Chelsea’s manager search continues, with a host of names being mentioned and linked. But it’s so important that the club get this absolutely spot on now as to avoid another Graham Potter disaster.
The issue we have is that whoever is appointed will not unite a fan base. Whoever it is, no matter how popular they seem, will not unanimously be accepted by the fanbase. Every single manager linked and not linked; I’ve seen extreme opinions either way on from the fanbase. So, whoever comes in is already fighting against a battle.
I have no preference for our next manager because none of the options to me are ideal, linked or not linked. All the names I’ve seen and heard about carry concerns for me, one way or another. There is not the perfect candidate. In this instance, perfection does not exist. This is why we cannot get too caught up in the details and overly dissect the candidates.
One of the most important things we need right now though is a strong personality. We need a strong presence, a motivator, and a leader. We need someone who comes in and is respected right away by the players and one who can rile them up.
Graham Potter had no presence, and for me, that’s a big part of what led to his downfall with us. He went missing as much as the players did when the chips went down, and we need the opposite of that.
This doesn’t mean we need some irate manager who wants to fight everyone and loves the sound of his own voice. But we need a real presence; a real personality.
I can’t tell you who that is, but that is the job now of our recruitment team to find that person.
Of course, we also need a tactical manager, one who backs his own tactics and is bold enough to stick with that and is full of confidence of his own ability.