Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea exit has caught plenty off guard, including his Premier League rivals Gary O’Neil and Rob Edwards.
The former Spurs boss left Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening after just a season in charge. He has left by mutual agreement, with Chelsea now on the lookout for yet another new manager.
The news caught many blindsided, including a couple of Pochettino’s opposite numbers. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil was taken aback by the decision especially considering the form that Pochettino had Chelsea in during the closing months of the season.
Chelsea lost just once in their last 15 Premier League games of the campaign. They also won their final five in succession to seal a place in Europe for next season.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the LMA Awards, O’Neil said: “Really, really surprised. I thought - especially the way they ended the season - I thought they looked like a good side. Talk about tough jobs and what I walked into at Wolves but he walked into an incredibly tough changing room with so many players that had been signed.
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“Just trying to keep them all and keep them all united was obviously going to take time. It seemed like they started to gain some momentum.
“A good manager. Really good club, special club Chelsea, obviously one of the biggest in London. I’m sure they’ll find a good replacement and I expect Chelsea to be very strong next year and I expect Mauricio to find another good job and show what a great manager he is.”
Gary O'Neil speaks with former Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino (Getty Images)Who should be the next Chelsea manager? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Luton boss Rob Edwards also gave his say on Pochettino’s exit and was equally as surprised. He said: “I am shocked. They’ve obviously finished the season really strongly. Mauricio’s an amazing manager and I was just shocked when I heard the news.
“I suppose in football now nothing surprises me too much anyway, I’ve got to be honest, especially at this level of football.”
Chelsea are now on the hunt for yet another manager of the Todd Boehly era, with a number of names already on their shortlist. Reports have claimed that Brentford boss Thomas Frank is among the contenders to take the reins, while Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness has also been considered.
Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna have also been shortlisted by the Blues. The pair both won promotion from the Championship last season with Leicester and Ipswich respectively. Girona’s Michel and Burnley’s Vincent Kompany have been mentioned, while Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi have also been linked.
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