Pochettino ready to copy Conte to save Chelsea job

Robin Bairner

• 5 Feb 2024 12:07 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is getting desperate in his search for ways in which he save his job at Stamford Bridge.

A stunning 4-2 defeat by Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday has turned the heat up on the Argentine manager, who has only been able to lead the Blues to 11th in the standings despite the tremendous investment that has been made in the playing staff over the course of the last 18 months.

It appears that Pochettino is heading in the same direction as Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter before him since Todd Boehly’s takeover of the Stamford Bridge side, with the former Tottenham and PSG boss sliding towards the exit door.

The 51-year-old is ready to take desperate measures in a bid to halt this slide, with The Standard reporting that Pochettino is poised to shake up the formation of his squad in the hope that he can find a better outcome.

Pochettino is poised to move away from his favoured four-man defence and instead a three-man unit in a switch that echoes the move that Antonio Conte did to turn around his fortunes with the Blues.

The manager is ready to pull this move to provide Thiago Silva with more support in central defence.

What’s more, there is a feeling that Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are proving too lightweight in central midfield – despite a combined price tag of nearly €250 million – and would benefit from additional defensive cover.

"We can't give up and we are going to work hard to try and change, maybe take some decisions to find a different way. If it is not working this way, we need to move on and try to find a different type of solution,” Pochettino himself admitted after the loss to Wolves.

Conte's title-winning change

Conte previously switched formations with some success at Chelsea.

Having taken command of the club in the summer of 2016, the Italian quickly found himself under pressure after defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool.

A 3-0 loss to the Gunners was the catalyst to Conte switching formation to a 3-4-2-1 and thereafter his Chelsea side went on and won the Premier League that season.

Pochettino’s goal is not as lofty – it is simply to save his job.