Sky Sports journalist confirms Chelsea next manager status
It would be an understatement to say that Chelsea need to get their next managerial appointment right. The club have been poor when it comes to selecting their head coaches under BlueCo. Obviously, the same can be said for players and sporting directors as well. Not many great decisions have been taken in this era, which is why they find themselves where they are.
Anyways, since Liam Rosenior has been sacked, a long list of names have been linked with the Chelsea job. That is a bit of a contradiction in itself. After all, not many top managers are expected to be interested in taking on the role, with no Champions League football on offer.
Now, there is an update on where exactly we stand when it comes to Chelsea’s search for their next manager. According to Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol:
When it comes to making a permanent appointment, Chelsea are going to take their time. There is no shortlist and there is no No 1 candidate at the moment.
They are obviously going to be linked with a lot of names and many agents will be in touch. In order to not make the mistakes of the past, they are likely to target a manager with proven Premier League experience and/or who has a pedigree of success at a high level.
What Chelsea want in their next manager
So, judging from Solhekol’s comments, it looks like the club are prioritising a couple of things. The first is Premier League experience. The second is a track record of success at a high level.
From the outside looking in, that seems like the right path to take. Of course, what constitutes proven Premier League experience. That is also going to be important.
Would that fit someone like Marco Silva, who has had a great run at Fulham? But then, if he is brought in, it would hardly excite the fans. The same can be said about Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner.
They are good managers without a doubt. But the same thing could have been said about Liam Rosenior back when he was at Strasbourg. Chelsea need someone who is not only a good coach but also understands what it takes to succeed at a top club.
Xabi Alonso would be the perfect fit, Cesc Fabregas an interesting option as well
Of course, there could be names we are overlooking. Chelsea could always go out and sign someone who is in a top job already, even though it feels unrealistic considering their current circumstances and everything we know about how BlueCo work.
Out of the names out there, Xabi Alonso seems to be the best fit. Of course, convincing him to take the job would be difficult and BlueCo might need to be willing to concede a lot of control to make that happen.
But Alonso is a proven winner. He was as a player, and he has done the same as a manager as well. He exceeded all expectations at Bayer Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga ahead of Bayern Munich. At Real Madrid, he was not even given a full season but won more than 70 percent of the games he was in charge of. Los Blancos have only gotten worse in his absence.
Cesc Fabregas could also be an interesting option, although he is currently coaching Como. He is also a proven winner from his playing days and has the Italian side competing for Champions League spots. Of course, the past affiliation with Chelsea helps as well.
