24 April 2023 , 12:00
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Just when it looked like things could not get any worse for Tottenham fans, Chelsea are closing in on Mauricio Pochettino.
Arsenal thrashing Manchester City on Wednesday night to seal the Premier League title and Spurs misery will be complete.
Tottenham deciding to make a late approach to their former head coach appears to be the biggest obstacle to the Argentine taking on the rebuilding job at Stamford Bridge. Both London clubs need a new manager - and Pochettino is immediately available.
His biggest rival for the Chelsea role Julian Nagelsmann withdrew from the process after his interview as he did not want to be part of a shortlist. Vincent Kompany - seen by the big Premier League clubs as the next Mikel Arteta - and Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou remain options.
Yet after the Graham Potter experiment went wrong in West London, Pochettino’s appointment would make sense and be a safer bet.
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At Tottenham, the Argentine developed and improved a young squad to reach a Champions League final. Chelsea’s future transfer spending is uncertain but there is certainly a lot of raw material in the bloated squad - along with a lot of dead wood.
Pochettino, now 51, has also won Ligue 1 and the French Cup during his brief sojourn at PSG. It would certainly reverse the recent trend of ex-Chelsea bosses Andre Villas Boas and Jose Mourinho going to Tottenham.
The clock is also ticking. Any romantic notion of an older, wiser Frank Lampard getting a longer second stint at the job have been obliterated by four defeats.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Would Pochettino be a good option for Chelsea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Frank Lampard's hopes of a second stint in the hotseat have been shattered by recent results (Getty Images)And other big European clubs - including Real Madrid and Paris-Saint Germain - could be in the market for new coaches this summer.
Bayern Munich pre-empted this by ruthlessly sacking Nagelsmann last month and appointing Thomas Tuchel. The former Chelsea boss has won only two of his seven games in charge and German giants could now end the season without a trophy instead of a treble.
But that does not mean 11th-placed Chelsea, who could get overtaken by Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, should not act decisively. Even Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who takes his side to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, can see the problems across West London need a fix.
Julian Nagelsmann has pulled out of the running for the Chelsea job (Getty Images)"I know they have struggled this season,” said the Dane. “In general, I believe you shouldn't sign that many players. I am not the one to judge but I believe in a small squad. I think that's better.
"If it's right or wrong, I don't know. If someone is saying they signed too many players and that's why they are not performing, I don't know, I won't be the judge of that. But I think that is a big logistical issue to make a plan with let's say 30 outfield players and all of them are senior pros. How do you keep everyone happy?
"I struggle to keep everyone happy with my squad because everyone wants to play! If you have even more unhappy players, how do you create a tight bunch? That could be some of the issues."
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