Liam Rosenior has been sacked by Chelsea Football Club. It has been made official. He lasted a little over three months in the job and arguably had the worst ending that any manager has had in the Blues’ history. Before being shown the exit door, the Englishman oversaw five straight league defeats without scoring a goal. Across all competitions, he had lost seven on the trot when facing top division opponents. The only win in recent memory came against League One relegation contenders Port Vale.
Chelsea will need to find a replacement for Rosenior, and a quality one at that. They cannot make another experimental addition and risk it going wrong.
Most fans would love to see someone like Xabi Alonso or Cesc Fabregas be brought in. But it is a different Spaniard that Chelsea have on their radar.
According to a report from RMC Sport that came out even before Rosenior was sacked, several candidates are being considered. That includes Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season and with whom initial contact has already been made.
Chelsea have already made contact with Iraola
It has already been announced that Iraola will leave Bournemouth when this campaign comes to an end. The Cherries have even made it official that Marco Rose will be the one replacing him from next season.
So, Iraola is going to be available, which makes it easier for Chelsea. Considering the club’s financial issues, going out and bringing in someone from another team by paying a clause would make the operation a lot more expensive.
That being said, is Iraola the right choice for Chelsea? Or are BlueCo about to repeat a mistake from the past?
Is Iraola the right choice for the Blues?
For weeks, I have talked about Chelsea needing a proven winner in their dugout. Iraola does not exactly fit that bill. His only trophy as a manager came in Cyprus.
Do not get me wrong, Iraola has exceeded all expectations at Bournemouth. That being said, so did Graham Potter at Brighton before Chelsea signed him.
Is Iraola’s success down to his abilities as a coach? Or is it mostly down to Bournemouth’s structure and ability to find quality talent constantly? Just look at some of the players he has had on his roster and where they are playing today. Manchester City. Real Madrid. Liverpool. PSG.
Also, is the stylistic fit right? Bournemouth are known for their aggressive, front-foot style of football. They press with high intensity and attack quickly. On the other hand, Chelsea have been outrun by every team they have faced this season in the Premier League. So, would Iraola’s philosophy fit this set of players?
