Premier League
Who could Chelsea choose to replace Mourinho?
[LEVENE: Sorry Jose, it's over]
If Liverpool’s victory over Chelsea on Sunday really does signal the end of Jose Mourinho, as many now anticipate, it may cause Jurgen Klopp a wry smile.
If Klopp had waited, if he had ignored Liverpool’s calls when they interrupted his sabbatical last month, would he now be on the verge of becoming Chelsea boss?
In a field where the best candidates are locked in jobs and most of the available options have spotty track records, an available and ready Klopp would have been an obvious candidate for the Blues hotseat, perhaps the obvious candidate to take the reins.
As it is, his new side’s victory means another manager could end up inheriting Mourinho’s post within the week.
“Like previous sackings, Chelsea are choosing their moment,” as our own Dan Levene wrote on Monday.
They want an opportunity that minimises the damage caused to the club. That means balancing the risk that a Mourinho side increasingly riven with divisions continues to lose games, with a moment to give his replacement the longest possible run-up at a debut match.
Sense says, discounting a complete disaster against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, that the axe will fall after Stoke on Saturday evening.”
If that is the case, behind the scenes the club will be lining up Mourinho’s successor over the course of this week. Who will they target, who will they struggle to convince, and who might they have to settle for?
We take a look at some of the possibilities:
PEP GUARDIOLA
The dream appointment for owner Roman Abramovich, and unequivocally the most qualified potential candidate out there. Abramovich has long coveted the Spanish coach - believing him to possess both the winning edge he demands and the ability to produce attractive attacking football he reportedly dreams about - but has not been able to land his white whale so far. Perhaps he will feel that time is now.
Any pursuit now, however, might prove even more fraught than past attempts. Guardiola may only have eight months left on his Bayern contract but latest reports indicate he is on the verge of signing a two-year extension with the Bundesliga side – while managers of his ilk do not tend to switch clubs in mid-season.
With that being the case a previous Abramovich tactic – hire a caretaker to see the season out then, when the summer break gives everyone a bit more time to ponder, get the candidate you really want – may be his best hope of luring Guardiola this time around. The ex-Barcelona boss remains the bookies’ favourite, but it would seem from afar that the timing is still not quite right.
DIEGO SIMEONE
Perhaps a slightly more realistic proposition than Guardiola, with Simeone perhaps at least willing to countenance a mid-season exit in order to take a job at one of the biggest clubs in Europe. As good as Atletico Madrid are Chelsea would undoubtedly be a step up, and Simeone might ultimately decide he has to take it.
His La Liga title victory in 2014 speaks volumes for his managerial abilities, while he has a reputation for motivating his players – using the stick as much as the carrot – that Chelsea’s board may feel the current squad needs in wake of the Mourinho mutiny. His familiarity with Diego Costa will help, while Abramovich will doubtless be impressed at how Simeone has helped Antoine Griezmann and Arda Turan progress. What could he achieve with Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar?
Having said that, it is not impossible that Simeone feels a loyalty to the club that gave him his managerial shot (and he played for), and may not fancy a hurried switch of competition and culture during the middle of a campaign that has started positively. Perhaps another hard sell, but it would at least seem possible.
FRANK DE BOER
Certainly willing, presumably available … but does he have the calibre that Chelsea are looking for?
Most recently seen casting his eye in the direction of jobs at Newcastle and Liverpool, it seems safe to presume De Boer would scarcely believe his luck if he ended up getting the Chelsea post. Four successive Eredivisie titles at Ajax between 2011 and 2014 is a positive indictment of his coaching credentials, but the club have gone off the boil a bit recently, with PSV winning the title last season, and it feels like both manager and club will need to freshen things up sooner rather than later if they are to avoid further stagnation.
Still, there was probably a reason the former defender has been setting his sights a bit lower – Chelsea will surely only look at him if a number of other options fall through. His lack of Premier League experience will surely be a concern to the Chelsea panel (but he does know the Champions League), although that has not necessarily stopped them in the past...
ROBERTO MANCINI
According to reports in Italy, the Inter Milan manager has already been in negotiations with the Blues for a number of weeks. That claim does not quite pass the smell test – Mancini may have won the title during his time at Manchester City, but he hardly delivered the sort of expansive, cohesive footballing style that Abramovich is known to crave – and it seems too soon for him to be leaving Inter anyway.
Given the current situation at Stamford Bridge, lingering reports that Mancini left City having hardly endeared himself to many of the players will not exactly be music to Abramovich's ears either.
Another lesser candidate, only to be chased if other options fail.
CARLO ANCELOTTI
Would either the club or the man go back? Immensely popular with the fans, Ancelotti seemed somewhat disheartened by the way he was eventually disposed of by Abramovich – creating a wound that even the genial Italian may not see fit to heal.
