Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final win against Leeds United was enough to at least ease the pressure on the BlueCo.
It finally ended a difficult run, ending Liam Rosenior’s spell in charge, and silenced some critics of the decision to hand Calum McFarlane a temporary role until the end of the season.
What hasn’t been done is solve Chelsea’s problems completely. They remain without a manager and the blame is starting to be pointed beyond the technical area as a result.
Having spent nearly £2bn on the signing and sacking of managers, to say that Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali can’t afford that in the tenth season would be an understatement.
Chelsea’s next manager: Top candidates
It is not the first season that has produced an endless list of Chelsea managers. Roman Abramovich also ruled with an iron fist, famous for sacking managers if they didn’t win top honours. But there are some important differences under BlueCo.
Abramovich, whether cruel or not, earned the right to set high standards. He did his part. He invested in quality repeatedly and ensured league qualifications to match. To rule with such cruelty, respect must be earned. Respect that BlueCo has not suited you since entering Stamford Bridge.
Their recruitment did not feature a player of Didier Drogba’s caliber. It did not reveal a clear strategy. Instead, an endless list of mediocre, yet expensive players have been thrown against the wall in the hope that they will stick.
Furthermore, just when it looked like BlueCo had found their own ‘Special One’, they pulled the plug on Enzo Maresca earlier this season. It is brutality without reward.
However, now that they are back to square one, they have to make things right. Since Rosenior’s departure, a number of names have been mentioned as potential candidates.
Xabi Alonso has been among them. The Spaniard has been a free agent since Real Madrid handed him the sack earlier this season, and is one of the best options.
Talks are said to have opened with Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola who will also leave the Cherries in a few months.
According to The Standard, Chelsea will once again hold talks to sign Marco Silva when his Fulham contract expires this summer.
Why Marco Silva could be Chelsea’s next Mourinho
While some do not believe that Maresca was Mourinho’s true heir, Silva is not far from shouting foul.
The West Londoners have added Fulham’s 4-2-3-1 manager to their shortlist and are already in talks to recruit one of the best managers in PL defender Calvin Bassey.
When it comes to style, Mourinho and Silva can be hard to compare. The latter does not fit well in the dark arts to the level of the self-proclaimed “Special”. But they have enjoyed a similar rise to the Premier League.
Both started in Portugal to achieve success before moving to England and both did so after average performances. Now, Silva could follow Mourinho’s path to Chelsea.
However, it is worth pointing out how similar Silva is to former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Before his Stamford Bridge days, the Argentinian manager enjoyed success at Southampton and took Tottenham Hotspur’s project to title contention. Chelsea need a similar change and Silva’s time at Fulham is certainly similar to that Southampton side.
|
Records |
Silva at Fulham |
Located in Southampton |
|---|---|---|
|
Games |
225 |
60 |
|
It wins |
103 |
23 |
|
Drawings |
41 |
18 |
|
Defeat |
81 |
19 |
|
Most points in one season |
54 |
56 |
Pochettino also had an impressive record for building a young team at Tottenham, providing a route for the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
If Chelsea can replicate that with Silva, who brought the likes of Josh King to Fulham, they could finally solve their managerial problem.
Chelsea are starting negotiations to recruit a 4-2-3-1 manager who could be their new Maresca
Could this be a repeat of Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca?
