03 Mar 2018 19:01:43
Hey Folks,

Just a random question and apologies if people find it crass whilst We currently have a Head Coach and before the Season has concluded to but I am really interested to know the thoughts and feelings of the posters on here concerning Our Managerial situation.

So here goes, would You stick with Antonio Conte going into next season and if He does move on who would You look to appoint and why.

I would love to hear Ed001's views on this to if possible.

Looking forward to Your replies.

KTBFFH!

{Ed001's Note - I would have to say I would let him go because no coach should be so publicly critical of his employers. We know he is not picking the players, but he is a coach, so get on with coaching and stop moaning! Plus there is the Italy job there, so you can get some compo from them for letting him go there with minimum fuss and go and get someone else.

For me there are a few alternatives but Nagelsmann (before Bayern get him) or Sarri are the standouts. Failing that it would be Allegri, Gasperini or Jardim. Actually, come to think of it, I would have Jardim in the standouts. Oh Marcelino would be a decent choice too. The one I would never consider is Luis Enrique, he is bloody mental. I was in Spain for 6 months while he was in charge of Barca and he was more of an anchor on the team than anything and his comments were just bizarre. He did not impress at all.}

1.) 03 Mar 2018
03 Mar 2018 20:31:47
Thanks for the reply Ed. I enjoy reading Your views and opinions on Players, Managers and The Game in general.

I personaly like Conte and will be forever grateful for His achievements last and who knows this season to but I agree that He is coming across as someone who appears and more importantly sounds like He is trying to engineer a way out of the Club. I understand it's frustrating when You're not competing as You would want and possibly not getting the players You wish to have but ultimately You can't always get the player/ s You desire for a variety of reasons but You still have a job to do and are very well paid to do so to. If He wants away then the Club shouldn't stand in His way because I don't think any good will come from that.

As for who I would look to replace Him with I'm really not sure as I feel that if Chelsea had a clearly defined Philosophy (I'm assuming they don't) apart from to Win, it would be easier to say x, y or z would be a good fit. As things stand there seems, atleast to Me to be no real rhyme or reason to Our Managerial appointments. This is particularly worrying to Me moving forward as We are no longer the biggest fish in the pond so to speak so I feel a different approach is probably needed.

And I do recognise We have been very successful doing things Our way and recently to. I just think it's going to get much harder with City and United's financial clout to compete for the Top Honours.

{Ed001's Note - thank you mate. Interesting reply. I had not really thought about it but you make a very good point, I can't think of any real reasoning to the appointments either. Jose was moved on as more exciting football was wanted, but he was brought back despite still playing negative football. Surely you have to decide on your principles and then stand by them? If you want attractive football, then you have to stick with it or you will end up with a team set up for one style but being coached to play a differing one and that does not work well.}

2.) 03 Mar 2018
03 Mar 2018 21:03:49
Thanks again Ed.

That is basically My point, if the Club no longer wish or are capable of blowing the other Clubs out of the water when it comes to signing players this is absolutely understandable and completely fine but the Club have to realise that it will become harder to Win the real Top Trophies, not impossible but tougher and therefore their patience with Head Coaches needs to improve as they are allowed to implement a Vision and Plan for the Squad moving forward.

I personaly would like to see Us play a more adventurous, aggressive, attacking style of play in general so would actually be in favour of someone less pragmatic (not suicidal football ofcourse) .

I look at Our 7 league defeats this Season and they were all games really We should have been getting something from with the exception of City who taught Us a bit of a footballing lesson on the day. And here's the thing that irks Me the most about it, is people say We have a better defence than the likes of Liverpool yet We still lost them not purely because of poor defending but because We didn't dominate Our opponents, put fear into them and score the goals that make the defending less crucial.

Even a side that rarely concedes has to create chances and score goals to Win Matches which We don't do enough of.

3.) 04 Mar 2018
03 Mar 2018 23:37:16
I agree with a lot of what you have to say blue nose. I've been one of those who've defended conte and liked that he is relatively honest for a manager. However, like ed001 points out, he's overly critical of the board in public. I'm starting to think that's hurting the cause and he doesn't seem nearly as invested as last season.

For a long time I felt the media were driving him out, and maybe that's a cause of it, but I'm starting to feel like maybe it'd be best for everyone if we part ways.

