Chelsea’s hopes of winning a piece of silverware now rest in the hands of interim manager Calum McFarlane. The will take on heavy favourites, Manchester City, in the FA Cup final on the 16th of May at the iconic Wembley Stadium.
Despite being the underdogs, the Blues will have to go all out against City. It is not just about the FA Cup either. Winning the prestigious tournament will hand them direct qualification to next year’s Europa League.
Their chances of finishing inside the top five spots in the Premier League table are now mathematically over. Truth be told, they have a much better chance of sliding out of the top half of the table rather than gain any position over the next three games.
Who will be the next Chelsea manager?
As we are all aware of, the Blues are in the market for a new manager. They have to bring in someone will be able to implement the board’s vision on the field. But as things stand, the club might be going through an identity crisis. Their current project of building a squad with the future in mind has failed to deliver in the present.
Now reports are suggesting that BlueCo could make a change in their transfer policy during the upcoming summer transfer window. But first and foremost, they need someone on the wheel who will steer them out of their current slump.
The Blues have been linked with quite a few managers. The likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Xavi Hernadez, Xabi Alonso, Frank Lampard, Andoni Iraola and Cesc Fabregas are names doing the rounds of the rumour mill. But now, it looks like two frontrunners have emerged.
Two candidates emerge as the favorites for the job
According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, two names have leapt to the front of BlueCo’s thinking. Firstly, Iraola has emerged as a particularly admired figure. Internally, he is now being viewed as a very strong candidate for the job.
Secondly, Fabregas is another name viewed favourably, given his pedigree and understanding of the club. But convincing him to leave Como FC would be difficult.
There is little doubt regarding the credentials of both managers. But as we witnessed earlier, even more than the poor results, the misunderstandings between the board and the head coach have been a major problem inside the club over the past few seasons.
A look at Iraola and Fabregas’ current status
Iraola has been key to Bournemouth’s success this season as the Cherries are yet to lose a game since their defeat against Arsenal back in the first week of January. They are currently placed sixth in the league table, four points ahead of ninth-placed Chelsea.
The Spanish manager has already decided to part ways with his current club after the end of this current campaign. That certainly gives a big boost to the recent rumours.
On the other hand, Fabregas still has two years left on his current contract with Como. The former Blues’ midfielder has not given any indication regarding interest in an early departure.
Following their 10th place finish in Serie A last season, Como under Fabregas are now competing to finish inside the top four spots in Italy alongside AC Milan, Juventus and AS Roma. That has made him one of the favourites to be the permanent manager at Stamford Bridge.
But the board will need some convincing to do in order to bring him in. There have been suggestions that the 39-year-old would want a free hand in terms of squad building.
With European football looking like a distant dream for the Blues right now, they should really act fast to try and find a solution to their problems. Competition in the transfer market is rising each passing day.
