Mauricio Pochettino leaves Chelsea by mutual consent

[boratsbrother]

58 minutes ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

It’s not about emotion; it was a genuinely even more alarming performance than we’ve seen even after the clown show of the last two years imo.

We need a new manager and a whole new sporting department. Get in an ex-Chelsea man and a couple of proper football-savvy people and we CAN make a better go of it next season imo.

Utd's collapse and very fortunate escape  against a Championship team on Sunday was much, much worse than ours.  But that same team also showed good mentsl strength by beating Liverpool in a previous round.

Chelsea and Utd are the definition of teams which are flaky who blow hot and cold from one game to the next and periods within games.  That is different from a team with a poor mentality who always buckle under pressure.  The recent game between us was the perfect example of how good and bad both teams can be from one game and one minute to the next. I'd be much more worried if we had hardly any of the good to work on going forward.

Edited April 24 by boratsbrother

[Thiago97]

I actually really want to judge Poch performance as a manager of the club, but I want it to be as fair a possible platform to judge him off. Right now it simply isn't. Some will say he took the job and has to accept that, but someone had to take the job, and whoever it was going to be, should be judges based on what they are working with.

Sign him a spine of experienced quality additions for next season. That's 3-4 players and then its all on him.

10 games in we should be minimum of 18 pts is the 1st benchmark. If we are not on track, we get rid and move on.

If we are on track, then the 2nd benchmark is 20 games in and minimum of 36 pts. Again, if we are not on track for that, we get rid then and move on.

My take on this is not about Poch the person or the manager really. It's about the circumstances and situation at the club, as we are currently not giving whoever the manager is , a realistic platform to try and achieve anything off the back of.

[My Blood Is Blue]

14 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

He also didn't sign them.

So we are gonna castigate the guy for using two of the options at his disposal and it not working out ? Managers get things wrong and make bad calls. He reacted to the circumstances and timing of the game, it ended up being a poor decision.

Had the game been at the weekend, do you think he would have started them both ? I don't for one minute, but he did and it was proven to be a mistake (though a mistake that didn't actually cost anything , as the alternative would have returned the same amount of points from the game)

If he starts them again at the weekend, when he has other options available to him. Then rightly so, blast the guy for it. He won't.

This isn’t all on Poch, I posted in the match topic this morning calling out all the other areas that should be blamed and need to be changed, so I’m not putting all of this solely on the head coach.

I am going to castigate him for picking them both last night though as I don’t believe he had to and I don’t believe he should have done. The minute I saw the back 4 he picked, I knew what was coming.

Managers do make bad calls and have bad luck, of course they do, but he is making them far too regularly for it to be acceptable.

As I said, he is not the only issue at the club, but he is one of them.

[Mark Kelly]

3 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

He also didn't sign them.

So we are gonna castigate the guy for using two of the options at his disposal and it not working out ?

No we're going to castigate the guy for changing the two CB's from Saturday as well as the right back through necessity , thus making three changes to an already shaky defence against Champions elect Arsenal at home with their tails up and desperate.

It was needless tinkering , and he's been doing it all season long with the expected non results. 

The players may be an issue 

But his awfulness at every aspect of coaching is the biggest one 

[east lower]

19 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

I actually really want to judge Poch performance as a manager of the club, but I want it to be as fair a possible platform to judge him off. Right now it simply isn't. Some will say he took the job and has to accept that, but someone had to take the job, and whoever it was going to be, should be judges based on what they are working with.

Sign him a spine of experienced quality additions for next season. That's 3-4 players and then its all on him.

10 games in we should be minimum of 18 pts is the 1st benchmark. If we are not on track, we get rid and move on.

If we are on track, then the 2nd benchmark is 20 games in and minimum of 36 pts. Again, if we are not on track for that, we get rid then and move on.

My take on this is not about Poch the person or the manager really. It's about the circumstances and situation at the club, as we are currently not giving whoever the manager is , a realistic platform to try and achieve anything off the back of.

He’s had a full pre-season and 80+% of a season to show us what he can do. It’s a tactical debacle and it’s not just the odd occasion.

It’s occurred too regularly for it to be chance, both the tactical bit and team selection gaffs.

He was never that good anyway, Southampton was probably his best actual achievement. 

Got very lucky at Spuds with Bale, Kane and Son - And still won nowt.

A dud, mis-fit, charlatan and not fit for this or possibly any other PL team. He’s been shown up for what he is. But fair play to him - he’s fooled some others too.

edit: Any chance of adding - Marched out the door with a broomstick inserted……. to the poll?

Edited April 24 by east lower

[Bert19]

So with six games left, I see this as what we know about him and his methods: 

- No shape when out of possession.

- No organisation at the back (players not being instructed to perform specific tasks, keep things simple, big lads marking big lads etc).

