What started off as a season of optimism for Mauricio Pochettino is ending as anything but for the Argentinian at Chelsea.
The Blues, despite having a much stronger squad available and on the Wembley pitch, still weren’t able to beat a injury-ravaged Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
It was the latest blow for a manager who has seen his side begin to emerge from the ruins of a below par campaign and start to string a few results to together.
Losing the final will be the bitterest pill, and Todd Boehly’s face at full-time said it all.
The American needs to take his fair share of responsibility for the debacle too. If it were not for his constant meddling, Chelsea might by now have some semblance of a settled side.
Instead – and injuries haven’t helped Pochettino – he’s had to cobble together a side most weeks.
A side that still aren’t playing cohesively on a regular basis and look anything like a collective.
Now the FA Cup tie against Leeds is ominously on the immediate horizon, and that match could be definitive in terms of the Argentinian’s future at Stamford Bridge.
No way back for Pochettino if Chelsea lose to Leeds
Given Chelsea’s current 11th position in the Premier League, an FA Cup win looks to be their most likely route into European football next year.
Get beaten by a resurgent Leeds, for whom Daniel Farke is bringing out the very best of them, then you can’t really see a way back for the manager.
The Daily Mail suggest Ruben Amorin could be being lined up as a result.