The Blues players are said to be enthusiastic about the idea of training with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino before he takes over as Chelsea manager.
Mauricio Pochettino, the new permanent manager of Chelsea, is on the verge of being confirmed as he prepares to sign a long-term contract.
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Many Stamford Bridge supporters wanted Pochettino to be announced long ago, but it is believed that the owners did not want to add further upheaval to Frank Lampard’s dismal second tenure in charge. In April, the former Blues midfielder took over for Graham Potter on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Pochettino will not begin working with the Chelsea side until the summer, but his appointment marks his first job since last summer and his first return to the English Premier League since being fired by Tottenham Hotspur in November of 2019.
In terms of how the Chelsea players have reacted to the news, it is understood that the overall feeling is one of support for Pochettino. His experience is said to have gone down well with several Blues stars, who will be relieved to see the end of this season and possibly Lampard.
Chelsea’s season has been a disaster, with the club currently sitting in 11th place and trailing the rest of the top six.
Pochettino will be well aware of the magnitude of the challenge before him. He’ll also be mindful of the squad’s size, as the Argentine may have to make some difficult decisions to cut Chelsea’s bloated squad.
It is presently unknown whom Pochettino may try to offload, but there have been suggestions that the former Tottenham Hotspur manager is interested in reinforcing Chelsea’s spine by adding a new goalkeeper, central midfielder, and center-forward to the mix.
It’s been six weeks since Potter was fired from the Stamford Bridge hot seat, and the players and fans are unified in their desire to get the new man in as quickly as possible for pre-season.
A substantial portion of Pochettino’s backroom team has also relocated to west London with the Argentine. Sorting out his staff’s contracts is said to be one of the reasons why negotiations with Pochettino have dragged on.
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Chelsea are currently 11th in the league and have won only one game since Lampard took over from Potter in early April.
Their most recent appearance saw them lose points at home to a Nottingham Forest side fighting tooth and claw to stay in the Premier League.
Pochettino will have seen things he wants to improve on once he takes over Chelsea’s talented but struggling squad.