- Limited patterns of play going forward (beyond "get the ball to Cole!").

- Midfield unit not organised or cohesive. 3 players with most appearances have no real shape to them or clear signs of what role each is asked to play.

- Terrible on set-pieces in both boxes. 

- Talks about players having to show they deserve to play and then watches Sterling have one good game in four months, but picks him every week.

- Gameplans and team selections that expose us to embarrassing performances and results away from home.

- Only worked out his designated penalty taker after 30 PL games, 9/9 conversion rate and a fight between the second taker and a player who has never taken one. 

- Training methods that don't bring players back from injury properly after significant layoffs (no minutes pre PL returns) and then see several re-injured for long layoffs after coming back. 

- Keeps lemons on desk as they "ward off negative energy" 

- No signs that players are being developed and work is being done to improve on their weaknesses. E.g. Jackson & finishing, Mudryk & positioning.

 

 

Have I missed anything? 

[martin1905]

1 hour ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

The problem is, it isn't one shit result, is it...

West Ham 3-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Chelsea 0-2 Brentford
Newcastle 4-1 Chelsea
Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea
Everton 2-0 Chelsea
Wolves 2-1 Chelsea
Middlesbrough 1-0 Chelsea
Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-4 Wolves
Brentford 2-2 Chelsea
Chelsea 2-2 Burnley
Sheffield United 2-2 Chelsea
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea

 

That list, when you see it like that is almost funny.

Last night, for me, was the worst of the worst. I went, although I've lent out my season ticket, I still go to the odd away game and couldn't help myself. The thought of ending their title challenge got the better of me and I wanted to be there in the slim hope we could do it, it would have been such a Chelsea thing to do. 

Then I saw the line up and really wish I hadn't bothered.  He threw that game away knowing we couldn't win  and that is completely unacceptable. What was worse and the reason for me that it was the worst performance under the current man was the complete lack of fight, hunger, desire, anything. It was truly shocking and no excuses can be made for it. 

In isolation last nights performance would be terrible, when you add it to the long list of terrible performances,  in one fucking season it's shameful, disgraceful and how anyone can still back him one iota is beyond me. Nothing else matters other than those performances and I've been saying that since day one. Yes he's been dealt a really, really shit hand, a terrible hand and the board really should hang their heads in shame but he is an absolute clown of a manager and those performances prove what many of us have been saying all season.

[Mark Kelly]

8 minutes ago, Bert19 said:

So with six games left, I see this as what we know about him and his methods: 

- No shape when out of possession.

- No organisation at the back (players not being instructed to perform specific tasks, keep things simple, big lads marking big lads etc).

- Limited patterns of play going forward (beyond "get the ball to Cole!").

- Midfield unit not organised or cohesive. 3 players with most appearances have no real shape to them or clear signs of what role each is asked to play.

- Terrible on set-pieces in both boxes. 

- Talks about players having to show they deserve to play and then watches Sterling have one good game in four months, but picks him every week.

- Gameplans and team selections that expose us to embarrassing performances and results away from home.

- Only worked out his designated penalty taker after 30 PL games, 9/9 conversion rate and a fight between the second taker and a player who has never taken one. 

- Training methods that don't bring players back from injury properly after significant layoffs (no minutes pre PL returns) and then see several re-injured for long layoffs after coming back. 

- Keeps lemons on desk as they "ward off negative energy" 

- No signs that players are being developed and work is being done to improve on their weaknesses. E.g. Jackson & finishing, Mudryk & positioning.

 

 

Have I missed anything? 

Talks often about bravery but is a coward in footballing terms always more worried about what other teams can do to us than what we can do to them and picks the personnel accordingly , Gusto switched to left back against Palace , Gallagher switched to left wing to stop Kyle bloody Walker. 

Worse second half than first whenever he speaks to them at any length  they get worse not better 

Substitutions often actively worsening the side / outcome 

I'm really going off him 

[My Blood Is Blue]

2 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

 I'm really going off him 

This really surprises me, you've been his number one fan for so long!

[Original 21]

33 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

I'm really going off him 

I dread to think what would happen to your blood pressure if the owners decide to stick with him for another year. 

[east lower]

15 minutes ago, Original 21 said:

I dread to think what would happen to your blood pressure if the owners decide to stick with him for another year. 

If Mr Kelly is like me - I’m through the f***ing-livid stage and into the depression phase - It’s uppers I need now, not downers!!

🍄💊⛑️

[Mark Kelly]

2 minutes ago, east lower said:

If Mr Kelly is like me - I’m through the f***ing-livid stage and into the depression phase - It’s uppers I need now, not downers!!

🍄💊⛑️

I'm at the stage where I expect anything can happen to be honest, there's no rhyme or reason to what Chelsea FC do, it's just ad hoc bullshit from every incompetent department. 

