When he was named the new Chelsea head coach earlier this summer, Mauricio Pochettino became Chelsea’s fifth manager/head coach in the last five years. Such instability has not helped the club, so hopefully the Argentine can be the man who gets the club back on track.
Chelsea Football Club is pleased to announce Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s new head coach!
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 29, 2023
Here is a look at why Pochettino looks like the right man for Chelsea, and why fans should be patient, even if early results don’t go his way.
Pochettino knows the Premier League Very Well
After spending five years at Tottenham and a year at Southampton, Pochettino is a manager who is very familiar with the Premier League. This is important as the new Chelsea boss knows what to expect.
Some foreign managers are often surprised by the pace of the Premier League and how the schedule can be congested, particularly around the festive period. Pochettino should be ready for both of those challenges.
Pochettino won 159 of his 293 matches at Tottenham which gave him a respectable 54.27% win rate. His greatest achievement there was taking them to the Champions League final in 2019. Unfortunately for Spurs, they were beaten by Liverpool in the game in Madrid.
Former Spurs Coach Has a Big Reputation Around the World
Pochettino is regarded as one of the best head coaches in world football, and it wasn’t just Chelsea he was being linked with. The Blues were able to persuade him to return to England and take up the role in West London before anybody else did.
Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in global football, so it was very important they got their latest appointment right. With fans in all regions of the world, including in Zambia, supporters were keen that the new manager had the right pedigree for the job. With Pochettino now in charge, many Chelsea fans will be backing the club for success in the Zambia betting where the Blues are available at great odds of 50/1 for the title this season.
Pochettino is very familiar with coaching big-name players. During his time at PSG, he had the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi in his squad, and he was able to keep those stars happy in his team.
Argentine Can Get Most out of Underperforming Stars
One of the biggest considerations the board would have made back in the summer when they decided who would replace former manager Graham Potter was who could get the most out of the stars currently at Chelsea. It was clear last season that many of them were underperforming at the club.
Very happy to wear this shirt again. We keep going in the best way, come on Chelsea.
— Enzo Fernández (@Enzo13Fernandez) July 23, 2023
Muy contento de volver a usar esta camiseta. Nos seguimos preparando de la mejor manera, vamos Chelsea.💙 pic.twitter.com/xz0Jc1xbSj
Pochettino will bring a fresh approach, and he has a system they will most likely enjoy. This attacking brand of football should suit the likes of Raheem Sterling, Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk. Those are players who have shown spells of brilliance, but their new head coach will now be looking to get more from them and ensure they deliver consistently across the season.
Hopefully, Pochettino finishes his opening season at Chelsea with some silverware and the club can qualify back into the Champions League at the bare minimum.