Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino dilemma surfaces as Frank Lampard’s side hit rock bottom

Chelsea lost 2-0 to Thomas Frank’s Brentford as interim manager Frank Lampard is yet to register a win in his second spell as Chelsea boss. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to become the new Chelsea manager but the Blues now face a dilemma with regards to his appointment.

Graham Potter was sacked in early April and since then CFC have been proactive in their managerial recruitment process. They have carried out an exhaustive process, held multiple rounds of interviews with candidates and are now close to finalizing the name that will take over the reins at Stamford Bridge.

Early favourites Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann are no longer in the running as Chelsea decided not to go ahead with Enrique, meanwhile, Nagelsmann pulled out of the race after expressing concerns over club’s recruitment policies. This left Pochettino as the top remaining candidate. Ruben Amorim was also evaluated but the chiefs decided not to pursue the Portuguese manager.

Should Chelsea appoint Mauricio Pochettino immediately or wait until the end of the season?

While CFC technical directors carried out their due diligence and evaluation, Bruno Saltor was appointed as the caretaker manager. He was in the dugout for the Liverpool game which ended in a 0-0 draw. There was a common feeling among the club hierarchy that they needed a more experienced and a fan revered manager until the end of the season.

This is where club legend Lampard came in. The English manager was out of work after being sacked by Everton and took charge of the Chelsea side ahead of their trip to Wolves. Lampard’s appointment instantly brought some respite to fans’ annoyance as his appointment appealed the fan base.

The 44 year old had the chance to take Chelsea to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and in the process salvage something out of a miserable season. However, three weeks since his appointment as caretaker manager, Lampard has lost all five games as manager. His side crashed out of the UCL as the Blues lost 4-0 on aggregate in the quarters. In five games, Lampard’s side has managed to score only once.

Lampard’s side seems to have hit rock bottom and are lacking some freshness. Pochettino is on course to become the new manager but the chiefs are presented with the dilemma of whether to instill the Argentine straight away or wait until the end of the season and give everyone a clean slate.

Instilling him at the helm at this point would allow the former PSG manager to assess the squad in great detail and make observations before the pre-season. Anyway, the season is done and dusted for the Blues with a European spot way out of reach. Allowing Pochettino to take control now will give him time to inject his ideas into the squad and make a decision over players’ roles. A change could also bring fresh ideas and optimism to the squad, something that is currently lacking in the side.

If CFC decide to wait until the end of the season and appoint Pochettino in pre-season, the Blues may perhaps endure even more difficult results from now until the last match day. It is a dilemma that must be occupying the club’s head space and a conclusion must be reached soon.

Will CFC appoint Mauricio Pochettino before the end of the season?