Inside the final talks - and a shock request - that led to Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea exit... as sources reveal he wouldn't follow their 'puppet' strategy amid a struggle for power

At the end of his final press conference as Chelsea head coach, Mauricio Pochettino paused before exiting to speak to the journalists who cover the club regularly.

‘Thank you for everything,’ he told us after beating Bournemouth on Sunday to finish the season with a fifth straight victory. ‘I apologise if on some days I was not at the level that you expect of me.’

Nice guy, Pochettino, but as we know, they have a tendency to finish last. The 52-year-old Argentine is not the first coach to discover the dizzying height of the levels demanded at Chelsea, and he may not be the last to learn what can happen if you do not meet the minimum requirements of competing for the Premier League or at least qualifying for the Champions League.

Pochettino never hid his desire for more power at Chelsea. One source close to the former Tottenham manager has described how, during two days of talks with the club’s hierarchy on Monday and Tuesday, he said he was not happy with only having a single year remaining on his contract. It was suggested that they should commit to allowing him an additional year on top of that so he could enter the next campaign with 'stability and security’. That was turned down.

As was the suggestion that he should be allowed a greater say in signings. That has been a source of friction over his season in charge as Pochettino called for the targeting of experience – an approach at odds with their strategy to sweep up the game’s most glittering starlets.

Already aggravated by the potential sales of Conor Gallagher or Trevoh Chalobah – two homegrown players who have performed well under him but would represent pure profit in the transfer market – this was a battle he was unlikely to ever win.

Perhaps the most telling glimpse we got into Pochettino’s limited power came when he dismissed the idea of adding a set-piece coach to his entourage after being asked by Mail Sport, only for the club to form plans to create an entire department dedicated to that crucial component of the game as they hired Brentford guru Bernardo Cueva.

Insiders have claimed the hierarchy want a ‘head coach’ who will focus on improving the players provided to him, as opposed to a ‘manager’ who will butt into other sides of the business. One source who disagreed with Pochettino’s departure on Tuesday night described that as a ‘puppet’, though it is seemingly a strategy that Chelsea believe will provide them the best pathway to footballing domination after their billion-pound outlay on transfers.

There is an argument that Pochettino did well to last this long. Some sources have suggested Roman Abramovich would have moved much sooner, particularly after losing 4-2 at home to Wolves in February. A change was considered at that time, and Pochettino was fearful for his job, but it was decided to wait until the end-of-season review as planned. Not even an upturn in form after that beating by Wolves – one defeat in their next 15 Premier League games to secure European football – was enough to save Pochettino once they sat down to discuss their differences.

It was around lunchtime on Tuesday that Pochettino shook hands on a divorce described as ‘amicable’ and ‘respectful’. He was told that he will be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge whenever he likes. That could potentially come as soon as June 9, when Pochettino is supposed to manage one of the two teams competing in the Soccer Aid match at the stadium.

He could arrange a plan to revisit their Cobham training ground in the future to say a more fitting farewell to his players. Many of Pochettino’s sessions focused on fitness, which led to accusations that he was contributing to their crippling injury list. He disputed that, citing that he had never even got the chance to train with £58million summer signing Romeo Lavia.

The news of Tuesday night will not lead to celebrations from the majority of the squad, some of whom have branded Pochettino the ‘best’ man-manager they have ever encountered as Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer and more took to Instagram to express their gratitude.

Say what you will about his tactics, they embraced his ideas for creating a homely and harmonious culture at Cobham. That included hosting a team-bonding BBQ at the training ground in March so that the squad could interact with many members of the club’s staff who they do not usually see. Pochettino surprised journalists who had attended his press conference that day by popping back in with plates of sausages and steaks, all while insisting this did not constitute bribery for better copy in his favour. In a tank full of sharks, he could be one of the Premier League's more pleasant characters, even entering the media room less than an hour before kick-off against Bournemouth to say farewell to Brian Pullman, the press steward who was retiring after 56 years of service.

It is that thoughtful side to his man-management which will be missed by Chelsea’s players who were appreciative of the arm he threw around him during difficult stages of the season.

Pochettino was always going to struggle to win over the Chelsea fanbase, given his connection to their arch rivals Tottenham. He reminded us more than once that he risked his own reputation by taking over at Stamford Bridge. But from a players’ perspective, they insisted up until the very end that they believed in him, one even making that point to journalists while stood pitch-side after completing the lap of appreciation following the win over Bournemouth.

On Tuesday night, Mail Sport spoke to the representative of one star who described his client as devastated by the departure, adding that he discovered it had happened at the same time as the rest of the world – once it broke on social media. Worryingly, the turnover of coaches has led to at least one player pondering if this is what he signed up for, given the club has been managed by five different men over the last two seasons alone.

Now, a sixth is incoming. Whoever that is – whether Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna, Stuttgart’s Sebastian Hoeness, Girona’s Michel or another who fits the ‘young and progressive’ mould that sources say they desire – the candidate will need to be prepared to bring immediate success to Chelsea if he wants to stay beyond a single season like Pochettino.