Mauricio Pochettino’s impending move to Chelsea is stomach-turning for Tottenham fans, finally giving them closure, but in the grimmest possible way.
Ever since Pochettino was sacked by Spurs in November 2019, and particularly since he flirted with a return in summer 2021, there has been a powerful sense that the Argentine has unfinished business in north London, fuelled by his own obvious desire to come back.
“Before I die I want to manage Tottenham and try to win one title,” Pochettino said in April 2020. “It will be an opportunity to pay back fans for all the love they showed us. From the day that I left the club, my dream is to one day be back and finish the work we didn’t finish.
As a result, the Spurs fanbase has been collectively incapable of fully moving on from the Pochettino era, which was characterised by a powerful connection between supporters and club, but ended with a series of brave near-misses.
The feeling has only been strengthened by the largely miserable tenures of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, and the bond between fans and club has gradually been eroded under a set of managers who did not share Pochettino’s attacking philosophy, optimism and obvious enthusiasm for the role.
Now, as Pochettino prepares to join Chelsea, supporters should finally be able to move on from 2014 to 2019, but not in the way they always wanted. Rather than Pochettino gloriously returning to the club, winning a trophy and finally exorcising the ghosts of his first spell in charge, he will instead become compromised or even despised by many Spurs fans, who face the grim prospect of seeing him finally win something in English football, only for one of their great enemies.
There would obviously be a powerful and unpleasant irony if Pochettino succeeds at Stamford Bridge, given that Spurs have unsuccessfully hired four ex-Chelsea coaches. Worse still, memories of the Pochettino era risk becoming tainted.
The footage of his obvious pride during the last game at White Hart Lane, when his side had just completed an unbeaten home season, or bowing to the away end at the Amerstam ArenA might no longer hit in the same way when he is wearing the blue of Chelsea.
The Blues are not only stealing the supporters’ preferred choice of new manager from Spurs, but also some of the joy of their best period of the modern era.
Chelsea are not only stealing Spurs fans’ preferred choice of new manager, but also some of the joy of their best period of the modern era
Many Spurs fans will not blame Pochettino directly, instead reserving their ire for chairman Daniel Levy, who has not approached the 51-year-old about an emotional reunion since sacking Conte a month ago.
The situation, therefore, dramatically increases the pressure on Levy to get his next managerial appointment right. After the disastrous interregnum of Cristian Stellini, which was brought to swift end yesterday after Sunday’s humiliation at Newcastle, Levy is sure to face the biggest backlash yet from fans against Manchester United on Thursday and at every match until the end of the season.
Only a truly exciting appointment will ease some of the pressure on the chairman and, now Pochettino is going elsewhere, there are few names who could immediately appease supporters.
Julian Nagelsmann, Burnley’s Vincent Kompany and Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi would all be exciting, with the force of personality to win over the doubters, but whoever ends up in the job will face constantly being compared to Pochettino, adding another layer of pressure to the position.
Most of the heat will remain reserved for Levy, however, who needs a new coach who will match up to Pochettino in the eyes of fans, even if many will never view him in the same light again.
