VERY Sad Mouricio Pochettino news has been announced this evening after Middlesbrough 1: 0 Defea
Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Chelsea appears gloomy, and while the club’s owners have pledged their entire support for him, that may not be enough for much longer.
Chelsea won five of their next six games in all competitions after losing 2-0 to Everton on December 10, but that mini-revival came to an end on Tuesday night with a 1-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final encounter.
Boro outplayed the Blues in the first half of their visit to the Riverside Stadium, and they were unable to break down Michael Carrick’s side in the second half as the hosts sat deep and absorbed pressure.
Surprisingly, it followed a formula that has been repeated in almost every Chelsea game this season: a dismal first-half performance in which they were outplayed, followed by a difficult second-half with little threat when up against a deep block.
Chelsea had 72% possession against Middlesbrough, but only five of their 18 efforts were on goal, and they failed to create any meaningful chances in the second half as the hosts sat deep.
Pochettino frequently struggled against deep blocks at PSG, and his tactical expertise hasn’t helped Chelsea to create chances against teams who sit on the outskirts of their penalty area.
It’s a problem that predates Pochettino’s tenure at Chelsea, but he’s the man in the spotlight right now, so he’s the one to blame.
Of course, things would have been much different if Cole Palmer had finished one of the three big chances he missed in the first 45 minutes, but Chelsea were simply not good enough against mid-table Championship opponents.
Will Mauricio Pochettino be fired?
Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League table and must now stage a comeback against Boro in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on January 23.
Pochettino will almost certainly be in charge when Carrick’s side travels to Stamford Bridge in two weeks, but failing to reach the Carabao Cup final might cost him his job.
Change has been widespread at Chelsea since Todd Boehly took over as owner in 2022, and while appointing another manager may not be the solution, one thing is certain: Pochettino isn’t living up to expectations.
While the west London club has spent well over €1 billion on transfers in the last 18 months, Chelsea’s starting XI against Middlesbrough cost a whopping €464.2m (Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, and Conor Gallagher were all free transfers) and should have cruised to victory.
Instead, they lied in order to deceive, and Pochettino now faces major questions about his future as Chelsea’s head coach.
The Blues have already lost nine games in all competitions this season, with only 13 wins, four of which have come against lower-league opponents.
Chelsea has the most expensively assembled roster in the world, yet they have been disappointing this season, and the fault ultimately lies on Pochettino.
The Blues’ issue is a scarcity of high-quality managers on the market. That aspect alone may help Pochettino keep his job for a little longer, but Chelsea fans are growing impatient.
