EXCL: Pochettino succession plan in place, De Zerbi unlikely, Howe & Flick considered, Owners should explain vision, Chelsea CAN afford Osimhen, FFP/PSR situation explained, Fans turning toxic, More..

The Ben Jacobs Chelsea FC column!

Chelsea face a crucial game at home to Newcastle this evening. They need to win to realistically stand any chance of maintaining their distant hopes of some form of European football next season via the Premier League.

Leicester is equally important in the FA Cup, and perhaps more so given three wins and Chelsea would have Europa League football. But it is only a quarter-final. Winning that game (which is expected) won’t change much bar a small uplift in mood, but losing it will further damage the relationship between fans and manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Chelsea fans haven’t only turned on the manager, but the owners as well. And I do think it would be helpful if the latter speak publicly and explain their vision.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in a different position at Manchester United, and he’s only just joined. He perhaps felt it beneficial to explain how he will coexist with the Glazers from day one. I think it was a smart move and it's gone down well with the Manchester United fanbase.

It’s probably a bit selfish as a journalist to want to talk to anyone senior at a club on the record, but as long as Chelsea’s owners stay out of the limelight and media, all the pressure will fall on Pochettino, who is sometimes put questions others are better placed to answer.

In fairness, most owners do this, so avoiding journalists on-record is nothing new and in fact has become the norm. To a degree, we have to earn that privilege over time and through trust, but it can lead to fans being left in the dark which is usually only fine when a side and project are succeeding.

As things stand, Chelsea still want to make it work with Pochettino. Things can change very quickly if results don’t come soon, and that’s just football, but the idea that Chelsea are as of now actively pursuing anyone is incorrect to my understanding.

What’s happening instead is that Chelsea are succession planning. People tend to read the previous paragraph and then take it out of context. It can be true that a manager still has their fate in their own hands and clubs are discussing alternatives. This is because succession planning is normal for any well-run organisation. Some even start it with managers or players on the day they sign.