Chelsea news: Mauricio Pochettino becoming the next manager of the Blues should be an exciting appointment according to his former player Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker’s verdict on the team Tottenham team he played in speaks volumes about Mauricio Pochettino (Image: (BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images))
Positives are proving hard to find for Chelsea at this moment in time, but the expected arrival of Mauricio Pochettino could significantly change their fortunes. football.london understands a deal has been agreed for the Argentine to become the Blues next manager ahead of another crucial summer transfer window and major reset campaign.
In their penultimate game of the 2022/23 season, Chelsea suffered Premier League loss number 16 in a contest against Manchester United which perfectly encapsulated their last nine months. Chances were created but not finished and individual mistakes ultimately ended up severely costing Chelsea.
With confidence on the floor for most Chelsea stars, Pochettino’s first task at Stamford Bridge looks set to be giving the players some belief with his clear methods and ideas. When he joined Tottenham in 2014, the appointment was somewhat scoffed at, but it was soon proven that he was the perfect man for the job at that time.
Chelsea will be hoping he can have a similar impact in west London and with a full pre-season behind him, that is certainly possible. Decisions in the summer transfer window will also be key but the group of players already at the club upon his arrival will take priority.
Pochettino was a master of taking players previously deemed average to the next level. Understandably, given the work he was doing with limited resources at Tottenham, other clubs began sniffing around some of his star players. From the core group, Kyle Walker was the first to depart leaving in 2017 to join Manchester City in a £50million deal.
In the last six years, Walker has validated his move by winning numerous trophies, however the impact of the team on him can clearly still be felt. In a recent interview ahead of the Premier League’s final day, Walker discussed his memories of that Tottenham team with a verdict that will be music to the ears of Chelsea supporters.
“That team that I left at Tottenham was incredible,” he said. “Danny Rose was on the flanks. We had Dele, Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, [Jan] Vertonghen, [Toby] Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele, who was probably the best player I’ve ever seen.”
Of course, transfers have changed quite significantly in the decade, but none of the players listed were signed for significant money, which further showcases Pochettino is capable of working within limits, yet that is something he is unlikely to have at Chelsea.
Despite spending more than £500million since taking over the club, Todd Boehly and co. are set to back Pochettino “significantly” this summer, ahead of the 2023/24 season, according to a report from the Guardian. If that is to be for Pochettino, he will have even more freedom to obtain success at Chelsea than was available at Tottenham.
Soucre: football.london
