Emmanuel Petit reveals the only manager who could truly be the perfect replacement for current Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
If Mauricio Pochettino were to depart Chelsea, former Blues midfielder Emmanuel Petit believes that Roberto De Zerbi, currently managing Brighton & Hove Albion, would be the ideal candidate to step into the role.
Despite significant investments, Pochettino’s tenure at Stamford Bridge has come under scrutiny following a lackluster season. While there have been glimpses of hope, such as Cole Palmer’s impressive performance against Manchester United, the Blues have struggled to find consistency.
Sunday’s match against Sheffield United further highlighted Chelsea’s struggles, with Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time equalizer resulting in a disappointing draw. With the team currently sitting in ninth place in the Premier League standings, the pressure is mounting on Pochettino to turn their fortunes around.
Petit’s take on Mauricio’s situation
Despite Chelsea’s continued presence in competitions, the likelihood of securing a spot in European football next season appears slim, given the strong positions of teams like United, West Ham, and Newcastle. Should the Blues fail to qualify for either the Europa League or Europa Conference League, Todd Boehly may consider parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino, the former head coach of PSG.
In his short time at Chelsea, the American owner is a bit impatient. Boehly could be thinking about making a move, but Petit told Genting Casino (h/t Football London) that the Blues had to give Pochettino more time. Petit said:
“I hear critics about Mauricio Pochettino every week, do the fans want him sacked? It’s exhausting for the fans, players and staff to keep changing the manager. Restarting under a new coach again and again and again is tiring. Give time to Pochettino, Chelsea need to stop signing and selling players.”
“If it comes to it, the only manager I can see replacing Pochettino is Roberto De Zerbi, De Zerbi lost half of his Brighton team and still played consistently with his ideologies and got his teams to play good football. If Chelsea are changing their players all the time, he can install a mentality in the club to play a certain way.”
Todd Boehly acknowledges that Chelsea’s season has been disappointing, but he urges supporters to give the boss a bit more time. He understands the frustration but emphasizes the challenges of constantly changing coaching staff. Despite the setbacks, Boehly remains committed to stability and believes in allowing time for progress and improvement under the current leadership.
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The ongoing flux in staff and squad dynamics presents a considerable challenge for the existing team to maintain consistency and perform at their best. However, speaking hypothetically, Todd Boehly acknowledges that if Mauricio were to be replaced, he would lean towards Roberto De Zerbi as a potential successor.
De Zerbi’s track record of consistency with his current club suggests that he could bring stability and reliability to Chelsea, qualities that Boehly views as crucial for the team’s success. In De Zerbi, Boehly sees a potential asset who could help guide the Blues through turbulent times and lead them to brighter days ahead.
