Chelsea have now changed six managers, including interim ones, since the Clearlake-Boehly takeover in 2022. Liam Rosenior became the latest to be sacked this week and Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team until the end of the season.
The fact that the Blues have sacked two managers in the same season makes it even more difficult for the fans to digest. The club management only decided to part ways with Enzo Maresca back in January. That had seemed even more of a knee-jerk reaction than Rosenior’s sacking yesterday.
As it stands the Blues’ chances of a top five finish in the Premier League this season look as good as finished as they currently sit eighth in the league table, seven points adrift of fifth-placed Liverpool. They could even slip further down the table. 11th-placed Sunderland are only two points behind Chelsea with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s stance until the end of this season
Now, with the FA Cup being their only chance of a major achievement this season, Rosenior’s sacking seems justified for many after the Blues lost five Premier League games in a row without scoring once, an unwanted record which was matched after a span of 114 years.
Chelsea will now have to do with McFarlane for the remainder of the season. He had also been on the hot seat for two games following Maresca’s departure back in January.
But the Blues are expected to be looking at options already for a permanent solution in the summer. And quite a few interesting names around doing the rounds of the rumour mill.
Probable managerial candidates for Chelsea
The likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas have emerged as probable candidates for the role. Will any of them get it?
Although, as it seems, another Premier League-proven manager, Andoni Iraola, is now being linked with the club. The Spaniard recently announced his departure from Bournemouth after the end of this ongoing campaign.
Could Iraola be what Chelsea need right now? Or would he be another poorly thought-out decision on the part of BlueCo?
Would Andoni Iraola be the perfect fit for Chelsea?
Bournemouth under Iraola have certainly been one of the top sides in the league this season. Even after one of their key players, Antoine Semenyo, left the club during the winter transfer window to join Manchester City, the Cherries are yet to lose a game since the first week of January. That is quite impressive.
Iraola’s aggressive and high-intensity gameplay might just impress the Chelsea board. They might feel it is what this team, often termed ‘soft’, needs right now.
On the other hand, it could easily prove to be another appointment gone wrong. Because, as things stand, this team does not look like one capable of playing that brand of football.
With the decision regarding the permanent manager yet to be taken, the ownership should really think about their approach towards their managers. If Iraola does end up getting the job, he will need plenty of backing in the summer to make it a success.