Jardim, sarri seem solid, not sure if nagelsmann would transfer over well, but he's young and exciting. Really hope Enrique isn't a serious option, his media relations were terrible at Barcelona, I can't imagine how bad it'd be in England.

{Ed0333's Note - why do you care if your manager isn’t nice to the media surely you want a guy whose a winner and Enrique is certainly that. I would move heaven and earth to get Nagilsmann because he is gonna be a phenom. He truly is special and with money to spend he will be a tour de force.

4.) 04 Mar 2018
04 Mar 2018 06:45:06
Great views guys,
i for one think that when the board looks for a new manager, they look for one special quality and that is a winning mentality. One who has done it in the past at the very top level.

that is the foundation that have been built in by RA and JM when he came in first. We had Ballack Terry Drogba . international captains who had one clear goal . to win

we can continue to go down that road with Luis Enrique

RM (? ) CM (Milinkovic-Savic) ST (? )
and we are with a fighting chance next season for the title.

{Ed001's Note - Enrique does not have a winning mentality. He is a nut job mate. Seriously. Me ma loves him because he just makes insane and inane comments all the time but it caused so much friction he was driven out of Barca because of it.

Surely Chelsea need to establish a way of playing, rather than just a winning mentality? Otherwise you will just end up being constantly up and down, rather than a consistent winner.}

5.) 04 Mar 2018
04 Mar 2018 09:04:33
We need to get Nagelsmann before Arsenal snap him up - I know they're interested and, to be honest, I think he would be a perfect fit for the Arse.

6.) 04 Mar 2018
04 Mar 2018 15:04:35
I’ve not seen or heard anything of this Nagelsmann what is it that makes him a good choice for us?
As for direction of the club imo the manager should be told they’ve got time to intergrate the youth and try to play an expansive type of football admittedly we don’t seem to have the spending power as much as the others which I’m ok with as we’ve got to fund the new stadium
Really good read from the other posters and great input from the Ed’s as usual.

7.) 05 Mar 2018
04 Mar 2018 23:43:46
Ed0333, not sure where you got that I’d care about a ‘nice’ coach- I don’t. Rather it’s that I think a manager’s interaction with the media affects their job, and I think Enrique’s eccentricities reflect some shortcomings in a position where communication is critical.

{Ed0333's Note - the most successful manager in Premiership history was an absolute asshole with the press. Do you think united fans cared if he was the media darling? I think not. Who cares if Enrique is ‘eccentric’ with the media he’s a winner and that’s what should matter.

8.) 07 Mar 2018
06 Mar 2018 19:48:20
Ed0333, You're not getting it. I don't care about a nice manager or a media darling, I just want someone who doesn't go off the rails, because that shows they don't have a good handle on the situation. For example - early Mourinho was great, while the last season of Mourinho was ineffective and a distraction.
I believe a manager has to be an effective communicator to have sustained success. But since I'm not privy to a manager's interaction with the players or board, their handling of the press is the closest insight I get. Take Ferguson, as you point out. Great manager, masterful handling of the press. On the other hand look at Enrique. A bit of a nutter. Sure he was a good player and had some success coaching Barcelona (but who wouldn't with Messi, Neymar and Suarez) . He must have some skill to have gotten as far as he has, but I don't think he's cut out for a managerial position like Chelsea's.
As to being a winner and that's what matters, I disagree with you there. There's a long list of successful players who never made it as manager and vice versa. I don't rate Enrique's stint with Barcelona, given the resources he had, highly enough to overlook the red flag of his public appearances.

{Ed0333's Note - “Had some success coaching Barcelona”..... He won 9 trophies in 3 seasons..lol. You don’t rate that? There was the small matter of 2 La Ligas titles and a Champions League in that haul. Are you crazy for not appreciating that feat? If Klopp won 9 trophies in 3 seasons at Liverpool I wouldn’t care if he was off with the press. You clearly have no idea what your talking about and your point holds no credence with me. Maybe one of the other editors will indulge your bunkum but I’m certainly not going to. Your club is not the juggernaut it used to be your gonna lose your coach and probably your best player in the summer you could do a lot worse than Luis Enrique. He’s a winner has pedigree has a footballing philosophy buy oh yes I forgot he doesn’t treat the press nicely so he must be a c***. Scolari, Jose, Conte, Villa Boas were/are all prickly with the press you still hired them.