Chelsea make decision on Mauricio Pochettino future as fans call for Jose Mourinho

Mauricio Pochettino says he will not give up trying to change the minds of Chelsea supporters who called for him to leave at Brentford on Saturday.

But the Blues head coach appears to have lost the support of most hardcore Chelsea fans — and another damaging weekend means his future is increasingly uncertain.

Chelsea are expected to stick with Pochettino until the end of the season. The Stamford Bridge hierarchy do not want a repeat of the dreadful end to last season, when they sacked Graham Potter in April and finished the campaign with a whimper.

But the atmosphere at Chelsea is threatening to turn toxic and the situation does not feel sustainable.

Unclear future: Mauricio Pochettino at Brentford, where he was subjected to verbal abuse from Chelsea fans (Getty Images)

Around 2,000 supporters at the Gtech Community Stadium chanted for Pochettino to “f*** off” after their side fell 2-1 behind before recovering to draw 2-2.

There were also chants for Jose Mourinho as fans rounded on Pochettino and co-owner Todd Boehly, who further angered supporters when he was pictured at the Bahrain Grand Prix on at the same time Chelsea were slipping further back in the race for Euro qualification.

The Blues are now 19 points outside the top four and six points off West Ham in seventh.

Bringing back Mourinho to work with this young squad is surely a non-starter but the perception among fans is that Pochettino is not the “winner” they are used to.

Pochettino has struggled to build a rapport with supporters. His Tottenham connection has always been an issue and fans were unhappy with his substitutions on Saturday, when he made just two changes despite saying the squad was tired after three games in six days.

Someone asked me do you feel the love from the fans? No.

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino admitted on Saturday he does not “feel the love” of Chelsea fans but said he was “not worried” when asked whether his relationship with supporters was recoverable.

The question is, what now? Sacking Pochettino might appease unhappy fans but then where would that leave Chelsea? Three months of drifting before starting again in the summer.

Chelsea were not interested in hiring Mourinho last summer and they are not expected to try again, despite him being available after he was sacked by Roma.

In any case, could there be a worse manager for a fragile young group of players who are bereft of confidence?

Fans were calling for Jose Mourinho, who is currently out of work (AFP via Getty Images)

Pochettino remains popular with the squad and he insists co-owners Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have his back for now. His position is likely to be reviewed at the end of the season and failure to qualify for Europe will leave him in a vulnerable position. What is clear is that fans are not happy with the way Chelsea are being run.

Many feel £1billion has been wasted and the soul has been ripped out of the club. Continued efforts to sell off academy players, amid concerns about staying in line with Premier League profit and sustainably rules, are hugely unpopular with fans. At the same time, ticket price rises are expected across the board in the summer.

It is clear Pochettino is in a bad spot after an unhappy 52nd birthday on Saturday. There is unlikely to be a quick fix for the negative momentum at Chelsea and fans have lost patience.

With a full week until Newcastle visit Stamford Bridge next Monday, Pochettino needs the owners to hold their nerve.

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