Chelsea would run the risk of a dressing room backlash if they sacked Mauricio Pochettino as manager, Mail Sport has learned.
After the pressure was piled on Pochettino following Tuesday’s 5-0 capitulation to Arsenal, sources close to Chelsea’s players strongly insisted on Wednesday that they remain fully behind the 52-year-old Argentine.
That briefing is despite supporter discontent growing as another season without silverware or a top-four finish nears its end.
It is an added complication for Chelsea’s hierarchy, who are set to stage a summer review of the situation and will need to take their squad’s attachment to Pochettino into account when deciding whether to make a managerial change ahead of the next campaign.
Pochettino has spent much of this season defending his young team after disappointing results. Though he suggested his players ‘gave up’ after Arsenal scored their third of five goals at the Emirates Stadium, he also refused to hold them responsible, explaining: ‘I cannot blame the players. There are too many details and circumstances for why this happened.’
Chelsea risk a dressing room backlash should the club sack Mauricio Pochettino this summer
Pressure has been piled on Pochettino after Chelsea’s dismal 5-0 defeat against Arsenal
Pochettino’s man management has been appreciated by the squad amid scrutiny this season
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This compassion has extended to the Cobham training ground where sources say his man-management skills have been appreciated by their starlets amid the scrutiny on them.
Insiders added that Chelsea’s players were given Wednesday as a day off to let the dust settle from the Arsenal defeat – their heaviest-ever loss to their London rivals – before returning on Thursday to prepare for their trip to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Currently sitting ninth in the Premier League, Chelsea face a battle to secure European football with Villa and Tottenham to follow in the next week.
Pochettino signed a two-year deal when he took over, with the option of a third.
