Chelsea’s ‘Moneyball’ approach overlooks one big Pochettino skill – ex-PL CEO
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has slammed the “incredibly premature” departure of Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – suggested owner and chairman Todd Boehly may have gone “too far” with a “Moneyball-type philosophy” at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea confirmed last week (21 May) that the club and Pochettino had “mutually agreed” to part ways following a sixth-place Premier League finish in the 2023-24 campaign.
The news was met with many messages of support from first-team Blues players.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday (28 May) that Chelsea are expected to appoint Leicester boss Enzo Maresca as their next manager this week.
Pochettino sack was ‘the wrong decision’ – Chelsea owner Boehly slammed
Pochettino spent less than 12 months in the Stamford Bridge hot seat – and Wyness claimed his strong man-management skills won’t have shown up on Boehly’s “data-driven approach”.
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “I think it was incredibly premature to sack Pochettino.
“I believe that stability is a key factor, and he had a good second half of the season.
“He brought the team together. His man management skills aren’t something which necessarily shows up in the data-driven approach which seems to be coming from Boehly.
“He seems to be adhering to the American Moneyball-type philosophy.
“There is a fine line, and you can go too far.
“Let’s not forget that football is 90% about human beings. It does take old football experience to judge these things.
“I think they’ve made the wrong decision to sack Pochettino, and Boehly has already made several wrong decisions. It was premature.”
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