We have stupid owners

We have a truly appalling coach 

We have a diabolical medical team

When your business warns money by being good at something why aren't you desperate to ensure that you are good at something? 

Get a proper medical team in

Get some proper experienced Chelsea Football people in 

Get a coach 

Get some pride. 

Get it done quickly. 

[Mark Kelly]

Here's some quotations I pinched off Reddit about Pochettino's time at PSG , see if you recognise any of the traits displayed:

 

1. "L'Équipe" on PSG's lack of tactical identity: "Pochettino's team seemed to lack a clear tactical identity, with strategies changing frequently."

2. French football analyst on defensive weaknesses: "PSG under Pochettino displayed vulnerabilities in defense, leading to avoidable goals."

3. RMC Sport on PSG's inconsistency in Ligue 1: "Despite their quality, PSG struggled with inconsistency, often dropping points against weaker opposition."

4. Football writer on Pochettino's substitutions: "Pochettino's substitutions sometimes lacked impact, failing to change the course of games."

5. "Le Parisien" on PSG's inconsistency: "The team's performances were erratic, with periods of brilliance followed by unexpected lapses."

6. French sports columnist on Pochettino's adaptation to Ligue 1: "Pochettino faced challenges adapting to the unique demands of Ligue 1, struggling with its physicality and pace."

7. French pundit on Pochettino's tactical adjustments: "Pochettino's tactical adjustments during games often seemed reactive rather than proactive, leading to a sense of uncertainty."

 

It's not us , it's not our players , it's him , he's a lemon .

Edited April 24 by Mark Kelly

[Thiago97]

1 hour ago, Mark Kelly said:

Talks often about bravery but is a coward in footballing terms always more worried about what other teams can do to us than what we can do to them and picks the personnel accordingly , Gusto switched to left back against Palace , Gallagher switched to left wing to stop Kyle bloody Walker. 

Worse second half than first whenever he speaks to them at any length  they get worse not better 

Substitutions often actively worsening the side / outcome 

I'm really going off him 

This bold area of criticism I really dont get, and I would not get this for any manager.

Isn't this what being a manager is about ? You have to understand where the opposition might be able to hurt you and you counter that, or come up with some sort of plan for that.

I think back to the last 5 or so years of Wenger's reign at Arsenal. One of the common criticism from their fans was that their was never much of a game plan. It was often 100% blind faith that his players could go out there and out play whoever they were up against, so Wenger didn't concentrate on any plan for the opposition. 

I suspect he did the same in his successful years at Arsenal. One of the main differences being he had a great defensive unit that was already in situ, then added great players to compliment it. When those great players move on and are replaced by lesser players, then that blind faith of not worrying about the opposition comes backs to bite you on the arse!

It's fine being Pep/Klopp and going into every game not worrying about the opposition when you have a number of great players at your disposal who can score goals at any given moment, or control games through midfield possession in city's case, or have VVD/Alisson to snuff everything out defensively in Liverpool's case..........but when you don't have that luxury, you need to pay attention to what threat the  opposition may offer.

Do you think Unai Emery does not come up with game plans to counter the opposition? Of course he does, and in some cases that may mean he changes his team to counter or deal with that.

As criticism's go, this regular one is one of the more bizarre ones. I would be really concerned if he was not thinking about these scenarios and just telling the players to go out and express themselves, regardless of who you are playing.

 

[Ham]

1 hour ago, Mark Kelly said:

 

I'm really going off him 

Breaking news ticker duf-duf please @My Blood Is Blue

[Thiago97]

The other elephant in the room on changing the manager, we cannot afford another sideways or backwards step. It has to be a 100% positive step forward and improvement.

Who is available out there to achieve this? If anyone says De Zerbi I will lose my shit!

I look around right now and I keep coming back to one obvious candidate right now. I would not have said this 12 months back, but with more time and experience under his belt and regardless of what happens to Burnley this season, its hard not to be impressed how Kompany handles himself.

I like the cut of his jib. The fact he has been a recent elite level player is very much a positive in my view. He comes across very articulate and intelligent, he is measured and controlled and consistent is how he speaks and his philosophy of how he wants the game to be played. He showed great leadership as a player and that looks like it will continue as a manager.

Previously, I would have been concerned that elite level experienced players might not accept him. However, the facts are we don't have any elite level experienced players anymore, so I don't see that being an issue here right now.

He looks like he will move onto better things in the near future. He is the only obvious known candidate who is in a much lesser job and who we might be able to build a positive future around. We are still attractive to manage to some degree, but nowhere near as attractive as we were 3 years back, and this limits our options more than it has at any point in the last 15 years.

[Mark Kelly]

47 minutes ago, Thiago97 said:

This bold area of criticism I really dont get, and I would not get this for any manager.

