Chelsea fan view: Mauricio Pochettino must hit the ground running or be labelled a Spurs bottler
ome Chelsea fans feel uneasy about appointing a Tottenham legend as our new manager.
Personally, I think Mauricio Pochettino ticks all the right boxes and is just the man we need to oversee what is a huge rebuilding job. But there is no doubt his history at Spurs could be held against him if he does not hit the ground running at the start of next season.
Chelsea fans were used to success under Roman Abramovich and, as we saw with Graham Potter, we are impatient. It is in our DNA, so Pochettino needs to get off to good start.
Some fans will take some convincing. I have spoken to some who are still angry that we got rid of Thomas Tuchel and feel going for Pochettino is a sign of regression, because we have gone from a Champions League winner to someone who won nothing at Spurs. Some fans still see him a âbottlerâ at Tottenham and will hold it against him that he was Spurs manager.
I think it might be a while before fans are singing his name, but I do think he will get a good reception at Stamford Bridge. Even with his Tottenham history, once he has the Chelsea badge on his jacket he is our manager. Look at Cesc Fabregas when he joined us. He was a player we hated from his time at Arsenal but he became a hero.
What makes the appointment extra satisfying is the feeling that, for Spurs, this could taint the best era in their recent history. Spurs fans are going to feel differently about Pochettino and it is like we are stealing someone who means a lot to them. I even saw a Tottenham fan on Twitter saying he will have to rename his dog because he called it âPoochatinoâ!
It would have been great to get in a serial winner, but who was really out there? We need to focus on developing young players and getting a structure in place. Pochettino is the man for that. He turned a dysfunctional Tottenham side into one that reached the Champions League Final. We have got a squad full of young talent, and look at what he did with Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dele Alli at Spurs.
Especially in this transitional period we are in, he could be a coach to get us back closer to where we want to be: the top of English football. And, who knows, if he can convince Kane to come here, then that would be a bonus!
This adds another layer to our rivalry with Spurs. Letâs hope Chelsea win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season so we can all sing Pochettinoâs name to twist the knife!
Jordan is a Chelsea season-ticket holder and member of the Chelsea Supportersâ Trust
