Liam Rosenior is living on the edge at Chelsea. A long-term future at the club for the English manager is looking unlikely, especially after the poor results recently, even though it has been suggested that BlueCo do not plan to review his situation before the summer of 2027.
There have already been calls from fans and football pundits alike to replace Rosenior. He arrived at the club not too long ago, at the beginning of this year, to replace Enzo Maresca. But fast forward to today, Chelsea are seemingly worse off than before. And by some margin. Moreover, the chances of a trophyless season are only increasing with each passing matchday. Even more worryingly, the Champions League spots are now starting to look beyond reach as well.
At a time like this, Troy Deeney has suggested that a Premier League manager could be a perfect replacement for Rosenior at Chelsea. The candidate in question is Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola.
Deeney spoke on the Football Exchange, where he stated:
“I think he’d be great for Chelsea. I don’t think he’s going to go there. My mind seems to think like Athletic Club or somewhere like that in Spain, where he’d go, but he would be fantastic for this Chelsea team. They wouldn’t want to do it because he’s organised, he’s structured and he is very much defensive-minded, I would say.”
Andoni Iraola could have been a good Chelsea manager
Iraola is set to leave Bournemouth at the end of this campaign. The Spanish tactician has gained a lot of Premier League experience from his time with the Cherries.
Under him, Bournemouth have emerged as one of the most consistent mid-table teams. They are currently just three points behind Chelsea and could potentially leave the Blues behind if the recent form of both sides is anything to go by.
Rosenior’s unfamiliarity with managing a Premier League team has been clear in Chelsea’s recent struggles. So, in that aspect, Iraola could be a really good option to replace the Englishman.
That said, as Deeney has also mentioned, it is unlikely that Chelsea would pursue the Spaniard. Instead, there have been some other names that have popped up as potential candidates for the Blues’ managerial job.
On the other hand, Ernesto Valverde is set to leave Athletic Bilbao, for whom Iraola played more than 500 games, at the end of this season. So, that feels like one that is a lot more likely to happen.
Candidates who could replace Liam Rosenior next season
Reports have reiterated Chelsea’s support for Rosenior even if the club fails to qualify for the Champions League. However, similar things have been said about other managers in the past and they ended up getting sacked anyway. Graham Potter is a prime example.
So in case they go down that path with Rosenior as well, there are some candidates who could replace him. This includes Cesc Fabregas, Mauricio Pochettino, Frank Lampard and Xabi Alonso, to name a few.
Unfortunately, Fabregas has already made his desire to stay at Como known, whereas Pochettino will only be available after the World Cup is over due to his role with the US men’s national team. Regarding the rest, they are just rumours and nothing concrete has happened yet.
All things considered, for now, Rosenior has the backing of the Chelsea board, and he should make use of that. The Blues still have a chance of going all the way in the FA Cup. Additionally, although tough, a Champions League qualification spot isn’t out of the equation either. It remains to be seen if the English manager can turn things around soon or if the Blues opt for a change.
