Pochettino remains tight-lipped about Chelsea future
LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) – There was a broad grin on Mauricio Pochettino’s face, replacing the stiff, defensive, unhappy expression of a few weeks ago. After Chelsea beat Bournemouth 2-1 on the last day of the Premier League season on Sunday to clinch a place in European competition, their Argentine coach looked a relaxed man as he strode on to the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
His side had taken 24 points from a possible 33 in their last 11 games, climbed from 12th place in the Premier League at the start of April to sixth on Sunday and turned from a somewhat chaotic group of talented players into a team playing free-flowing, sometimes even slick, football.
But there remain doubts about whether it will be the Argentine that leads Chelsea out in Europe and in southwest London next season.
After joining his players briefly in the end-of-season pitchside celebration with the crowd, Pochettino would not be drawn into questions about his future.
“I don’t know about the rumours,” he told reporters.
Speculation has been rife that the former PSG and Tottenham Hotspur boss would be gone after just one year in charge.
A halting start to the season with a series of injuries among a new, young, one billion pounds ($1.27 billion) team, was not what Chelsea’s mostly U.S. owners led by Todd Boehly, had envisaged. Chelsea, with two Champions League titles and five Premier League trophies in the last 20 years, expected more.
Pochettino tantalisingly said he had been out for dinner with Boehly last Friday.
“Todd invited me for a dinner and it was a nice dinner together,” Pochettino said. “My staff tomorrow are flying for holidays. I will stay in London for a few days. My phone will be on.”
Earlier this year, few would have bet on the Argentine staying. Fans were booing the side at home matches and forums called for him to go.
Chelsea did reach the League Cup final, beaten by Liverpool and the FA Cup semi-finals, beaten by Manchester City. Somehow, the defeats seemed inevitable. Gradually, though, fortunes started to change. Players came back from injury, the team began to get to know each other. Crucially, Chelsea’s pale, unassuming, deadline-day signing from Manchester City, Cole Palmer, got into his goal-scoring stride.
The 22-year-old has scored 25 goals in all competitions and has been voted Chelsea player of the year.
“I am so pleased and proud of the players,” Pochettino said, adding he included the players who had had less of a chance because they were injured.
“I am really happy because the way we are in the process, we had difficult circumstances. We had the right idea to try and increase our levels and standards. The staff was fighting every day to provide the best tools,” he said.
There has also been much speculation that key players, such as midfielder Conor Gallagher might be sold so the club could cash in on home-grown talent.
Still tight-lipped, Pochettino, who has relied on Gallagher as stand-in captain for much of the season, said any transfer business was up to the club.
“We will be there if they need help,” he said.
($1 = 0.7875 pounds)
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Reporting by Clare Lovell Editing by Toby Davis
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