Chelsea’s erratic reputation has only strengthened this week, following the exit of Mauricio Pochettino.
The Blues have gone through five managers since 2022, with the Argentine having by far the best win percentage at 51%.
European football was also secured after a rocky first half of the season, and it seemed that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss was finally discovering his best side and setup.
This makes the decision to mutually part ways even more confusing, but nonetheless, let’s take a look at who’s potentially being lined up as a replacement.
Chelsea want to replace Pochettino as soon as possible
According to reports, Chelsea are desperate to bring in a replacement for Pochettino quickly, rather than allowing their search for a new boss to enter the summer months.
talkSPORT revealed that the Blues have a few candidates on the list, including Roberto De Zerbi, who announced that he'd be leaving Brighton & Hove Albion last week.
Another name mentioned is Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe, who’s been tremendous for the Magpies since his arrival.
While both managers would be great options for the role, it’s Howe who could prove to be more suited, and some could argue he’s even better than the Italian.
Howe vs De Zerbi 23/24 Premier League stats
Last season, Howe and De Zerbi both exceeded all expectations at their clubs, securing Champions League football and the Europa League, respectively.
Although this was a massive moment in the history of both clubs, especially the Seagulls, it did have a negative impact on their domestic performances.
Both the Magpies and Brighton finished in a lower position than they did last campaign, with the increased fixture list causing plenty of injury issues.
Despite that, the former Bournemouth coach did secure Newcastle a spot in Europe next season, unlike De Zerbi’s side, who struggled to cope with the added stress.
Position
7th
11th
Wins
18
12
Goals scored
85
55
Goals conceded
62
62
Shots (per game)
14.5
14.8
Avg possession
52.2%
60.2%
As you can see by the table above, the Magpies had a much better season than the Seagulls, from pretty much every perspective.
Even though the former Sassuolo boss’ style of play is extremely entertaining, football is a results-based game, and the statistics above really do speak for themselves.
Furthermore, De Zerbi’s complex approach – which has seen him tipped to succeed Pep Guardiola at Man City – may take the squad a much longer time to adapt to, and as we know, Chelsea don’t tend to give their managers time to fully install their philosophy and style of play.
On the other hand, Howe plays a very structured 4-3-3 where each player can focus on their individual role, which has clearly worked better this campaign.
Howe seems to be able to get the best out of every individual in his team, as shown by his role in Bournemouth’s success, taking them from League Two to the Premier League, which is why Pochettino labelled him “one of the best coaches in England.”
He’s also continued to work with the most elite players in the league, and he’s able to ensure that big-money signings perform, such as Alexander Isak and Antony Gordon, who have 21 and 11 goals each in the league this season.
Overall, Howe could be an underrated option for the Chelsea job, but as long as he is shown support and backing, he'll have a great chance of success, perhaps more so than De Zerbi.
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The manager target is also of interest to Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion.
ByTom Lever