Mauricio Pochettino on the cusp of being named Chelsea manager—A good appointment?

Mauricio Pochettino is close to being named the new Chelsea manager, with final negotiations underway with the former Tottenham boss.

The Argentine coach is set to take over the vacancy at Stamford Bridge currently filled on an interim basis by Frank Lampard. Chelsea are confident that an announcement can be soon made over the permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was sacked earlier this month.

Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly verbally agreed to sign up with Chelsea, with the 51-year-old set to be followed into the West London club with his four-man backroom staff that include Jesus Perez and Toni Jimenez.

The Blues are now in the process of ratifying the agreement with the Argentine due to take charge of the club officially from June 1. Both Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann were also strongly considered for the job too, but Pochettino’s Premier League experience saw him win the battle against the duo.

Chelsea closing in on Mauricio Pochettino—A good appointment?

Given his past relationship and emotional attachment with Tottenham, Chelsea had reservations about Mauricio Pochettino. However, those concerns were quelled by the positive reaction of their fanbase to the potential arrival of Pochettino. The Argentine is set to do the unthinkable by taking the reins at Stamford Bridge, but it is a move that makes a lot of sense.

Pochettino meets the values and principles required at Chelsea; a smart manager who can manage the hugely bloated squad has the know-how of Premier League football, develop the young players and bring stability.

He is unfairly remembered and often criticised for not winning anything with Tottenham, but media and pundits forget the work he did at the club. The 51-year-old’s stock may have unceremoniously dipped following his sacking from Paris Saint-Germain last year, but he is still rated as one of Europe’s best managers and will be keen to prove his detractors wrong at Chelsea.

The Blues find themselves in the midst of chaos, languishing 11th in the table and out of all cup competitions. They desperately need a person who can galvanise the squad with fresh ideas, energy and motivation, and get the club back to challenging for the top four next season.

In Pochettino, they are about to hire the right man whose reputation is built upon improving struggling teams and helping them unlock their true potential. He did an excellent job during his 18 months at Southampton before taking in charge of Tottenham in May 2018. For a club like Tottenham that has been often ridiculed for not qualifying for the Champions League, the Argentine famously took the club to the finals of the competition in 2019.

A lot of parallels can be drawn between Tottenham’s position some nine years back and the current situation at Chelsea. Pochettino fixed Spurs by rebuilding the squad after Tim Sherwood’s sacking for failing to qualify for the Champions League. At Chelsea, he will have the squad and resources to revive their fortunes. What the Argentine should seek from the Chelsea board on top of that is time, patience and backing to mould the team in his image.