Isn't this what being a manager is about ? You have to understand where the opposition might be able to hurt you and you counter that, or come up with some sort of plan for that.

 

 

I understand where you are coming from with this and you are right of course as a manager of a side it's part of your purview to ensure you negate the strengths of the opposition , but that's not what he does .

For instance , and bear with me as I'm going from memory here , when we played Palace at home we were all over them  scored a quick goal but just couldn't finish our other attempts ( no surprise there ) and they equalised through Olise in the last minute of the first half.

Coming out for the second half , Gusto who had been generating chance after chance running their rookie left back ragged was switched to left back to negate Olise's influence but it actively reduced our chances and it was only a last minute penalty that won the game for us , now we can hail Pochettino as a genius for winning the game if we like but his mind set was to stop them at all costs not to build on the good work that Gusto was generating .

Maybe we'd have been out of sight five minutes into the second half had he had any courage about him and he could have then managed the rest of the game , allowing a rest for tired players etc.

His first instinct is fear and he's a piss poor coach as thousands of Frenchmen would attest 

[boratsbrother]

I think most on here will agree with these couple of lines about us from The Guardian article on the game 

 

In a way it was refreshing.  There is so much heavy systems football around. How liberating to see a team with no plan whatsoever.

If you don't laugh you'll cry, so I did have a little chuckle at that 

 

 

Edited April 24 by boratsbrother

[east lower]

1 hour ago, Thiago97 said:

The other elephant in the room on changing the manager, we cannot afford another sideways or backwards step. It has to be a 100% positive step forward and improvement.

Who is available out there to achieve this? If anyone says De Zerbi I will lose my shit!

I look around right now and I keep coming back to one obvious candidate right now. I would not have said this 12 months back, but with more time and experience under his belt and regardless of what happens to Burnley this season, its hard not to be impressed how Kompany handles himself.

I like the cut of his jib. The fact he has been a recent elite level player is very much a positive in my view. He comes across very articulate and intelligent, he is measured and controlled and consistent is how he speaks and his philosophy of how he wants the game to be played. He showed great leadership as a player and that looks like it will continue as a manager.

Previously, I would have been concerned that elite level experienced players might not accept him. However, the facts are we don't have any elite level experienced players anymore, so I don't see that being an issue here right now.

He looks like he will move onto better things in the near future. He is the only obvious known candidate who is in a much lesser job and who we might be able to build a positive future around. We are still attractive to manage to some degree, but nowhere near as attractive as we were 3 years back, and this limits our options more than it has at any point in the last 15 years.

But that would mean that little runt (misspelled what I actually meant) Bellamy would come here and that’s a bridge too far for me.

[Mark Kelly]

Just read that apparently they've seen enough ( or not enough in his case ) and he's going to be sacked but due to the Premier League's spending constraints they have to wait until 1st of July and a new accounting period as they would fall foul of the rules if they had to pay him off before then . 
 

We can but hope. 

[Thiago97]

46 minutes ago, east lower said:

But that would mean that little runt (misspelled what I actually meant) Bellamy would come here and that’s a bridge too far for me.

That’s a good point. Though managers don’t always have the same back room team, it’s not like they have years working alongside each other. Bellamy maybe considered as Kompany replacement to carry on the work at Burnley. I won’t have thought Bellamy sees himself as only a number 2 for the rest of his coaching days ( he always thought highly of himself!)

[chiswickblue]

49 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Just read that apparently they've seen enough ( or not enough in his case ) and he's going to be sacked but due to the Premier League's spending constraints they have to wait until 1st of July and a new accounting period as they would fall foul of the rules if they had to pay him off before then . 
 

We can but hope. 

Do we actually do payoffs? I thought we had to keep paying them their salary until they take a new job. Hence why the likes of Conte and Potter take their time before jumping into something else.

I don't know why we'd have to pay someone for a 4 year contract in full if we sack them after 1 year and they jump straight into another job.

[Mark Kelly]

Just now, chiswickblue said:

Do we actually do payoffs? I thought we had to keep paying them their salary until they take a new job. Hence why the likes of Conte and Potter take their time before jumping into something else.

I don't know why we'd have to pay someone for a 4 year contract in full if we sack them after 1 year and they jump straight into another job.

I'm thinking there must be some kind of severance pay involved if you get rid and that's why? In short I don't know!

[Mark Kelly]

Not my fault guv , I'm just the coach , they're lucky to have me:

Pochettino said: "We took the risk when we arrived here. And now need to accept and we need try to be positive to help. Because if we want to be better we need to realise, be clever in the way we assess the things that we are doing, the plan.

 

 

 

[Miguelito07]

Anyone know why Poch didnt play Chalobah and Silva?