Data analysis experts Carteret Analytics recently conducted a study to determine the best option for both clubs, and concluded that Mauricio Pochettino would be the ideal candidate.
Carteret Analytics produced a bespoke report
Two of London’s biggest football clubs, Chelsea and Tottenham, are currently searching for a new long-term manager. Data analysis experts Carteret Analytics recently conducted a study to determine the best option for both clubs, and concluded that Mauricio Pochettino would be the ideal candidate. The study draws on six years’ worth of data to create the Carteret Manager Rating, a tool used by football clubs to evaluate potential managerial appointments. The rating takes into account factors such as performance levels, the strength of opposition, styles and formations and is typically kept confidential. However, Carteret Analytics produced a bespoke report which assessed a number of high-profile managers linked to the vacant posts at Tottenham and Chelsea.
Pochettino is seen as a prime candidate for the vacant posts at either Tottenham or Chelsea
The report evaluated the managerial abilities of Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane, Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, and Graham Potter. Pochettino was found to offer the best performance levels across a range of metrics and is considered a significant step up from Conte and Potter. The Argentine’s quick transitional play, shot creation ratio, and shot conversion rating were praised, with Carteret Analytics noting that his teams achieve exceptional results due to their incisiveness at key periods in a match. Pochettino was also commended for his strategic and tactical intelligence, which reflect his ability to set up his team and make effective in-game changes.
Although his ‘normalised Carteret manager rating’ score was lower than that of Tuchel and Conte, his recent absence from the game since leaving PSG in the summer of 2022 was considered a contributing factor. With Tuchel now at Bayern Munich and Conte likely to return to Italy, Pochettino is seen as a prime candidate for the vacant posts at either Tottenham or Chelsea.
Nagelsmann was found to have the best ‘strategic intelligence’ rating
The report also evaluated the managerial abilities of Luis Enrique, Nagelsmann, and Zidane, scoring them highly but noting potential caveats for each. Nagelsmann was found to have the best ‘strategic intelligence’ rating, with his teams effectively set up to win matches. He also had the highest possession stats in the study, but his patient build-up play from deep has left his teams vulnerable on occasion. Luis Enrique’s teams tend to have higher possession stats further up the pitch, and he is second only to Nagelsmann in terms of setting up his team and making in-game changes. However, his normalised overall rating was knocked down due to his absence from club football since 2017. Zidane’s rating was found to be comparable to Pochettino and Conte, with his attacking football scoring highly, but his absence from the club game since 2021 was also noted.
Of the other coaches evaluated, the study found that Conte still has what it takes to succeed over a short period of time with his defensive approach. Mourinho was suggested to be on the decline, while Rodgers and Potter ranked substantially lower across most metrics.
Overall, the study concludes that in pure objective terms, Pochettino should be the top choice for both Tottenham and Chelsea. His exceptional performance levels across a range of metrics, combined with his strategic and tactical intelligence, make him a highly desirable candidate for the vacant managerial posts.