Chelsea boss Mauricio was already on the hot seat when the Blues struggled to find form back at the start of the season. But the Argentine stayed on, with management optimistic about a turnaround. Recent reports indicate why Chelsea hesitated to call it quits then and seems to be clinging to Poch now.  

Pochettino is the second favorite next manager to get the sack after failing miserably to galvanize the team out of a mid-table. Wolves ran riot over the Blues yesterday, putting Poch's side in 11th place, one above their 12th-place finish last term. 

Pochettino is considering switching to a three-man defense in a desperate bid to save his job, especially if he fails to qualify for any European competition. But is it already too late in these dark times at Chelsea: 9 wins, 4 draws, 10 defeats? Winning the league cup against Liverpool would be a good start. 

Five candidates who could replace Pochettino at Chelsea

So why doesn't Chelsea show Pochettino the exit? 

In short, it's not that easy. Firing the manager puts Chelsea in another unfavorable position, breaking the FPP rules. The Premier League already docked 10 points from earlier this season for overextending losses by approximately $25 million. 

Firing Pochettino and his coterie of assistants could ring up more than $13 million in losses two and half seasons sooner than his contract expiration. However, Chelsea owner Todd Boehy has already dug the team into a profit and sustainability hole. After all, he spent a whopping $1.15 billion on 25 new Chelsea signings since taking ownership in May 2022. 

Therefore, selling and paying off Pochettino and finding a quick replacement clearly breach financial fair play rules. Chelsea may not get the Trump treatment this time; as is the case with Everton (1 FPP, 10 points), not every club gets a pass like Manchester City (115 FPP, 1150 points). đŸ€š

Instead of dreaming of Jose Mourinho or Hansi Flick coming to the rescue, Chelsea fans might have to live with a Pochettino under pressure until the end of the season. Blues fans, can you stomach the pain? 

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