Last time in this city, everything was the opposite for him.

After the "Parisian fun" and subsequent rest, the former sensation-maker at Tottenham now had the opportunity to return to his homeland and prove to everyone that the failure at PSG was a coincidence and the rise of the Spurs was entirely his merit.

Looking at the situation in the club where the Argentine coach developed, a return to North London would be an ideal solution for the specialist. However, out of the two inconsistent and problematic teams, Mauricio chose the path of self-redemption and moved closer to the center by signing a contract with Chelsea.

A complete reboot

The specialist's first and foremost task, without which it is impossible to accomplish everything else, is a personal reboot. Mauricio's coaching career is one of the most challenging and exhausting. Consider this: not every specialist can endure long-term work at Tottenham under Levy's leadership and then have a falling out with him, and then move to PSG with equally capricious owners, not to mention the period of active buying of everyone and everything, from Messi to Ramos. Even though the Arab bosses counted on success under the guidance of the Argentine, Pochettino lacked authority and some personal qualities to raise the bar of the ambitious French project.

Everything went so wrong that with Neymar and Messi in the squad, the Championship in the domestic league was missed, and there is no point in mentioning the European cups. Naturally, with his limit of trust from big clubs, the specialist couldn't enter the ranks of coaches at the level of Mourinho or the hypothetical Tuchel and only solidified his position as a "failed coach," incapable of solving major long-term tasks.

The arrival at Chelsea, one of the most problematic clubs in Europe, clearly indicates that Maurizio is still trying to break through this barrier and prove his worth. With such motivation and self-confidence, he will have more than enough. If all these qualities come together in Pochettino, the Argentine can reboot and achieve something significant.

Encounter with Bouli

Todd Bouli's character and leadership style can be described as a "thorn" on the side of every specialist. You can ask Graham Potter and Frank Lampard - they know who this American is. Hysteria and nervousness have led to several unclear personnel decisions and subsequent attempts to rectify them. While we didn't expect anything from Frank, Potter's dismissal showed nothing to show. Bouli is too steeped in American sports and believes that results should be instantaneous and that the bosses' decisions are always correct.

It is difficult for someone like Maurizio to get along with people of this nature. He is too straightforward and democratic for such relationships. However, denying that the Argentine did not understand this would not be very smart. He will have to make a considerable effort to maintain the trust of his new boss in an instant.

Squad Overhaul

Only those utterly detached from football or afraid to acknowledge its scale have not heard of Chelsea's crazy transfer campaign. What could be wrong with an active player acquisition policy in the spirit of American franchises? In this case, everything. When was the last time "The Pensioners" fans considered scenarios where they wouldn't get relegated to the Championship? We don't even need to remember the words "Chelsea" and "Championship" themselves lead us to the understanding that such a business strategy does not justify itself in European football.

In this season, the football players of the London team either lost their motivation or were afraid to challenge themselves, and all of this resulted in a complete absence of any backbone and confidence that the team was always known for. Trophies were won here thanks to their spirit.

Let's go back to Pochettino. In addition to clearing the squad and getting rid of the "dead weight," the Argentine will have to break the players mentally and physically. Fortunately for him, this is what he is renowned for. Many remember stories of how the Argentine made players run on hot coals before the Champions League final or organized a rafting trip for Levy.

And let's remember the atmosphere in the dressing room. He must tackle this task if his experience at PSG taught him anything. And to sum up the above, the spirit is what Argentine needs to bring to Chelsea in the first place.

Interaction with the fans

Let's remember which club the specialist is associated with. Tottenham is one of the team's sworn enemies.

It will be tough, not just to win over but even to gain the fans' trust after a long period of working with another London team. Naturally, for the most part, everything will depend on the team's results but also the actions of the specialist himself.

It would be strange to hope that he will fully immerse himself in the team's atmosphere, but presenting himself as part of a unified mechanism steeped in great traditions will be necessary because without the proper support from the fanbase, the "pensioners" may instantly reject the coach.

The question is whether he will lose the love of the team's fans, the team that raised him.

Adaptation within the team

Finally, no less necessary task is to go through the adaptation period in this system. In its structure, Chelsea is one of the most complex teams to manage, and considering the team's state, it will be even more challenging to settle in the club.

The Argentine will immediately face many tasks and an equally heavy load of responsibility. Moreover, he needs to understand everything in the shortest possible time. The specialist needs to develop a specific approach quickly and instill the belief that he is doing everything right. The fact that he is already accustomed to English football saves him. But whether he will adapt to Chelsea will only be shown with time.

05.06.2023