Breaking News: Chelsea make Pochettino sack decision on one condition after Middlesbrough

Following Chelsea’s match against Middlesbrough, Chelsea made a contentious decision to fire manager Mauricio Pochettino on one condition.

The decision came as Pochettino faced criticism for the team’s most recent defeat and the blow to their hopes of winning the Carabao Cup.

Mauricio Pochettino is not under immediate pressure at Chelsea despite a Carabao Cup semi-final first leg defeat (Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Following yet another in a string of subpar performances, Mauricio Pochettino is receiving harsh criticism from supporters for the third time already in his brief stint as manager of Chelsea. Even though the results had improved over the previous month, underlying concerns remained unabated.

The Blues, who are now tenth in the Premier League, lost 1-0 at Riverside Stadium on Tuesday, setting themselves up for a more difficult task in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough than was anticipated. Pochettino now has a crucial four weeks ahead of him, during which the FA Cup fourth round matchup against Aston Villa and the second leg will determine cup fate.

Chelsea will be playing league games against Liverpool during that period, and they will be unsure about their roster and possible additions as they head into the second half of the January transfer window. It doesn’t seem like significant changes will be made anytime soon, either inside or outside the club.

But even with a better run of six wins in seven home games (with one draw against Manchester City) and a longer run that dates back to late September at Stamford Bridge and includes one loss in ten games, things have been appalling away from home. Pochettino’s team is currently experiencing a startling run of five losses in six games, including away losses to Wolves, Everton, and now Championship team Boro.

Football.london is aware that the 51-year-old is not under immediate pressure, as his employment is not at risk despite an increasing number of online and in-person critics. The Argentine has received public support for the second time since December, which is indicative of how shaky his support base is.

Over the summer, Chelsea spent over £300 million adding new players to their roster, though very few, if any, of them were deliberate choices. This is a portion of a larger £1 billion pledge to pay player transfer fees starting in May 2022 under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital regime. They are already on their third permanent manager despite seeing declining returns on the field for that investment.

Chelsea could finish the week as high as seventh and draw even with Brighton on points, despite the present pessimism. They are outside the top five, trailing West Ham by just six points. The Telegraph, however, claims that if the difference between the remaining European locations widens during the season, his position might be in jeopardy.

Financially speaking, Chelsea needs to return to continental competition more than anything else, even though the rewards of the Champions League far exceed those of the Europa Conference League and Europa League. Both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup provide a path to Europe.

Despite finishing 12th last season and replacing a large portion of their experienced squad with untested players, Chelsea was expected to launch a more serious assault on the top six this year. Pochettino and his team have yet to consistently find a way into those spots, and their loss on Tuesday will only highlight their glaring weaknesses.

Many have already cited Pochettino’s lack of improvement from the previous season as sufficient proof that the Chelsea heirarchy should be closely monitoring him. Although the bar wasn’t especially high, he has a better record than his predecessor, Graham Potter.

Chelsea intends to stick with Pochettino for the time being. There are still eighteen months remaining on his original two-year contract.