He knows how to manage a squad of top players, and he would be available to slip back into his old seat straight away after departing Real Madrid in the summer. There would be worse choices, but after the Mourinho experience Abramovich might be wary of going back to an old employee for a second time.
There should be few doubts that Ancelotti would be able to turn things around, however, and that reputation may end up seeing him worm his way into discussions at the highest level. But if the club are only looking for a firefighter until Guardiola is available, will Ancelotti want to be that guy?
GUUS HIDDINK
Another ex-Chelsea manager on the open market is Guus Hiddink, currently licking his wounds after the resounding failure of his second stint as coach of the Dutch national team. Another coach well-regarded at Chelsea for his achievements in a short stint there, it is not impossible that a sequel could be in the works.
First time around Hiddink came in to steady the ship (after Luiz Felipe Scolari was axed), duly steadied said ship (and won the FA Cup), then left at the end of the season when a new permanent candidate (Ancelotti) was found.
A similar caretaker arrangement this season could perhaps work for all: Hiddink rehabilitating his reputation during a well-paid eight months of work, Chelsea getting a competent coach to see out the season and preserve their short-term aims, as they smooth the path for the man they really want to take them forward in the summer.
BRENDAN RODGERS
Don’t laugh – remember, Chelsea once called upon Rafa Benitez to save them in their hour of need. Rodgers may be something of a laughing stock among certain supporters and football fans, but he has a strong coaching background and knows Chelsea well.
His last 18 months at Anfield may have been a disappointing blend of muddled tactical ideas, but if Chelsea choose to fixate on the title challenge Rodgers engineered with Luis Suarez to call upon then they might suddenly become rather bullish about his prospects when asked to work with the collection of similarly talented attacking players Chelsea possess.
Rodgers may crave more control over footballing matters than the club are prepared to give him, but a desire to rehabilitate his reputation might mean he is willing to accept a coaching role that leaves him out of transfer discussions. The board might be attracted to that sort of compliant arrangement.
If Abramovich has a positive personal view of the coach then he may see him as an inexpensive gamble - even if the wider footballing world would react with incredulity.
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS
Okay, so this won’t happen.
FABIO CAPELLO
Another name already linked with the post, which is not surprising considering Abramovich supposedly footed a significant part of the bill that made the Italian one of the highest-paid coaches in the world during his stint in charge of the Russian national team.
Then again, it should not be forgotten that his tenure was anything but a success, which may well have soured Abramovich to Capello's coaching credentials (he was not up to much when being paid handsomely with England, either, and has been out of the club game for almost a decade).
Perhaps he could be a stop-gap appointment, but it is difficult to see Capello taking the squad on for a two- or three-year spell. A short-term stint could help rehabilitate his image, while simultaneously allowing Chelsea to wait for a Guardiola or Simeone - but whether the 69-year-old is that desperate to get back into club management remains to be seen.
OTHER CANDIDATES
Ronald Koeman: If Chelsea have been impressed by his work, they probably have the muscle to extract him from St Mary's. A stronger candidate if Premier League experience matters to the board.
Antonio Conte: Possibly tough to lure him away from the Italy job with only eight months remaining until the Euros.
Michael Laudrup: He'd been keen, but questions about his training ground commitment probably rule him out of serious contention.
Frank Rijkaard: if you can't get one former Barcelona manager, how about another? Says he is not eager to return to the game after some sour recent experiences, but Chelsea could be a hugely attractive offer...
John Terry: He wants to do it one day...
Claudio Ranieri: Well, who's having a better time of it than the Tinkerman at the moment?
OUR ASSESSMENT
It might be worth Chelsea's while just making absolutely sure that the dressing room bond with Jose Mourinho is broken beyond repair, because there is not exactly an obvious successor out there for Chelsea to swiftly install.
Guardiola and Simeone would presumably be the two primary options but both are unlikely to leave mid-season, meaning Abramovich and his board will have to decide between finding a temporary appointment to tide them over until they can get their preferred option (something they have done before) or looking further afield for an immediate, permanent appointment.
Down the former path, Hiddink or Capello would make sense - giving Chelsea the flexibility to chase Guardiola or Simeone nearer the summer. Down the latter path, perhaps Ronald Koeman is the most obvious candidate that can be attained.
If he had not already done a stint at Chelsea, of course, Carlo Ancelotti would be the obvious target of all those out there who are definitely available. If the Italian has forgiven and forgotten after his ending last time, perhaps he could yet return to save the day. Chelsea could do worse and, for right now at least, it is not exactly clear how they can do much better.
No comments:
Post a Comment