Chelsea could end their Pochettino nightmare by hiring Guardiola 2.0

It has been a moderately dismal season for Chelsea Soccer Membership this yr, as their Premier League type has appeared as unhealthy as ever.

The summer time of large spending and the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino has did not end in any actual enhancements, and now it feels prefer it may very well be only a matter of time till the Argentine is out of the job.

The Blues could also be beneath completely different possession lately, however Todd Boehly and Co made it abundantly clear that they had been completely satisfied to sack managers final season.

However that raises the query: Who may take his place?

The newest on Chelsea’s seek for a brand new supervisor

Discontent amongst sure sections of the Chelsea fan base has been effervescent beneath the floor for a lot of the marketing campaign, as needs to be anticipated when hiring a former Tottenham Hotspur coach. Nonetheless, in current months, that discontent has seemingly swept by way of match-going followers.

There have been songs about earlier managers, resembling José Mourinho, songs about Roman Abramovich, and songs explicitly critiquing Pochettino from the Stamford Bridge crowd, and it is starting to really feel as if change is inevitable.

So, with that stated, it isn’t all that stunning to see a slew of rumours and information tales in current weeks purporting the top of the Argentine’s tenure and linking the Blues with a number of potential replacements, together with the prospect of a staggering return of the ‘particular one.’

Nonetheless, one of many names that has sprung up as a real contender for the job this week is Barcelona boss and legend of the sport Xavi Hernandez.

How Xavi compares to Pochettino

Sure, the person who led the Catalan giants to the La Liga title final season and has seen them attain their first Champions League quarter-finals for the primary time in 4 years has been touted for a transfer to west London in the summertime.

The 44-year-old took cost of the European giants in November 2021 following the sacking of Ronald Koeman, and whereas he has loved success on the membership, he is set to step down in the summertime following a disappointing first half of the season this yr.

In line with journalist Graeme Bailey, whereas the Blaugrana really feel the membership icon may “be persuaded to remain”, his availability this summer time has alerted a number of Premier League sides, notably Newcastle United and Chelsea.

The opportunity of hiring a real legend of the sport and one who has received a league title throughout the final couple of years may show too good a chance to overlook for Boehly and Co, particularly with extremely flattering comparisons from fellow icon Thierry Henry, who stated to his former teammate, “I hope you progress on as a result of your mind, to me, has no comparability. The one one who’s up there with you is Pep (Guardiola) when it comes to the way you see the sport.”

The hope can be that Xavi may comply with within the footsteps of his compatriot, Guardiola, by thriving within the Premier League, with the Manchester Metropolis boss – who started his teaching profession at Camp Nou – having received 5 league titles throughout the final six seasons, in addition to claiming the treble final time period.

That stated, how does the Spaniard’s document stack up towards the person he may very well be changing at Chelsea?

Nicely, when evaluating the pair’s most up-to-date jobs, there is no such thing as a comparability. The place the previous Spurs man has picked up simply 1.72 factors per recreation with Chelsea, the World Cup winner has managed to common 2.06 with Barcelona, and that is considering his poor begin to this season.

Finally, whereas Pochettino may finally flip issues round at Stamford Bridge, he is too far gone within the eyes of many followers, so if there’s a likelihood to exchange him with Xavi, Boely and Co ought to take it.