Chelsea free to hire Guardiola 2.0 in “football’s next elite coach”

It’s been another turbulent season for Chelsea and BlueCo, but there’s no question that the decision to fire Liam Rosenior after a dismal run of five straight defeats was the correct one.

Debatable, however, was the initial appointment for the former Strasbourg and Hull City boss, who struggled to implement his vision at Stamford Bridge and “lost the confidence of the dressing room“, according to reporter Graeme Bailey.

Now, Chelsea are in danger of missing out on a reprisal of their place in the Champions League, eighth in the standings and seven points adrift from fifth-place Liverpool.

Callum MacFarlane has taken charge on a caretaker basis until the end of the season, but Todd Boehly and his troupe cannot afford to fumble another appointment.

BlueCo free to appoint Rosenior upgrade

Rosenior ended up a disastrous appointment, with Chelsea’s retroregression likely to have major consequences in regard to their transfer spending and where they will compete out on the continent next year.

At the moment, this feels like a motley crew of mismatched players, some of whom appear eager to leave. The likes of Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner have been linked as potential hires, and while they have Premier League experience, Boehly and co may be inclined to head down a different path.

According to City AM, Como manager Cesc Fabregas has been told that he is free to pursue opportunities that might spring his way this summer, and given that Chelsea are interested, this is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on.

Whether Fabregas is the leading candidate in the bid to secure a project manager who can lead Chelsea back into the ascendancy is uncertain, but the Londoners have an interest in their former title-winning midfielder, for sure.

Why Fabregas could be Chelsea’s perfect appointment

Fabregas, 38, is on the rise in the coaching game, for sure, with one analyst even hailing him as “football’s next elite manager” after his work with Como, who are fifth in Serie A. Only in 2019, the Lombardy-based outfit were in Italy’s fourth tier.

Fabregas typically fields a 4-2-3-1 formation, and his Como side have not only pushed their way into European contention, but done so with pizzazz, retaining possession and carving opponents open with surgical passing.

It’s understandable that he should operate in this way, and at Chelsea, he could follow in the footsteps of his esteemed countryman Pep Guardiola, who has earned legendary status for his decade-long tenure at Manchester City.

Fabregas is, after all, a legend of the Premier League, one of the most creative midfielders in the competition’s history. Across five campaigns at Stamford Bridge, the former Spain international won two league titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.

He could emulate those feats from his playing days in the dugout. He could emulate Pep, who has developed his title-laden legacy over so many years, taking a team with resources but shaping them with such accuracy, precision.

Spain has produced many maestros; stylish passing play is ingrained within their footballing identity. Guardiola is an exponent of such a style, a managerial auteur, redefining so much of how the game has been played in England.

Could Fabregas be the next Iberian coach to emerge and shape the flow of the Premier League over the coming years? Crucially, he understands Chelsea and knows that this is a club who want to win.

Moreover, he has the brain and strategies to implement stylish attacking play, guiding Chelsea back into the limelight and reuniting a club who should be challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League each and every year.

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