Chelsea's Managerial Dilemma: Pros And Cons Of Sacking Pochettino

4. No Obvious Replacement Available:

Sacking another head coach mid-season would abandon any vision of a long-term project that the owners are trying to sell to potential replacements. It would also serve as a warning to any potential candidates for the role, as they would be stepping into what is arguably the most challenging job in world football, managing one of the most inexperienced, unproven, and expensive squads ever assembled. With Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona all on the hunt for new managers, sacking Pochettino would make the Chelsea job an incredibly tough sell.

While Xabi Alonso would be the ideal managerial candidate, strong links to Liverpool and Bayern Munich make it highly unlikely that he would join the Blues. Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim is certainly an interesting choice, but would Chelsea fans be patient with another young manager who is unproven at the highest level? History suggests otherwise.

As much as some of the faithful would like, ‘Jose Mourinho’ and a ‘long-term project’ do not fit together in the same sentence. Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton would be both incredibly difficult and expensive to get. Additionally, transfers from Brighton both on and off the pitch have not worked out too well for Chelsea. Julian Naglesmann was a name on Chelsea’s managerial shortlist this time last year. However, his struggles at Bayern and currently the German National Team would suggest that Chelsea dodged a bullet by not hiring him. 

Given the circumstances, expecting Pochettino to succeed at Chelsea in its current state from the beginning was unrealistic, although he does need to do better than the 11th place Chelsea currently find themselves in. With the likes of Reece James, Marc Cucurella, and Romeo Lavia working towards a return before the end of the season, Pochettino will be hoping for a strong finish that will see CFC achieve their minimum goal of securing European qualification for next season. If the team fails, it would be difficult to envision Pochettino retaining his job, and such a decision might even be justified.