BlueCo should be well aware by now that they need to get this managerial appointment right. And the Liam Rosenior era must have shown them that replacing a quality one with another ‘head coach’ is not a simple task. If reports in the media are anything to go by, there are three frontrunners for the job. Xabi Alonso, Marco Silva and Andoni Iraola.
Over the past few days, there has been talk about the club holding multiple conversations with Alonso’s camp. It has also been suggested that they are willing to give him more control, which is what the Spaniard wants.
As for Silva, his future at Fulham is not clear. He is not the type of manager that fans would be happy with though. And amid rising fan frustration and protests, can BlueCo afford to make such an appointment?
The third name on that list is Iraola, who is going to be available as a free agent as his impending Bournemouth exit has already been announced. Yet, it looks like it is a different London club taking the most concrete steps to try and sign him.
Crystal Palace making moves to sign Andoni Iraola ahead of Chelsea
According to a report from Sami Mokbel on BBC Sport, Crystal Palace are now making concrete moves to persuade Iraola to stay in the Premier League. It is understood the Spaniard is aware of the interest and following preliminary talks, he is not ruling out joining the Eagles next season.
Of course, that makes things tougher for Chelsea. Obviously, there are those who feel that Iraola would not be the right fit for this team, myself included.
Iraola has gotten impressive results at Bournemouth. But that has come through playing a high-intensity, pressing style of football.
On the other hand, this Chelsea team has been outrun in every Premier League game so far this season. They also have multiple injury-prone players. So, it just does not look like a great fit on paper.
Could Andoni Iraola be another Graham Potter?
Here is another aspect that does not get discussed enough. How good is Iraola actually? Of course, we will never know the right answer to that until we see him in another environment. That being said, the question needs to be asked.
Yes, he has done a phenomenal job at Bournemouth. But is that down to his brilliant coaching? Or is it more down to the club’s exceptional recruitment? Remember, those players have left to join teams like Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City and PSG over the past 12 months.
Graham Potter is another manager who had looked exceptional at Brighton & Hove Albion. But once he left their structure, he was never able to replicate those results. He failed at Chelsea and then at West Ham United. So, there would be a similar kind of risk involved when it comes to appointing Iraola.
