Chelsea news as the Blues open reality to a world where Christopher Nkunku never plays under Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino cannot shake the pressure at Chelsea. With three losses in his past four games and one win in five there is a sense of unease growing at Stamford Bridge yet again.
The defeat against Everton, which to many was widely predictable given the glaring weaknesses in the squad and the current swing in form of the two sides, is further proof for those that have been doubting the head coach in the past months. It comes off the back of an even worse performance and arguably more damaging result away to Manchester United.
Chelsea are now back down in 12th, the same spot they finished last year in, having spent over £350million to improve the squad over the summer – though that is offset by the sales of £270million worth of senior players that had crumbled last year. The optics are understandably bad.
Pochettino himself had banked some credit after an impressive run against sides at the top of the table but that has now all-but-evaporated after an ugly head reared once more after the international break. Inconsistency, most will admit, is acceptable at this stage of proceedings. The manor of the defeat at Old Trafford is harder to stomach, though, and the inevitability of falling short at Goodison Park has proved too much for some to handle.
Although Pochettino’s position has been backed by the club, football.london understands he is not close to being sacked and that he retains the support of those above him in a bit to turn fortunes around at Stamford Bridge, it is not too much of a stretch given recent history to imagine just what sort of reaction is coming up though.
There is a nicer run of games to come, matches with Sheffield United, Luton, Crystal Palace and Fulham as well as Wolves before a clash at Liverpool, which offers the chance to once again build some momentum. However, if results don’t improve it will be a tough position for Pochettino to come back from.
Here, football.london looks at what can be expected to happen if Pochettino is sacked by Chelsea in the near future, or just what a parallel universe could have in store.
Christopher Nkunku has another new boss
Slightly tongue-in-cheek because everyone involved at SW6 will be hoping that, come next Saturday, Chelsea can not only win but welcome Christopher Nkunku into the fold for a competitive debut, but should Pochettino be dismissed in the coming weeks and the player doesn’t return until the New Year there could be quite the surprise.
Since Chelsea first opened talks with the forward over a move there have been five managers in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, four since he agreed to join. To have not played a single game in that time is remarkable and the picture has already changed so much around him it must be disorientating.
Pochettino going would only increase that but in reality it is the manager looking to his supposed star player with puppy eyes, hoping that Nkunku’s arrival will complete the transformation in rapid time.
Conor Gallagher gets sold
This could have happened despite Pochettino being in charge over the summer and making Gallagher a key player in pre-season so it’s not tough to imagine him going if a change was made now. Conor Gallagher might yet leave under the Argentine in January anyway, such is Chelsea’s reluctance to keep hold of a player like him.
Without Pochettino in position, it feels almost inevitable that Gallagher will go though. The suits at the club would boast pure profit on the books but really it’s just a terrible position to be in. What makes this worse is Pochettino doesn’t have to be sacked for this to feel all that likely.
Fanbase turns
If it hasn’t already. Chelsea fans aren’t a patient bunch and if the group that can’t hold off their insatiable desires for a top-four finish with a man overseeing an unprecedented level of player turnover, consistently without ten senior players and handed the youngest squad in the Premier League then nobody is going to cut it.
In 2021, shortly after Frank Lampard returned the first time, a banner with the words ‘the circus continues’ was placed outside the club. Months later and during the European Super League debacle they turned again on the higher ups. The players got the brunt of the anger last year and now its the new owners.
The damage has been done already to a large extent and even if results were to swing it feels like only a matter of time before the frustration comes out again. This has been building since before Maurizio Sarri was sworn off the pitch by supporters. Pochettino’s exit might bring temporary happiness to some but it’s not the sign of a well run club and the wider reaction and impact would show that.
Jose Mourinho doesn’t return
It just won’t happen, okay? Jose Mourinho 3.0 isn’t on the cards.
Would Mourinho really fancy his chances with this squad and with the club in its current state? Who knows. Would the young team bend to the Special One like previous generations of players have done? Probably not.
The fans would be united and excited, on the whole, but in terms of progress and moving forward, this just ain’t it.
Another setback in ‘the process’
And the most obvious until last. It doesn’t really need to be said but sacking another manager isn’t a sign of things going smoothly.
The Process, The Plan or The Project don’t really work if it’s a bad Process, Plan or Project, regardless. The overarching numbers and strategies look horrendous for a club like Chelsea and if trust hadn’t already eroded, of whatever trust there was between fans and owners, then it would be gone altogether here.
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