Pep Guardiola is heading for the job at Bayern Munich. Now who will be Chelsea's next manager?
It is a worrying thought. Chelsea have seemingly been set on landing Guardiola as the new man to fill the permanent managerial position, one that has interchanged so much under the Abramovich era. And this is the concerning part. Any big manager will be looking at the position with at least a little hesitation, even Brendan Rodgers revealed that he was looking to "build his career, not destroy it.", when asked about a possible link with Chelsea. Then he ended up at Liverpool (lol).
The point is is that there are not many managers out there with the calibre to manage a top side such as Chelsea that haven't already been sacked by Roman himself. And the few who do must be more than dubious over the vacant spot, take Joachim Low for example, who's words were similar to that of the Liverpool manager.
So the board must turn to alternative options, perhaps looking at a younger, up coming but less proven managers. Some pundits reckon the former blue himself Gus Poyet may be on the cards. He has had a terrific time managing Brighton, steering them away from relegation to then guide them to promotion on his first full season as a manager. Next season, Poyet's team only just missed out on play off's in the Championships, and he was given the Outstanding Managerial Achievement award. Michael Laudrup and Jorgen Klopp of Borussia Dortmund have been gossiped in the papers as well as David Moyes. Moyes is a manager who has built a very solid team with Everton over the years, one that has challenged for top six spots over the past few seasons despite dealing on a very minimal budget. It would be interesting to see what he would do with Chelsea's acquisitions at his disposal.
Of course, after a recent run of poor form and another League run that hasn't gone our way, most Chelsea fans are singing the name of a certain former manager who shot us to the top in the first place (with the help of a Abramovich's funds). Travel 1000 miles south to Madrid, where one of the biggest clubs in Europe are having an atrocious season by their standards, already trailing 15 points behind their rivals. The fans and media start to murmur the name of who they think is responsible, Jose Mourinho. The man most loved by all Chelsea fans, has now a 'rift' with the Madrid dressing room and is now on borrowed time, if reports are to be believed. Media gossip it may be, but after his peculiar actions (benching Casillas) and a poor League run a sacking wouldn't be out of the question.
Now, suppose this does happen. Would Abramovich ever welcome the Portuguese man back? It seems like Mourinho is the only man who could please the fans right now; however, we all know Roman is not one to be too concerned with the fan's opinion, and the problem is still there. The boss wants success, but in a beautiful way. Mourinho on the other hand, bought success as a result of a team focused on organisation and a strong defence. I'm still not convinced that Mourinho would be able to bring attractive football to the premier league, although he still speaks of his "special bond" with Chelsea and his admiration for the English game. The summer is going to be interesting, but for now it looks like we're committed with Benitez.