Arsenal legend Paul Merson touts Chelsea FC's unpredictability as an edge over Arsenal. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Gary Neville has backed Mauricio Pochettino to turn around Chelsea’s fortunes next season after a horrid time under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard.
The Blues sacked Thomas Tuchel to bring in Potter from Brighton & Hove Albion in September. Within seven months, the Englishman was out, with Frank Lampard being installed as the club’s caretaker boss.
He has since lost all his five games in charge of the club, with the Blues confirmed to miss out on UEFA Champions League football next season. They are currently 12th in the table and out of all cup competitions.
This season has perhaps been the most forgettable one for Chelsea fans in the 21st century. The club are still on the lookout for a new permanent manager, and Pochettino has emerged as a leading candidate.
He is believed to be very close to becoming Chelsea’s new head coach. The 51-year-old has been without a club since being fired by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer. Speaking on the Overlap, Neville said of the former Tottenham Hotspur boss, via Metro:
“Pochettino I think is a really talented coach and I think Chelsea next year could really cause a surprise, just by Pochettino bringing the club together because he will. He’s likeable and the players will respect him enormously.
He’s worked at PSG and worked with big players, worked at Tottenham, worked at Southampton where he did a great job. I think he’ll do a very, very good job next season and he’ll cover a lot of the stuff that’s going on behind the scenes. Those players are perfect for Pochettino. Talented, young but just needing direction.”
That’s a sensible prediction from Neville. Pochettino has been known as a calm and composed coach who rarely ever creates any controversy on or off the football field.
His five years at Spurs were pretty impressive, where he brought together a team of young players to create a side that reached the UEFA Champions League final. Chelsea are in need of a saviour. Anything will be better than our current season, honestly.
In a way, that is good for Poch, if he becomes Chelsea’s boss. He won’t have unrealistic expectations to match but that doesn’t mean Todd Boehly and co. won’t expect good results fairly quickly. Another season without Champions League football would be unimaginable at Stamford Bridge.
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