Pochettino exit: How departing Chelsea boss compared to last six Blues managers

Mauricio Pochettino lasted just one season as Chelsea manager after a mutual decision to part ways with the club following their sixth-place finish.

Sources told TEAMtalk his job was under serious threat as far back as February and his position remained up for consideration despite him eventually leading them back into European territory.

Ultimately, having met at the end of the season, Chelsea and Pochettino chose to go their separate ways.

Pochettino’s final record with Chelsea stands at 26 wins and 14 losses in 51 games, achieving 1.78 points per game.

Furthermore, Pochettino’s record equates to a modest winning percentage of just under 51 percent.

Here, www.teamtalk.compares the manager’s record with the Blues’ last six full-time managers.

Graham Potter

Games managed – 31

Points per game – 1.41

Wins – 12

Draws – 8

Losses – 11

Win percentage – 39%

The most recent manager to precede Pochettino on a full-time basis, Potter had a phenomenal start at the club before slipping way back. Indeed, it was not until his 10th game in charge of the Blues that he finally suffered his first loss.

After drawing his first game in charge, Potter led Chelsea on a five-game win streak. After his side were handed their fist loss, though, they found it hard to stop losing.

Indeed, on three separate occasions, the Blues lost three games on the bounce and there was never more than one win between them.

After the final three-loss streak, Potter inspired his side to three wins on the bounce in March 2023. However, a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in matchday 29 of the Premier League, which saw Chelsea slip to 11th in the table, was the final nail in the coffin for Potter.

Thomas Tuchel

Games managed – 100

Points per game – 2.04

Wins – 60

Draws – 24

Losses – 16

Win percentage – 60%

Sacked just prior to Potter taking over, Tuchel was rather successful with Chelsea – he managed them to Champions League glory in the 2020/21 campaign. He also reached the FA Cup final in his penultimate season as the Blues’ boss.

As well as cup achievements, Tuchel guided Chelsea to a fourth-placed and a third-placed finish in his two full seasons.

Despite that, a slightly slow start in his third campaign, which saw the Blues lose three games, alongside three wins and a draw, saw Tuchel relieved of his duties.

Nobody has gotten close to his impact since, with a 12th-placed finish in 2022/23 following his third-placed season and then Pochettino taking them to 6th in 2023/24.

Frank Lampard

Games managed – 95

Points per game – 1.60

Wins – 45

Draws – 17

Losses – 33

Win percentage – 47.37%

Lampard’s first season with the Blues saw him do very well. Following on from successful manager Maurizio Sarri would have been a tough task for any relatively new boss, but he took that challenge on well, especially given he was not able to buy players.

Indeed, in the midst of a transfer embargo, Lampard managed to win 29 games in his first campaign, as he guided the Blues to a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League.

Chelsea’s ruthless streak when it comes to managers kicked in the following campaign, though, as he was sacked after 15 wins and seven losses – a ratio they could only dream of now.

Lampard returned in a caretaker capacity at the back end of last season after the dismissals of his successor Tuchel and Potter, and won just one game out of a possible 11 in all competitions.

Maurizio Sarri

Games managed – 63

Points per game – 2.08

Wins – 39

Draws – 13

Losses – 11

Win percentage – 62%

In his single season at the helm at Stamford Bridge, Sarri guided them to a third-placed finish. It was a tough season for a number of Premier League sides, given the top two – Manchester City and Liverpool – amassed 98 and 97 points respectively.

Alongside a decent league finish, Sarri had some cup success, guiding Chelsea to Europa League triumph, as well as the final of the League Cup.

He returned to Italy immediately after guiding the Blues to their second Europa League trophy.

Antonio Conte

Games managed – 106

Points per game – 2.12

Wins – 69

Draws – 17

Losses – 20

Win percentage – 65%

Conte is statistically the best Chelsea manager of the past 10 years. Nobody in that time has a better points per game than his, standing at 2.12.

He also won the Premier League with the Blues in 2016/17 – his first season – and the FA Cup the following campaign, after reaching the final the season prior.

His title win was the last time Chelsea managed triumph in the Premier League – no manager has even got close since, with two third-placed finishes the best since he left the club.

His final season was the one in which he inspired his side to FA Cup glory, but the Blues also finished fifth, and he was said to have “alienated senior players,” leading to his sacking.

Jose Mourinho

Games managed – 320

Points per game – 2.12

Wins – 204

Draws – 65

Losses – 51

Win percentage – 63.75%

A cult favourite and towards the top of most people’s lists of the greatest managers of all time – not just for his time at Chelsea – Mourinho was an enigma and a fantastic coach at Stamford Bridge.

He won three Premier League titles, three League Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield across his two spells at the club. That is the highest number of titles of any single manager in Chelsea history.

What’s more, in his first spell, he achieved 2.23 points per game – Guus Hiddink is the only Chelsea manager to achieve more in a single spell at the club than Mourinho.

His departure from his first spell was early in the 2007/08 season, when the Blues were fifth – they recovered to second. Mourinho’s second spell ended with the club 16th in the league in 2015/16 – they finished 10th that term.

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