John Terry hits out at Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea exit with new demand as manager stance known

John Terry has advised Chelsea not to be too hasty in their transfer plans for the summer after seeing head coach Mauricio Pochettino leave the club. It comes after the former Tottenham boss parted ways with the Blues after just one year in charge.

Despite finishing the season on a positive note with five straight wins to secure European football for next season, Pochettino met with the club's decision-makers across two days at the Surrey-based training complex to determine how to move forward. His departure was announced on Tuesday night with the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership consortium now seeking to appoint their third permanent manager in two years.

Pochettino's exit surprised many who follow the club after such a strong final few months to the campaign. In 2024 Chelsea were behind only the top three in the Premier League for form, and reached the FA Cup semi-final as well as Carabao Cup final.

Even with issues along the way, given the extreme mitigation, Pochettino was widely thought to have done an impressive job given where Chelsea were upon his arrival. However, differences with the hierarchy at the club left things too far apart to continue on.

Now, with yet more change imminent for the Blues, Terry has made his thoughts very clear. Taking to Instagram he wrote: "Gutted to see @pochettino [Mauricio Pochettino] @jpp_71 [Jesus Perez, assist] @sebpochettino [Sebastian Pochettino, son and sports scientist] Leave. I just hope we don't sign or sell any players until we get a manager in. [thought bubble emoji]."

During what has been a turbulent period for Chelsea, Terry has often weighed in on matters with his former side, supporting those in charge and offering external advice online. He is also still involved with the academy setup.

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Before the season he gave his support for Pochettino, saying: "I love Poch. I’ve been around him and I promise you now he is a top, top manager and he will get us to the levels we need to be at.”

After a disappointing first six months he went a step further, backing the Argentine. "Unfortunately, Chelsea are a little bit off it at the moment," he said.

"But given time, the manager needs time, Poch is a great manager, I’ve seen him work on a daily basis. We are a young squad of players as well, but we are a long way off of the likes of Man City and Liverpool at the moment."

The owners seem to have felt differently. Chelsea, who had already been expected to have a busy summer with player sales and new arrivals, will now be looking for yet another head coach too.

Supporters who are keen to see more of the 'old Chelsea' identity return have even suggested that Terry himself join the coaching team for the senior side. Last year the five-time Premier League winner was asked about his intentions to manage at the top level as well.

"I’m done from a managerial point of view," he told Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips. "The only job I’d come out of my kind of retirement for would be the Chelsea job - to be involved in some capacity with a first-team role.

"I love my role at the minute, working with the younger players. Because I’ve been through that process as a kid myself I’m passing on my knowledge to them, having loads of conversations with them."

Terry added: "I want to play golf and have family time. I’ve not really told anyone why I left Villa but it was a family reason, to come back home and be with them.

"I always see myself as a coach in the long-term but there were better coaches than me at Villa, Craig Shakespeare and Richard O'Kelly. I went for a couple of managers’ jobs when I left and didn’t get them, got a bit deflated so I came away and I’ve spent a bit more family time."