Cesar Azpilicueta scored an own goal on another disappointing evening for Chelsea. Photo: ProSports/Nigel Keane. >Mauricio Pochettino is not using an agent as he discusses the finer points of his appointment as Chelsea's next head coach, and a fifth consecutive loss could allow the Argentine to name his price.
Pochettino is on the verge of becoming Graham Potter's permanent successor at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are expected to complete the deal by the end of the week or early next week.
With Chelsea's season effectively over, Pochettino or the club is in no rush to confirm his appointment, but are desperate for good news after Brentford became the latest team to beat them.
This season is quickly becoming one of the most embarrassing in modern history for Chelsea as the team has yet to score a single point under interim manager Frank Lampard. Chelsea are now just 10 points ahead of Leicester City, third from bottom, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United yet to play.
While most managers and coaches have agents negotiating their contracts and dealing with club offers, Pochettino introduces himself. It is clear that the Argentine has not involved any of the «super agents» to negotiate his deal with Chelsea, and he and his assistant Jesús Pérez are negotiating.
It is understood that the lawyer will review Pochettino's contract, but otherwise he will negotiate the length and cost of his deal himself, saving Chelsea a huge amount of money in agency fees.
Pochettino is expected to take charge of Chelsea with at least four employees, including Pérez, Miguel D'Agostino, Tony Jimenez and son Sebastiano Pochettino.
They have a huge task ahead of them, as evidenced by the fact that an own goal by Cesar Azpilicueta and a Thiago Silva save by Brian Mbeumo resulted in five straight losses and eight games without a win. for Chelsea.
Asked if he underestimated the size of the job at Chelsea by agreeing to return temporarily, Lampard replied: «I don't know. I don't care what people outside think. I'm here for a reason, because the results are not what they want. “I didn’t have a blueprint for what I thought the challenge would be, and I knew there would be challenges.
It was clear. I accepted it, realizing the danger, and I'm proud to be here.» If Pochettino was watching somewhere on TV, he would not be impressed by how Chelsea fell behind, or how the team finished. They only scored 30 goals in 32 league matches.
Zank, the Brentford defender, went up too easily to meet Matthias Jensen's corner. His header hit Azpilicueta and the ball bounced into the net. It was his first start since a humiliating home loss to Southampton on 18 February.
Those Chelsea fans who bothered to go to Stamford Bridge with their team's already completed season must have regretted it by halftime when they booed their team off the pitch. The face-to-face taunts were even louder, although hundreds of fans were already heading for the exits. Of this, Lampard said:
«Of course I understand that you are worried if you support Chelsea because you are used to 20 years of success and want more. I understand that the fans are booing, they want us to win.
When we win, they are happy, and when we lose, I understand that they are disappointed.” Azpilicueta was hooked at half-time as he was replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mikhail Mudrik replaced Conor Gallagher in Lampard's attack.
Aubameyang conceded the ball from Raheem Sterling's overhead cross, while Ethan Pinnock's kick was caught by David Raya.
It looked like having the right striker on the pitch was helping Chelsea as Aubameyang then headed for the top of the goal after Sterling head-butted the ball into the air to challenge Ray.
Aubameyang seemed to equalize at the hour mark after Mateo Kovacic shot on goal, but he landed a shot that Raya easily deflected.
And it was absolutely no surprise to anyone that, after missing chances in the second half, Chelsea were caught at half-time when substitute Mbeumo doubled Brentford's lead with a shot that saved Silva. Pochettino's list of demands may have gotten a little longer as a result.
Chelsea vs. Brentford lineups 22-23 PL
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