Chelsea have done what they needed to do. They have shown Liam Rosenior the exit door. Initially, the plan was to give him until the end of the 26/27 season. Then that changed to the upcoming pre-season. And eventually, the club had little other choice but to sack him yesterday following the poor run of results. If there was any chance for the Englishman to continue, it ended when he openly questioned the players’ desire in the media. You seldom come back from that as a manager.
Of course, Rosenior must have known that the writing was on the wall. Even if BlueCo had stuck with him a while longer, it would have just been postponing the inevitable. Having Calum McFarlane as interim manager gives them a better chance of getting a result against Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-final.
In the long run, Chelsea need to find a quality manager. They need to move away from this strategy of trying to find the next big thing. The idea that the coach and the team will grow together needs to be dropped. This squad requires someone who is ready to deliver results now.
Of course, Chelsea might have a tough time attracting a top manager. Just look how things have turned out for their last four or five. Also, there has been a belief that BlueCo want a head coach who does not want much say in matters off the training pitch. Well, that would need to change if they are to have any hope of convincing a proven winner.
Five managers Chelsea are interested in
Ben Jacobs has provided a list of managers that Chelsea are interested in. Of course, this is a mix of the past and the present, and there is no guarantee any official approach will be made to replace Rosenior.
According to the journalist, Chelsea have not yet formally spoken to any candidates to replace Rosenior. However, Andoni Iraola is expected to be one of the leading names approached.
Eddie Howe, Francesco Fariola, Filipe Luis and Edin Terzic all have admirers within the club. They have come up in discussion for previous vacancies.
Fans won’t be impressed with list of potential candidates
That is not a list that will excite Chelsea fans about the next manager. There is not one proven winner on there.
Iraola has done fantastically at Bournemouth. But succeeding at a club like Chelsea is a whole different ball game. Of course, Howe has done well at Newcastle United. But the same idea applies again.
Terzic did have a very good run at Borussia Dortmund but he has a long-term connection with the club. There is no reason to believe it would translate to Chelsea.
Fariola is the current manager of FC Porto. He has always been highly regarded for his coaching and is enjoying a phenomenal season in Portugal. But many will point towards Ajax’s late-season collapse under him and question whether he can deliver under pressure.
Out of these players, Luis is the only serial winner. He won the Premier League and League Cup with Chelsea as a player, seven trophies while at Atletico Madrid and a Copa America with the Brazilian national team. As a coach, that winning habit has translated as well, and he won numerous trophies at Flamengo, including the Copa Libertadores. But can he repeat that success in Europe?
