The Argentine is under pressure after Sunday’s Carabao Cup disappointment (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea’s hierarchy are considering parting company with Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season and have already begun exploring replacements, according to reports.
Pressure is mounting on the Argentine coach after his side’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, particularly after such a meek display in extra-time.
The Blues are also languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table, some 17 points adrift of the top four, and their best chance of playing in Europe next season may well come via the FA Cup.
Should Pochettino fail to deliver European football, however, his position could quickly become untenable, with the Daily Mail reporting that there are now significant doubts over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino only signed a two-year contract last summer, with the option for a third, meaning it would be relatively inexpensive to ditch him and his coaching staff at the end of the season.
Ideally, Chelsea want to see out the rest of the campaign before making a decision on their manager but that stance could change if their Premier League form does not pick up dramatically or they exit the FA Cup early.
Chelsea’s new owners, who have spent over a billion pounds since taking the reins, are said to be desperate to play in Europe next season and could be prepared to make a change in the coming weeks if they feel it could boost their chances of sneaking into Europe.
Ideally, though, they want to make it to the end of the season before reviewing the management role, with fan sentiment towards Pochettino likely to play a large part in any decision.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim is a manager in demand (Picture: Getty)
To underline how precarious the former Tottenham manager’s position is, Chelsea’s hierarchy have already started looking at potential candidates to replace Pochettino should they part ways.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim, who was on Chelsea’s shortlist before they opted for Pochettino, appears to be the standout choice and is someone they have long-standing interest in.
However, Amorim has impressed once again this season, with Sporting vying for the Portuguese title, and is also being considered by other footballing powerhouses around Europe.
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Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all in the market for a new manager this summer, while Manchester United could join them if Erik ten Hag cannot secure a top-four finish.
After guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the summit of the Bundesliga table, Xabi Alonso is the manager everybody wants but Amorim appears to have established himself as the next best thing and there will be significant competition for his signature.
Given Chelsea’s struggles in recent years, and the need to comply with Premier League spending rules going forward after significant expenditure, there are doubts over just how much pull the Blues now possess and whether they will have the necessary clout to lure a top manager.
For now at least, Chelsea have no immediate plans to axe Pochettino with a decent chunk of the season still left to play, but defeat against Leeds United in the FA Cup this week could change things quickly.
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