His style talks mostly about improving young talents.
Reportedly, Pochettino already has plans for Mykhailo Mudryk, Levi Colwill, and the rest. Also, he wants Mason Mount to stay at the club, meaning he’s planning for the club’s future.
According to Nizaar Kinsella of Standard Sport, he confirmed that Mauricio wants Chelsea to consider a fresh loan offer for Joao Felix.
Initially, the Premier League side wants to sign the Portuguese international on a permanent deal. However, the Argentine boss will want another loan instead.
Aside from that, Pochettino has the ability to work with limited resources and still achieve outstanding results. That’s another reasons why the Blues consider him.
What are the differences between Mauricio Pochettino and Julian Nagelsmann?
There’s a particular reason why Chelsea initially chose Nagelsmann over Pochettino. The two managers have many things in common, considering their styles of play.
They both took relegation clubs to new heights in Europe’s top five leagues. They made their next club competing in the UEFA Champions League.
However, Pochettino and Nagelsmann failed woefully at big clubs as they couldn’t deal with egos in the squad. Obviously, they are very similar to each other.
The Argentine couldn’t cope at Paris Saint-Germain, he failed to manage the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr.
Also, the German failed to deal with egos at Bayern Munich, he couldn’t succeed in managing the big players at the club. He reportedly has many issues in the dressing room.
The only difference between the two managers is that, Julian Nagelsmann is a great tactician. He’s wise tactically, always likes tactical battles.
On the contrary, Pochettino isn’t really good tactically, he’s more of a balancer. However, he understands player profiles very well, which is why the club prefers him.
The German boss is more like Thomas Tuchel. His success is always short-term, he doesn’t have any set identity of his own. There’s a slight difference between the two.
Meanwhile, the Argentine boss is more like Carlo Ancelotti. He’s a balancer, has an idea and usually balances his team to fit that particular idea.
How do Mauricio Pochettino principles or philosophy look like?Â
Apparently, there are two different types of managers in the world of football. Those with philosophy and those with principles.
Philosophy in football means a style of play that requires a certain profile to implement. Meanwhile, principles in that sense denote different styles that fit different squads with the same approach.
Pochettino is a manager of principles, he always has a set of ideas and makes sure his squad fits perfectly into those ideas. He was obvious at Paris Saint-Germain.
Having had Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar. Mauricio tailored his style to suit those players, that’s what principles in football are all about.
The likes of Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Maurizio Sarri are entirely different. They are managers of philosophy, they always sign players who fit their styles before they can perform.
Pochettino’s principles revolve around identifying his group of players and starting to work with those players. That’s why he has plans for Mudryk and Colwill.
The Argentine’s principles in football are also based on runs, pressing, and intensity. His squad is always hungry, he doesn’t give any breathing space for the opponents.
Mauricio reportedly believes he can make Chelsea contend for the Premier League title. He knows his principles will definitely work with the Blues players.
What’s Mauricio Pochettino style of play?Â
The Argentine gaffer’s style of play revolves around high pressing, he always wants his players to press with intensity. He likes to cage the opponent’s players.
Pochettino also likes his team to play attacking style of football. At the same time, he wants his squad to build from the back and pave its way through the midfield.
Vertical style of playÂ
Mauricio usually wants his player to be vertical, so as to be able to close down gaps from the defense to the front in a blink. This style of play was obvious at Tottenham.
Even though he goes with the 4-at-the-back formation. He wants his defenders to be able to switch from defense to attack. Which explains why he wants to keep Levi Colwill next season.
Speaking of vertical passing, Pochettino likes his players to be good with the ball on their feet. His style of play deals with building from the back.
He wants his goalkeeper to be able to connect with his teammates up front. Also, his centre-backs and full backs usually play a 4-at-the-back setup with a triangle of 5-3-2.
Direct forward playÂ
The Argentine manager wants his team to play a forward style of play, instead of making a series of passes without leaving the midfield. His central attackers play a major role in his forward play.
His style of play gives his attacking midfielder a lot of freedom. That was obvious with how he played Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.
His attackers are very direct in going forward, timing movements, and playing flawless link-up play. Obviously, he may not play Kai Havertz as a false No.9 under him.
At the same time, he may turn Mason Mount to his Christian Eriksen. Regardless, he always wants his No.10 to be combined through the middle.
Offensiveness
Like I said earlier, Pochettino plays an attacking style of football, even though he wants his players to press and chase the ball. The Argentine is attacking-minded type of coach.
His team always pushes forward to attack with the help of his central midfielders. Mauricio also bet on his attackers, wanting them to make use of the free space on the pitch.
In the same vein, his full-backs are always on their feet, running back and forth to balance the team’s offensive display. That’s why James and Chilwell would be his weapons.
Under the 4-at-the-back formation, his left-back and right-back always move forward in a vertical way, combining with the wingers.
What are Mauricio Pochettino formations?Â
The Argentine gaffer has used many formations in his managerial career. He usually plays setups that frustrate his opponents. However, he normally plays the 4-at-the-back formation.
4-2-3-1; this is actually Pochettino’s famous formation, and he makes his players play the setup in a modern way. The 4-2-3-1 setup is normally used to play counter-attack.
Speaking of this formation, his centre-backs are usually good with long balls. That’s the main reason he wants Levi Colwill back next campaign.
The English centre-back is more like Thiago Silva, he likes to play long diagonal balls. Mauricio wants players to mount pressure on the opponent’s defenders.
Interestingly, Pochettino’s side does switch to 3-4-3 on the pitch, depending on how the opponents setup their formation. They usually play 3-at-the-back when attacking.
Also, the Argentine boss once played 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1. As regards this formation, he wants his team to build from the back. From the first pass from the goalkeeper.
That’s why he likes his goalkeepers to be good with the ball on their foot. The likes of Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga may have issues under him.
In a 4-4-2 or 4-1-4-1 setup, his centre-backs drop to either side of the goalkeeper. Meanwhile, his midfielders drop deep to receive the ball, forming a triangle around the opponents.