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Todd Boehly risks backlash from Cole Palmer and Chelsea dressing room ahead of big meeting
COMMENT: Todd Boehly may risk a Chelsea backlash with one key decision this summer.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly risks upsetting Cole Palmer and the Blues dressing room if he sacks Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season. Palmer has revealed that the squad is ‘fighting’ for Pochettino despite a tricky season.
Pochettino has overseen a huge uplift in form that sees Chelsea in with a surprise chance of qualifying for Europe on the final day of the Premier League season. Three consecutive victories have lifted the West Londoners into sixth heading into Sunday’s crunch round of fixtures.
Chelsea’s manager has come under fire for some poor form this season and has at times been linked with an exit. Despite the recent run of positive results, Pochettino’s future at Chelsea is not entirely certain.
He will hold talks with the Chelsea board at the end of the season to assess his performance. But if Boehly and the rest of the club’s BlueCo consortium decide to part ways with the Argentine, they may receive a backlash from the first-team squad.
Palmer said after Wednesday’s 2-1 victory over Brighton: “Chelsea is a big club and everyone wants to finish higher than sixth but you have to look at where we were at the start of the season so to get back into Europe would be a step in the right direction.
“All credit to the manager. All the players love the manager and want to fight for him.”
Chelsea’s recent form is likely to provide enough evidence to the club’s board that Pochettino should lead them into next season. The 52-year-old has even suggested that he is central to talks over planning for the 2024-25 campaign.
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A major summer transfer window may be required to prepare a squad for a push for the Champions League places. Last week, Boehly himself called for ‘patience’ in the clearest sign that he will back Pochettino.
“The No 1 thing is you have got to be patient,” the American said. “You are putting something together and expecting it to come together really quickly, and the reality is anything really good takes a little bit of time. And so I think patience was always a thought.”
Finishing sixth will guarantee Chelsea a place in Europe for next season. If Manchester United fail to win the FA Cup, the team that finishes sixth will enter the Europa League. If United defeat Manchester City, sixth will enter the Conference League.