For the first time in his career, loud cheers and applause greeted Mauricio Pochettino as he headed down the tunnel following the final whistle of a game played at Stamford Bridge.
On his one visit during 16 months managing Southampton from January 2013, he was treated with indifference by the fans in attendance at Chelsea’s home ground as his team were beaten, 3-1. Then for five years at Tottenham, between 2014-19, boos and jeers would greet him and his players.
Chelsea supporters regard Spurs, along with Leeds United, as their greatest traditional rivals. Normally anyone associated with the north London club has been given a hostile reception at Stamford Bridge, barring perhaps Glenn Hoddle during his time as head coach in the 1990s.
Reaction to Pochettino’s appointment as Chelsea manager has been generally positive among the club’s social media following since it was announced in June. There was positive feedback during the pre-season matches too. But an opening Premier League game at home against Liverpool? This was a true test of how the match-going fanbase regard the new man at the helm and his links to a fierce enemy.
Things had already worked in his favour.
Chelsea were so bad last season, when four different men managed them, that the crowd were probably prepared to accept anyone if they can get to see good results and decent football again.
However, it is worth remembering that Chelsea’s new owners considered Pochettino, available after a summer departure from Paris Saint-Germain, after sacking the very popular Thomas Tuchel last September. Talks were held, only for them to opt for Brighton’s Graham Potter instead.
Pochettino managed Chelsea’s bitter rivals Spurs between 2014 and 2019 (Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Had Pochettino been the one to directly replace Tuchel back then, it is highly possible there would have been much more of an outcry and a more frosty unveiling. But Potter and the struggles he suffered, which continued after his removal in early April, have provided a more than useful buffer.
As with any new manager, the photographers gathered before kick-off against Liverpool to get a shot of Pochettino walking out to take his seat in the dugout for the first time. The stadium PA announcer called a “warm welcome to Stamford Bridge for Mauricio Pochettino” and that is exactly what he was given. It was much louder and more enthusiastic than the one Potter received on his debut, in a fairly low-wattage Champions League group game against Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg. Polite clapping greeted the former Brighton man’s emergence.
When Liverpool last came here, four months ago, the difference in mood could not have been more stark.
Chelsea had sacked Potter two days earlier and one of his assistants, Bruno Saltor, was put in charge for that one match before club royalty Frank Lampard returned to his old job to see out the season as the interim manager.
That game under Saltor ended in a goalless draw. This one under Pochettino also ended level (1-1). But the difference in atmosphere and optimism around the ground was palpable. Among the statistics, Chelsea had 65 per cent possession, the highest ever recorded for them in a match against Liverpool.
Pochettino said beforehand that he was going to feel at home because he has opted to have the Chelsea dugout, previously on the left of the players’ tunnel as you emerge from it, over to its right, which is where he has stood in the past as manager for Southampton and Spurs.
The explanation for the change is that he wants to see more of the pitch, he feels it is a bigger area and gives him a better view from the halfway line.
He certainly made the most of it, patrolling his technical area for most of the fixture and shouting encouragement to his players at every opportunity. It is attention to detail like this which is already making people take note.
The new Chelsea coach watches on as his team hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw (Harriet Lander – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
On Friday, there was another example.
Pochettno switched training to Stamford Bridge from the club’s base at Cobham, in the countryside south of London, because he realised several members of the squad had never played at the stadium and he did not want the Liverpool game to be their first sight of the place.
Four of the six debutants used during the 90 minutes — Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto and Lesley Ugochukwu — all benefited from this. Robert Sanchez and Levi Colwill less so, with Sanchez having played there for previous club Brighton, and Colwill knowing the ground well from his days in the Chelsea academy.
Perhaps things would have got more awkward had Mohamed Salah’s ‘goal’ in the 30th minute, which would have given Liverpool a 2-0 lead, not been ruled out for offside. But the fanbase seemed prepared to get behind Pochettino and his team even in adversity.
Just before half-time, with Disasi having levelled the scores, Pochettino took advantage of a break in play for an injury to talk to some of his personnel.
With Chelsea looking porous defensively in a back three when they were in possession and employing a back four without, he called veteran centre-back Thiago Silva over for a lengthy chat. Then it was the turn of Carney Chukwuemeka, Reece James and Disasi. He could have waited a few more minutes for half-time to give them tactical instructions, to organise, but clearly he did not want to leave that to chance.
Then, as Chelsea pushed for a winner in the closing stages, Pochettino turned to the fans, urging them for more noise, more support. His wish was granted. Another indication of a bond that once seemed unthinkable now already developing.
This was not the perfect debut by any means. There are gaps in the squad that need to be filled. The deal for Moises Caicedo agreed late on Sunday night will help, but they also look light in the centre-forward department despite the encouraging start made by Jackson.
The players have now been granted a day off before preparing for next Sunday’s trip to West Ham.
“I can’t wait to start on Tuesday again,” Pochettino said in his post-match press conference.
He is not the only one and that speaks volumes.
(Top photo: Harriet Lander – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)