Mauricio Pochettino sacked, new Chelsea contract offer - Final manager verdict after job admission

Mauricio Pochettino told Chelsea’s owners in Friday’s press conference that “it will not be the end of the world” if he is sacked this summer.

The Argentine is set to have his future decided by Todd Boehly and BlueCo at the end of the season, which has always been the case, football.london understands. The manager says he expects to find out his fate in the next week or so.

His tenure could rest on Chelsea’s final three matches as the club attempts to secure European football for next season. Doing so would denote an intriguing season that has contained adverse results against Sheffield United and Burnley but draws against the top three and wins over Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Pochettino penned a two-year deal last summer, with an option for a third. It means any sack compensation is likely to be smaller than it was for predecessors Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, who both landed big contracts.

Chelsea are battling against Premier League spending limits and may have to offload a number of players this summer. Before any transfers are decided, though, a call on the manager must be made. Our Chelsea writers have had their say on what should happen to Pochettino at the end of the season.

Isaac Johnson

The question Boehly must first ask is whether there is anyone out there who is better fitted for the role. I don't think it's clear there is.

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Pochettino’s work with young Southampton and Tottenham sides earned him the gig at Paris Saint-Germain, so impressive was his progress. Both the Saints and Spurs afforded him time, something the manager himself has begged for at Chelsea.

With an average squad age of 23-and-a-half years, and with 39-year-old veteran Thiago Silva set to leave, Chelsea need a coach who has a track record with young players. Furthermore, given the constant player turnover, Pochettino has done quite well.

Two visits to Wembley, results against the Premier League top three and wins over the others who are in the top seven should not be snuffed at. The inconsistency against the likes of Burnley and Sheffield United are creases that can be ironed out more easily.

Chelsea are in dire need of that consistency and changing the manager will not help that - they’ve not had a manager complete two full seasons since Antonio Conte in 2018!

Isaac Seelochan

I’ve never been completely sold on Pochettino. Granted he did a good job at Tottenham and the transfer policies of PSG and Chelsea have not always helped him.

But I question whether he has the x-factor of a Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp or even Mikel Arteta to take Chelsea towards competing for a Premier League title. Let’s not forget that his Spurs team finished runners-up to Leicester City in 2016, which on reflection was a massive missed opportunity.

However, sacking him makes little sense right now with the Blues on an upward trajectory after recent games. Make no bones about it though, if Chelsea are languishing in mid-table for the first few months of next season, then the Argentine should be replaced.

Ultimately, at this stage of the club’s development and with Chelsea in transition, there does not need to be any panic to change manager this summer.

Jack Flintham

It has not been the ideal season by any stretch of the imagination but from what I have seen from Chelsea, they are showing more promise than Manchester United. The Blues are by no means the finished product and Pochettino will hopefully add some experience to the squad in the summer which is desperately needed.

On numerous occasions, Pochettino's side have shown their lack of maturity and with Thiago Silva leaving at the end of the season, the Argentinian will have to address that. And I say the Argentinian because it seems too soon to sack the head coach when you are building a youthful project.

Some of the performances this season have been excellent and if Pochettino can coach consistency into this team, they will be on to a winner next year. Finishing in the Europa League qualification spots will be a huge boost too considering how bad this campaign could have ended. But even if they don't, I wouldn't sack Pochettino just yet.

Tom Coley

Pochettino is speaking now as a man that is defending himself publicly having been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism this season. It has come at a period of relative strength for the 52-year-old and makes some sense too.

For much of the campaign he has alluded to 'the circumstances' which have impacted his ability to do his job to the level that many expected. Now, on a run of "two-and-a-half games" as Boehly termed it, there is added weight to his words.

Chelsea's squad is not one that is ready to compete fully for the Champions League and it is largely understandable why it has taken nearly nine months to get a string of solid performances. His recent stance has actually been refreshing as he takes to the fight.

Pochettino has called for more experience in his squad throughout and those calls have fallen on deaf ears so far. With one week left to go of the season he is not sure whether he will be taking the club forward, yet Boehly has come out and taken some of the plaudits for the recent results, claiming it was what they had been looking for.

Meanwhile, Pochettino has been the public-facing figure left to front up to the media during tough times. Even if Chelsea don't qualify for European football his words of warning are important and fully justified.

What now remains to be seen is how the club will react. Pochettino will only have one year on his deal and should he get through this assessment in charge, offering him a new contract would be smart. There's a lot of uncertainty around it all though, and it's impossible to predict what Chelsea will do next.

Josh Holland

Chelsea's impressive run of form of late has injected a much-needed positive feeling around the club after a difficult season. That's why Pochettino's comments come as such of a surprise.

Certain things have hindered his first season at the club which have led to calls for him to be sacked. The biggest problem they've had is injuries and it's no coincidence that the Blues' upturn in form comes when they've had their better players back.

Pochettino's comments on Friday deserves credit. It's not very often we hear managers come out and speak about his future. In fact, it's quite refreshing seeing him attempt to claim his future is in his hands.

Should they qualify for European football, I'd fully expect Pochettino to be in charge next season.