Mauricio Pochettino wants more financial backing from Todd Boehly at Chelsea
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has hit back at claims he is facing the sack and is adamant the club’s co-owner Todd Boehly remains behind him in the wake of speculation on his future and following an unwelcome comment made on social media by the wife of Thiago Silva.
The Blues are in the midst of another frustrating season, where they have slumped into the bottom half of the Premier League table following Sunday’s 4-2 home defeat by Wolves. That loss now means Chelsea have lost 10 and won just nine of 23 Premier League games so far this season; grim reading for Pochettino.
Indeed, Pochettino’s record since taking charge does not make for good reading compared to his Chelsea precessors and it’s emerged that former Blues boss Graham Potter was actually dismissed after the same number of games and for having a near-identical record to that of the Argentine.
As a result, it’s easy to see why the former Tottenham and PSG boss finds the pressure dial firmly cranked up with TEAMtalk revealing that their hierarchy are showing concern at the direction the club is heading and fear missing out on European competition once again.
Since then, the Blues have seemingly reached a decision on exactly when the axe might fall, with FFP worries potentially behind their decison to delay any such actions to remove Pochettino from his post.
There are some who also feel, though, that, having steered Chelsea into the Carabao Cup final, Pochettino, who could lead the club to their first silverware since the 2021 Champions League, deserves much more time to get things right.
Pochettino sack talk cooled as Chelsea boss makes big claim
Now Pochettino himself has addressed talk he is facing the sack firmly in the face – and he is adamant he still has the faith of the club’s American co-owner Boehly.
That speculation has reached fever pitch in the wake of Sunday’s loss. But behind the scenes, Pochettino is adamant that Chelsea’s hierarchy still believe in him.
Speaking at a press conference to preview Wednesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay at Aston Villa, Pochettino said: “I received a very good text from them [the owners]. We are all in this together. That is the most important thing.”
Pochettino, nonetheless, accepts that standards do need to be raised at Chelsea – and he hopes his players can respond to his challenge.
“It’s a tough project but an exciting one,” he added. “In this moment we are living in a situation that is not nice, but we can learn.
“I told the players today in a meeting, ‘I trust in you more than ever’.
“[I also told them that] I am going to support you more than ever. I am not a normal boss. I am a leader, and I need to reflect in every single action I do that I really trust the players.”
Awkward Thiago Silva’s wife tweet addressed
Part of the perceived problems at Chelsea is an apparent inability to get the best out of the Blues’ expensively-assembled squad, with a number of their stars seemingly making their frustrations clear in the wake of Sunday’s loss.
Indeed, some worrying Ben Chilwell comments immediately after the game suggests all is not well at Stamford Bridge, though Pochettino is adamant his words have been taken out of context.
The England left-back seemed to suggest that Wolves ‘wanted it more’ but Pochettino has hit back by saying that’s not to say Chelsea players’ efforts were lacking.
“Chilly never said [they wanted it more]. He said we didn’t win the 50-50 duels. That was my interpretation. We are Chelsea, and everything is bigger than normal. I was talking with Chilly and it was never his intention to say the team didn’t show desire.”
Another row that erupted after the game was an unwelcome tweet on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, sent by the wife of veteran Blues star Thiago Silva.
Belle Silva had posted: ‘It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late’ followed by two blue heart emojis.
With the post generating 3.9m impressions, it’s easy to see why she was implorting the Chelsea board to axe Pochettino in the wake of the club’s poor form.
Pochettino, however, insists he has spoken with the Brazilian defender to clear the air and is adamant the two’s relationship remains strong.
“He came today to talk with me. He wanted to talk with me… [The conversation] was private and that’s it. My relationship with him is very good. I think it’s excellent,” Pochettino concluded.
If Chelsea are to beat Villa they will face the winners of the Plymouth v Leeds replay, while they face Crystal Palace (Monday February 12) and Manchester City (Saturday February 17) before taking on Liverpool at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday February 25.
