Chelsea face Newcastle United this weekend and Stamford Bridge boss Mauricio Pochettino has played down suggestions that he could have taken over at The Blues’ Premier League rivals before Eddie Howe got the gig.
It speaks volumes about the job Eddie Howe has done at St James’ Park that you’d be hard pressed to find a single Newcastle United supporter who would swap him out for Mauricio Pochettino these days.
Newcastle are three places and four points above the Argentine’s expensively-assembled Chelsea side in the Premier League table ahead of Saturday’s 3pm kick-off on Tyneside.
And, when the subject of the Magpies job was brought up at his pre-match press conference, Pochettino was keen to play down claims that he had initially been lined up by a Newcastle side who would eventually turn to Howe after patience ran out with Steve Bruce.
Chelsea travel to Newcastle United
“(Me taking over Newcastle) never was a possibility,” Pochettino protests, via Football London. “No-one (at St James’) contacted me.”
After a dreadful start, Pochettino is starting to get a tune out of a Chelsea side who, throughout much of the Todd Boehly era, have resembled a guitar with broken strings or a grand piano with a few keys missing.
Chelsea, so profligate so long ago, are suddenly prolific. They have scored eight times in their last two Premier League games, against Manchester City and an admittedly nine-man Tottenham Hotspur outfit.
Newcastle’s well-publicised injury issues, meanwhile, will give Chelsea confidence that the gap between the two sides can be cut down to just one singular point tomorrow.
Mauricio Pochettino vs Eddie Howe
“I think (Howe is) doing a great job,” Pochettino adds, full of praise for his opposite number. “Great manager. One of the best coaches in England. We need to remember he arrived when Newcastle was bottom and look where Newcastle is (now).
“We know very well they are doing a fantastic job. Eddie is still young but with experience. One of the most talented coaches in Europe.”
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