Pochettino’s tactics and style of play perfect for Chelsea

Chelsea have upped the ante for their next managerial appointment. The Blues appointed former manager and club legend Frank Lampard on an interim basis, in the hope of boosting the dressing room and fans’ morale.

That hasn’t gone according to plan and the Stamford Bridge outfit’s season is now a dead rubber, to say the least, after their elimination from the Champions League. Although, Lampard will see out the rest of the season, announcing a permanent fixture in the dressing room is now key to building some consistency.

The West-London club are in the middle of an exhaustive process for their next managerial appointment and Mauricio Pochettino has now emerged as a surprise favourite for the role. Ironically, the two leading contenders for the job – Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique – are both now out of the running for the position.

The Argentine has a decent CV when it comes to his managerial career. Todd Boehly and the rest of the board have been impressed by how he has presented his plans for the Blues. Even though he is yet to win a major trophy as a manager, Pochettino’s stint at Spurs has given confidence to those on the Chelsea board.

Chelsea fans have seen first-hand how Pochettino likes to set his team up. On paper, he looks like the ideal appointment, given that he oversaw a squad overall at Tottenham, helped them transition to a new stadium, and most importantly – he is one of the best when it comes to developing young players.

If anything, CFC might have dodged a bullet by not appointing Nagelsmann with his not-so-good ability with man-management in the past, working against his favour. With that in mind, we take a look at what the Blues fans can expect when it comes to Pochettino’s tactics, style of play, formation and how he is the perfect fit for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Mauricio Pochettino tactics

He began his coaching journey back in 2008, when he was tasked with helping Espanyol avoid the drop from Spain’s top flight. The Argentine’s expansive style of football and high pressing earned him praise across the league – which is something Todd Boehly likes and fans enjoyed under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel.

It was Southampton where he made his mark which made waves causing the football world to take notice of him. His sole season at St. Mary’s earned them their second-best finish of eighth in their history of English top flight. From 2014-2019 he oversaw a Tottenham transformation that few would’ve expected.

Fans and rival fans started to appreciate the work he had put in at the White Hart Lane outfit.  His tactics were unique and one that was never previously seen in English football (before Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola entered the frame).

As previously mentioned, Pochettino likes his team to play an attacking style of football which includes high pressing. The Argentine likes his team set up in a way that they build up from the back and make their way into the midfield with incisive and intricate passing.

Vertical passing is what the former Paris Saint-Germain manager wants his players to execute whenever possible which opens up gaps in half-spaces. This also helps his team to switch from defence to offence in the blink of an eye.

Out of possession, Chelsea fans can expect Pochettino’s team to get the ball back as soon as possible with a well-drilled and organized press, unlike many other young managers in the game. Lampard’s men do boast some of the best talents in world football and it looks like Pochettino’s tactics are tailor-made for this bunch of players.

He can get the best out of players like Kepa – who is good at the ball at his feet, the defensive quartet of Fofana, Badiashile, Chilwell and James who can switch from defence to attack in split second. Kai Havertz could be the biggest beneficiary of this appointment given the fact that how Dele Alli strived under the Argentine in the no.10 role.

Lastly, the big-money attackers who have underwhelmed for the most part of their Chelsea careers will finally be hoping that Pochettino can bring the best out of them.

Pochettino’s style of play

The former PSG boss uses his formation in such a way(something which is explained later), that his opponents find it difficult to break down his team. The most important rule for getting into any Pochettino team is that you have to be good with the ball at your feet – yes even the Goalkeeper.

Most elite managers like to use a pivot in their team. For instance, Klopp and Fabinho at Liverpool, Pep and Rodri and Manchester City. Similarly, Pochettino as well likes to depend on his pivot heavily. The only difference here is that his pivot is actually the goalkeeper in the initial phase of buildup.

The goalkeeper acts as an outfield player from the get-go along with his two centre-backs and two full-backs which virtually form a back five. This forms a triangle on the pitch, irrespective of which side the ball is being played on. Once the opposition’s initial press is beaten in their own final-third, Pochettino’s teams push forward, with the help of his two central midfielders, leaving acres of space for the team’s wingers(good news for Mudryk).

The Argentine manager demands his full-backs to be on their toes all the time forming overloads in the attacking third of the team. This also helps his teams have a numerical advantage. The Stamford Bridge outfit have one of the best fullback pairing in the world in the form of Reece James and Ben Chilwell. They are known for their tenacious output on both ends of the pitch and will have no problem in executing what Pochettino demands of them.

Chelsea have the perfect players at their disposal for Pochettino to get the best out of and if the latest reports are anything to go by, the Blues are in for a treat.

Mauricio Pochettino’s potential Chelsea formation

Pochettino is famous for using the traditional 4-2-3-1 formation and yet playing the attacking brand of football that modern fans crave for. The 4-2-3-1 is usually for teams that set up for counter-attacking football, soaking up the opponent’s pressure.

The former Spurs manager sees this in a different way. His team’s goalkeeper is always the focal point in the initial buildup phase, whereas the two centre-backs are good at long diagonal balls – in situations where there is no way out from their own penalty box.

Apart from the usual 4-2-3-1, Poch mixes it up depending on how his opponents have set up against his team on matchdays. Fans are accustomed to seeing his Plan B formation, where out of nowhere in the middle of a match, his team switches to a 3-4-3 with ease.

This will be music to the ears of Chelsea fans who have been craving a coach who is not just one-dimensional. The likes of Conte, Sarri, Lampard and Tuchel would rarely mix things up. And with a squad as big as the West London outfit, it is paramount that their next coach knows how to get the best out of his players using different systems.

All that said and done, the Blues hierarchy is far from appointing any permanent manager anytime soon. What’s good for the fans to know is that the CFC superiors are actually taking their time to avoid repeating previous mistakes and appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager will be one taken in the right direction.