As the calendar turned to 2024, it felt as if Mauricio Pochettino was finally starting to exert his influence on the young, patchwork Chelsea squad. While the results remained spotty, the Blues seemed to be putting in performances that belied Pochettino's plan for the club's growth.
Fast forward a month, and Pochettino's status as Chelsea boss has never been more perilous. Without a win in the last three matches, including multi-goal defeats in the last two, Pochettino now finds himself in a very precarious position.
Even at a club where managerial consistency is more valued than at any point over the past few decades, Pochettino cannot continue to muck around and fall back on the (very real) excuses of youth and injuries for too much longer.
Defeats to Liverpool by three goals and Wolves by two in the past few weeks have done more damage to Pochettino's standing at Stamford Bridge than any of the many adverse results previously this season. Whereas before there was patience and foresight towards a still promising future, there's a very real sense of "if not now, when?" around the club's outlook.
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As they meet Aston Villa in an FA Cup replay on Wednesday, having drawn 0-0 in London to force a do-over that neither club wanted, the Pochettino will be feeling the heat. So too are Chelsea's counterparts in this match, as a 5-0 win over Sheffield United was only the first step in turning around a poor run of form for Villa which has seen their title chase crumble and their electric season pegged back.
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In truth, it is difficult to pin down exactly who these teams are at the moment. Chelsea are in
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