Mauricio Pochettino is the right man to take over at Chelsea if Graham Potter leaves his position.
Potter has come under immense pressure in recent days following Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Southampton at the weekend. The 47-year-old's side have won just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions and his team were booed off by the Stamford Bridge faithful after their latest outing.
However, despite the pressure from the supporters, football.london understands Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali – for now, at least – remain supportive of Potter and the job he is doing. There remains a strong appreciation of the work the Chelsea head coach is doing behind the scenes at Cobham and an acceptance that a long-term job is on his hands in order to turn around the club's fortunes on the pitch.
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With the footballing world being as it is nowadays, though, there is already growing talk of who would replace Potter should he be axed from his role. The bookies' favourite to be his successor is former Southampton, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain manager Pochettino.
The Argentine has been without a managerial job in football since being sacked by PSG last summer. The 50-year-old has been linked with countless roles since becoming unemployed, but he is waiting for the right opportunity.
Could that be Chelsea? Well, football.london understands the club did speak with Pochettino about the head coach role after sacking Thomas Tuchel in September. However, Boehly decided to go with Potter instead.
Like Potter, Pochettino would not be an easy fix, but he has proven – at Spurs especially – he can spearhead a long-term project. While not winning a trophy at Tottenham, Pochettino led the side to an unexpected Champions League final (where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool) only to be sacked months later.
What Pochettino would bring Chelsea is a high-pressing system, with players desperate to get possession back – something we saw a lot at Spurs. It's a very attack-minded style of football, where he often employs a 4-2-3-1 formation wherever he manages. Like Potter, he encourages his side to build from the back and work their way up the pitch.
"Where did I get the idea we had to [press]? It's about your personality, who you are," Pochettino has said previously. "You show on the pitch who you are.
"If you are brave in your life, you cannot behave in a different way on the pitch. I don't understand how to play in a different way. Always, be brave. I like to be brave."
The Argentine has also demonstrated his willingness to work with clubs' academy systems and integrate young into the first-team. Chelsea have an illustrious relationship with their academy and have produced some unbelievable players over the years. Trust in young players is something Pochettino is renowned for and considering the amount of young talent Chelsea have signed in recent months, his profile is perfect.
Pochettino is also a brilliant man-manager and has been praised on several occasions by former players for that. He cuts an animated figure on the touchline, something some Chelsea supporters have been calling for in recent months. He wears his heart on his sleeve, emotion-wise, and cannot hide his feelings after the match; something that has gotten him into trouble in the past.
While it's not a short-term fix, Pochettino has showed he is able to transform a squad at the elite level. He has shown he is able to do this while playing an attractive brand of football. With the right tools and backing at Chelsea, then Pochettino could really establish himself, once again, as one of the elite managers in world football.
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