THE KEY DEBATE: After Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino parted ways, the Blues were forced to enter the managerial market for the third time since Todd Boehly joined as a co-owner.
Chelsea is once more in search of a new manager.
It was shocking but not entirely unexpected when it was revealed on Tuesday that Mauricio Pochettino had left Stamford Bridge by mutual consent. Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital joined forces to purchase the Premier League club for £4.25 billion in May 2022 after Roman Ambramovich’s tenure ended abruptly, the Blues are currently looking for their fourth permanent manager.
Could Boehly and company turn to Thomas Tuchel, the man in charge from the beginning, as they get ready to resume their pursuit? Will they heed Brighton’s counsel once more and acquire Robert De Zerbi, who is currently available?
Or how about a daring move for Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town who just won a promotion? Then there’s Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, who both West Ham and Liverpool had on their lists at the end of the season.
The Mirror Football team has voiced their opinions in this week’s Big Debate, taking into consideration all of those contenders as well as many more.
Moxley Neil
The first thing to say is that Chelsea should be managed by Mauricio Pochettino because the team has made yet another move that defies football logic. The Argentine has brought together a disjointed locker room, muted the cries of disapproval at his Spurs connections, and given Cole Palmer a chance to shine.
But they use it as a plaything.
But now that the choice has been made, it’s time to start over. Do they think style matters? In which case, Roberto De Zerbi appears to be the primary candidate given that they have hired a large number of Brighton employees.
Although I obviously wouldn’t have fired Pochettino if it had been my club, I believe I would give Thomas Frank a chance. He talks sense, has led Brentford through some rough seas, and exudes confidence. He deserves a chance at the big time, in my opinion.
Michael Walters
It’s probably not going to last long for whoever gets the job. The clock has run out on 11 managers in 12 years, or four in the last 20 months under Todd Boehly’s ownership (Potter, Tuchel, Lampard, and Pochettino). This turnover is akin to Watford’s, so stability is hardly guaranteed.
Go for a volatile head coach if you’re going to run the team like a volcano; Roberto de Zerbi, who is free after his abrupt departure from Brighton, would seem like a good fit. The fans will be impressed if RDZ can get Chelsea to play the style of football they witnessed at the Amex in 2023.
Furthermore, it makes perfect sense—do they not currently acquire the majority of their managers and most expensive players from Brighton in SW6? De Zerbi can thus follow in the footsteps of Graham Potter, Moises Caideco, Marc Cucurella, and Robert Sanchez. Alternatively, Boehly could simply go out and buy Brighton and Hove Albion in its entirety to save time.
Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank have proven themselves in the Premier League ( Image: Andrew Kearns – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Although Andy Dunn McKenna is a strong candidate to succeed Mauricio Pochettino as manager of Ipswich Town, staying at Portman Road is the best course of action for the manager. McKenna would be able to show off his abilities on the big stage without feeling under a lot of pressure or expectation, and it would be a great demonstration of loyalty.
His stock would remain high even if Ipswich fell back. It would be better for McKenna to wait. Both McKenna (38), and Ruben Amorim (40), are exciting young coaches. The Sporting manager is highly regarded, and even though he says he will remain in Lisbon, Chelsea needs to step up their efforts to convince the 39-year-old to join the Premier League.
There are many interesting applicants for a position that, in spite of the ownership model’s intervention, is still very appealing. However, Amorim ought to be the primary objective.
Cross John
Thomas Tuchel should be Chelsea’s next manager, after all. At times, Stamford Bridge has resembled a madhouse; therefore, if a top-tier manager is truly interested in joining despite being aware of the absurdity of it all, they ought to sign him.
At Chelsea, Tuchel was fantastic. He won the Champions League and, in light of Roman Abramovich’s forced sale, the conflict in Ukraine, and the new owners, he looked like a statesman. Did he lose focus on the ball? Most likely. However, it wasn’t as though there weren’t any background distractions for them.
Jose Mourinho was successful after Chelsea brought him back, and there’s no reason Tuchel can’t achieve the same. I’ve looked at all the other names, and if Chelsea decides to go with a young, promising player, they could spit out Kieran McKenna and ruin his career in the process.
Although it is a requirement of managing Chelsea, Tuchel is never around for the long run.
Simone Mullock
Prior to his frustration with the club’s limitations and injuries, Roberto De Zerbi accomplished a tremendous amount of work at Brighton, but the results suffered as a result. Under normal circumstances, especially if Todd Boehly continues to spend, the Italian would be the obvious choice to extract the most out of a talented but inexperienced squad.
But let’s face it, in the current situation, De Zerbi wouldn’t last five minutes at Stamford Bridge. The inmates are in charge of this fully licensed madhouse.
De Zerbi would love a chance at one of the biggest positions in the Premier League and is available after leaving the Amex. But is he really willing to take the chance of ruining his reputation by being fired as soon as Chelsea loses three straight games?
Maybe Boehly will choose someone low maintenance so he can keep playing Football Manager from the comfort of Roman Abramovich’s favorite armchair and doing a terrible job of it. Kieran McKenna worked at Manchester United, so he is familiar with what an awfully managed football team looks like.
