BBC pundit and former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has said he doubts whether Tottenham manager, Ange Potescoglu would have faired better than Mauricio Pochettino if the owners of Chelsea had gone for him instead.
Pochettino was named Chelsea boss over the summer, following the dismissal of Graham Potter.
The Argentine, who has an extensive record of success with teams like Southampton, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, has not enjoyed the kind of start he would have hoped for with the Blues, as his side currently lie 11th on the Premier League table after 10 matches.
Potescoglu, on the other hand, joined Spurs from Celtic over the summer, and has done remarkable work with them, as they sit at the top of the table with 26 points from 10 games.
Nevin was one of those who wanted Chelsea to hire the Australian before he went to Spurs, but after watching Chelsea’s inconsistencies this season, the 60-year-old now admits he isn’t sure that even the former Celtic boss would have made much of a difference.
“Chelsea plumped for Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs Ange Postecoglou in their respective managerial hunts at the start of the season,” Nevin told BBC Sport.
“The former was a world-renowned, top-level coach and the latter ‘only’ a success in ‘smaller’ leagues. Having watched Ange weave his magic at Celtic, I wondered on the BBC back then if Chelsea had gone for the wrong man. I got short shrift from most other pundits.
“Instead of coming across all smug now, having been at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, I wonder if even Ange could have got a tune out of the current Chelsea squad. That Brentford defeat makes it one solitary home win in 13 outings. That is now officially beyond bad luck.
“Ange may have produced a higher-tempo outfit had he gone to west London instead of north, but would that really have made all that much difference?
“There is an old phrase, ‘A camel is a horse designed by committee’. The Chelsea squad looks like a football team designed by 10 different AI’s with no real football input from an Ange or a ‘Poch’.
“For those talking beforehand of a possible top-four finish after a recent mini-Blues resurgence, think again. It could get uglier before it gets prettier.”