In his debut season at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino has been under fire, but a four-match winning streak has put his inexperienced team within touching distance of Europa League qualification. Chelsea moved up to sixth after beating Brighton 2-1 on Wednesday and might catch Tottenham Hotspur for fifth on the final day.
Chelsea’s top brass feel Pochettino, who signed a two-year contract with a third option, should stay. The controlling co-owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, may keep the Argentinian, but there is a rising likelihood.
There are signs that some board members are undecided on Pochettino, but any change would require majority consent. Pochettino’s exit requires approval from Boehly and Clearlake, the private equity firm run by Behdad Eghbali and Jose E. Feliciano. Sources say the club was considering firing the 52-year-old a few weeks ago, but positive results changed their minds.
The uncertainty has affected Pochettino, who may depart after next week’s evaluation. He wants more control over signings and has criticized Chelsea’s sporting directors, Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.
Chelsea wants to make Pochettino feel appreciated before the evaluation by Winstanley and Stewart, with owners’ participation. After overcoming many obstacles, the former Tottenham manager is admired. Chelsea missed out on Champions League qualification after spending over £1bn on recruits, but reaching sixth would be a good result.
Boehly said Chelsea have played “beautiful football” recently and stressed the necessity of long-term preparation this week. “The No. 1 thing is you have to be patient,” the American stated. “You expect something to come together quickly, but anything good takes time. I think patience was always considered.”
Chelsea employees agree that changing would be unproductive. Pochettino has the dressing room’s support and has streamlined a hastily constructed group. A policy of signing the world’s greatest young players left Chelsea lacking leaders and experience. Pochettino has mentored his young players and dealt with a large injury list.
Chelsea are fourth in the form table since Christmas, while Nicolas Jackson, Malo Gusto, Moisés Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah, Noni Madueke, and Conor Gallagher have benefited from Pochettino. Pochettino has had more choices in previous games after important players returned from injury.
Other club officials have lauded Stewart, Winstanley, and co-director of recruitment and talent Joe Shields’ transfer market efforts. Chelsea thinks its recruitment team is proving critics wrong this season. Winstanley and Stewart are safe from job loss.
