Opinion: Poch needs to walk out of Chelsea to retain his sanity and reputation

Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino this season have been disastrous. No other word for it.

On both occasions where they’ve got to Wembley – the Carabao Cup Final and the FA Cup semi-final, they’ve had the lion’s share of chances but been woeful in their finishing.

In general, throughout the 2023/24 campaign, the Blues have performed well below par, and Poch has had to carry the can.

Just as with Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter before him, Pochettino has had to put up with the constant meddling of Chelsea’s owner, Todd Boehly, too.

Pochettino needs to walk out of Chelsea

Results have needed to be better it’s true, however, having to deal with an insane injury list and over-zealous owner throughout the campaign, has been a clear disadvantage.

As has having to mould together a squad that haven’t gelled since day one.

Boehly’s attitude of hiring and firing both players and managers is clearly not conducive to squad harmony, and given that the American isn’t going anywhere, if Poch wants to restore his own reputation and prove he can still manage at the highest level, he needs to walk out of the Stamford Bridge exit door this summer.

The Argentinian has proven that he can manage his crop of young stars but he just isn’t getting the results expected of a team that has had many, many millions spent on it.

It would be easy for him to be Boehly’s fall guy, and in so doing he will ruin his reputation for the foreseeable future. A reputation that has taken him years to build and which has included stints at Espanyol, Southampton Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain.

Taking pride in your work and not walking away is an admirable stance to be taking, however, becoming Boehly’s lap dog isn’t what Pochettino signed up to, nor should he be