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Mauricio Pochettino has yet to win a trophy in England
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Carabao Cup final: Chelsea vs Liverpool |
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Venue: Wembley Stadium Date: Sunday 25th February Kick-off: 3:00pm GMT |
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Coverage: Listen to live commentary on ` Radio 5 Live and follow live text on the ` Sport website and app. |
Mauricio Pochettino's first season at Chelsea was a challenging one.
Not only did he take charge of a new club with ambitious new owners, but he also had to deal with a young team constantly plagued by injuries.
When Chelsea beat Middlesbrough in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, the Blues boss said it was a major achievement as he had to build the team “from almost scratch”.
There were times this season when it seemed the Pochettino project wasn't working and he was under pressure from fans and the weight of the club's modern history to win trophies.
Chelsea have lost their last five finals at Wembley, but Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool offers the club a chance to give the club a huge boost and a clear sign of progress.
Signs of progress?
When Pochettino arrived in the summer there was great optimism. There was a consensus that he needed to integrate many new players into the squad, but the club's hierarchy had planned for European football to return to Stamford Bridge.
However, the hurdles began in pre-season preparation.
A knee injury saw him drop £52million on the signing of Christopher Nkunku in the summer, with the striker making just nine appearances since his return in December.
Chelsea's ruthlessness in front of goal has been criticized this season, but it is hard not to feel sympathy when Pochettino is missing one of the key cogs in his attack.
The injury problems didn't stop there. Captain Reece James is again suffering from problems with his thigh muscles and had to undergo an operation, and he only made nine appearances this season.
Aside from injuries to Ben Chilwell, Benoit Badiashile and £58million new signing Romeo Lavia, Pochettino has found it difficult to establish a settled line-up.
Would the silver award mark the first season as a success?
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Chelsea currently sit 10th in the Premier League, 14 points behind the top four
When Chelsea lost to Liverpool on January 31 and Wolves four days later, some supporters called for Pochettino to be sacked.
People at the club said the manager was never in danger and pointed to the month in which they had made progress before the poor run of results to secure their place in Sunday's final.
Since the home defeat against Wolves, Chelsea have been unbeaten in three away games: in a replay of the fourth round of the FA Cup they beat Aston Villa 3-1, in the Premier League they beat Crystal Palace with the same result and then it came to champions Manchester to a 1-1 draw city.
Former Chelsea midfielder Pat Nevin said: “Chelsea suddenly resembles a grown-up football team.”
“The maturation process has always taken a while, but the performances against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and now Man City have shown that Mauricio Pochettino should take them well beyond mediocrity in the table next season.”
The long-term goal is to finish at the top of the league and get back into the Champions League, but a title could be the start of a new era for the club.
When Jose Mourinho was in charge at Chelsea, the 2005 League Cup was the first trophy he won, ushering in a period of dominance that saw him and the club win the Premier League twice, the FA Cup and the League Cup again.
It would be a huge milestone for Pochettino to be able to say he has won silverware while also delivering European football in his first season as Chelsea manager, and the coach believes it could be just the beginning.
“The work is done, but now it's about winning the final. From another perspective it seems like it doesn't matter because Chelsea cares about winning the Champions League and the Premier League,” Pochettino said.
“We need to start recognizing that and giving the team credit – because this is a team where a large percentage may not have played at Wembley.” [before]. It’s important for the club, important for us and in this process to build a new team.”
Can Pochettino use silverware as a stepping stone?
As Tottenham coach, he lost the League Cup final against Chelsea in 2015 and the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2019.
European football is likely to be difficult to achieve in the league, with Chelsea 14 points from the Champions League places and nine points from the Europa League places.
Victory in Sunday's final could be bigger than the physical trophy and the start of a change in mindset at the club.
Chelsea defender Malo Gusto, who joined from Lyon for £30.7m in January 2023 but only joined the squad this summer after finishing the previous season at his former club, believes Pochettino is having a big influence.
The 20-year-old said: “He knows he has to awaken our mentality, our desire to win everything. We are Chelsea and a big club like Chelsea has to win everything to keep fighting.”
“That’s what he tried to do, to keep everyone together and bring everyone together. I think the most important thing about this new project is this: helping each other and all staying together. If we do that, I think we can win more.”
“He helps us a lot. He tried to show us the desire to win and keep fighting against any team. He talks to us a lot about tactics, technique and everything. He is also a good person. He's trying to help.” “He's a good coach for this young team.”
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