Why Pochettino deserves time after navigating turbulent season has been revealed on this page. Back in September, Mauricio Pochettino had seen enough from his Chelsea squad to guarantee they would be back in Europe at the first time of asking.
Mauricio Pochettino said “We are going to be in European competition next season.”
As the season wore on, that promise started to appear foolish. A crippling injury list robbed Chelsea of Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Christopher Nkunku for much of the season, and no doubt contributed to several damaging defeats.
Chelsea lost heavily at Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool, while they were also unable to beat Jurgen Klopp’s severely depleted side in the Carabao Cup final.
Pochettino’s Tottenham connections provided a further barrier between him and some of Chelsea’s fans. But eight months on, and despite those many obstacles, the manager has fulfilled his promise.
But will Pochettino be given the chance to lead the Blues into a second campaign? If so, what will be expected from Chelsea next season? And what lies ahead in what promises to be a fascinating summer transfer window?
