Gus Poyet has warned Thomas Tuchel that Chelsea must finish the season well for him to be secure in his position.
The Blues lost their first final of the season as Liverpool prevailed in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley after 22 penalties were required to separate the sides.
Chelsea have already lifted the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies this term after their Champions League success in 2020/21. Tuchel also guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final in that season where they lost to Leicester at Wembley.
Poyet acknowledged that European success earned Tuchel plenty of leeway in the Blues' hotseat but believes that things can quickly turn at Stamford Bridge.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham midfielder told bettingexpert: “It’s been proven that you have to win something at Chelsea [to stay in a job]. The Champions League victory gave him a little bit of time, but without a doubt, it will depend on what happens before the end of this season.
"If he finishes on a high with another Champions League trophy, there won’t be a change. Now, if they go through a bad spell, things don’t go your way and you’re out of the Champions League, out of everything, then history tells us how it works at Chelsea.
"I think they’re strong enough to finish well, so I wouldn’t be that negative in terms of the manager. I can’t see Chelsea changing managers now."
Who are the teams you love to hate? Which teams do you have a soft spot for? Take part in our League of Love & Hate survey
While Poyet does not believe Tuchel is immediately at risk, the former Sunderland boss believes that Chelsea having spent so much money could add to that pressure.
Romelu Lukaku joined the club for a club-record £97.5 million ahead of the season as a statement signing that many believed would close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City.
However, after a strong start that saw Chelsea lead the way in the opening months, the Blues sit third in the Premier League table. They are 10 points behind the Reds with one game in hand and 16 points behind Pep Guardiola's side with two matches in hand on them.
Poyet added: “But at the beginning of the season I thought it would be Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea going for the title. For a similar situation, Frank Lampard paid the price and left Chelsea after signing players for £50million, £60million and £70million. It didn’t work and he was out.”
