- Mauricio Pochettino has led Chelsea back into Europe in his first season
- Rio Ferdinand still thinks he is likely to leave the club this summer
- CHRIS SUTTON: Fans are sick and tired of VAR… but it’s here to stay – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Rio Ferdinand believes there is a strong chance that Mauricio Pochettino will not be at Chelsea next season.
After taking charge at Stamford Bridge last summer, Pochettino endured a rollercoaster first season at the helm, but managed to guide Chelsea back into Europe as they finished sixth after winning their final five games of the season.
However, despite the Blues’ strong finish to the campaign, doubts have emerged over Pochettino’s future in recent weeks, and Ferdinand is not convinced the Argentine will be sticking around in west London.
‘From what I’m hearing about Mauricio Pochettino, I’m not sure he’s going to be there at Chelsea,’ Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel.
‘The mutterings I’m hearing coming out, I don’t know if it’s going to end well there.’
It was then put to Ferdinand that Pochettino appears to have started to win the fans over with recent results which could help his cause, but the Manchester United legend is unsure whether that will have a bearing on the final decision on Pochettino’s job.
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‘I don’t think it’s in their (the fans’) hands,’ he added.
‘I think it’s the hierarchy and I think there could be a decision being made between those guys. I don’t think he’ll be there (next season), if I was a betting man.’
Mail Sport understands that Chelsea have always planned to review Pochettino’s position at the end of the season.
His role came under heavy scrutiny after Chelsea were thrashed 5-0 by Arsenal last month, but Pochettino’s side bounced back impressively from that defeat.
After coming from two goals down to earn a point against Aston Villa in their next game, Chelsea picked up maximum points from their last five matches, which included wins against London rivals Tottenham and West Ham.
This allowed them to climb the league after sitting in mid-table for the majority of the season, as they leapfrogged the likes of Newcastle and United to move into the Europa League positions.
Chelsea also had good runs in both domestic cup competitions this season, making it to the final of the Carabao Cup before losing to Liverpool, while they were knocked out of the FA Cup semi-finals by Manchester City.
Performances have improved as the season has progressed, but despite clear signs of development Pochettino admitted earlier this month that he could walk away from Chelsea ahead of next season.
This surprising statement came just days after he revealed he hadn’t spoken to owner Todd Boehly in months, suggesting that he has not been given a clear idea of where he stands at the club moving forward.