Chelsea-Iraola marriage is a disaster waiting to happen

Chelsea dismissed Liam Rosenior 106 days after the inexplicable decision to sack Enzo Maresca for the English tactician.

The Blues are now in the hunt for another manager to take over the Stamford Bridge dugout next season.

However, Chelsea face a serious mountain, with several managers wary of the club’s operations and rightly so.

One name that has been prominent in the Chelsea rumour mill is Andoni Iraola, with outlets reporting that the Bournemouth manager is one of the top contenders for the job.

Lauded as ‘ the new messiah ‘, Iraola has taken the Premier League by storm with his aggressive style of football that involves plenty of running.

He has helped the Cherries finish in the top half of the table for two successive seasons and possibly a third.

He is expected to leave his current role at the end of the season, and Chelsea are expected to be at the front of the queue for his signature.

However, a Chelsea-Iraola marriage might be a disaster waiting to happen, not because he is a bad manager, but for other reasons.

Firstly, Chelsea’s squad is built for a manager keen on controlling the midfield and the battles across the pitch.

The Blues built this squad for former boss Enzo Maresca, a gaffer who prioritised calculated control over all-out aggression.

Midfielders like Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Romeo Lavia are measured players, not particularly known for their ability to cover distances.

In that sense, Iraola does not fit the squad’s profile, and Chelsea will need a massive clear-out to refurbish the squad for him.

Besides, that style of play tends to lead to injuries, and the Blues already have several players that they are trying to manage.

Players like James, Lavia, and Levi Colwill will wilt under Iraola’s hard-running system.

Also, the Blues must bring in a manager who will immediately earn the squad’s respect.

Winners like Enzo Fernandez want a respected manager who can match their ambitions.

While the Basque manager is tactically astute, he has yet to win anything so far in his career.

Chelsea should not be prioritising Premier League experience for their managerial targets.

They must look at managers with winning records, showing top players like Fernandez , Cole Palmer, Reece James, and Caicedo that the club wants to challenge for honours.