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With Guus Hiddink insisting that he will not stay at Chelsea FC beyond this season, there will be a new permanent manager in the home dugout at Stamford Bridge next year.
The club have identified two main targets to lead the blues at the start of the 2016/17 season. The two men are Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone.
However, it is increasingly unlikely that Chelsea will be able to lure either to Stamford Bridge for the next campaign. Whilst Guardiola is definitely coming to England, his destination is almost certain to be Manchester City.
On the other hand, Simeone remains steadfast in his loyalty to current employers Atletico Madrid. He is a perfect fit at the Spanish club and there is a strong mutual commitment to each other from him and the board.
Therefore if these two targets are now ruled out, which other potential candidates are out there to become the next Chelsea manager? Let’s look at the contenders and rate them on a scale out of 1-10. I’ll have my say first, then you can have yours by voting in the poll at the end.
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Rafael Benitez: 6/10
The Spaniard controversially lands a rating of six out of ten. He may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he is a very good manager and his tenure as interim manager of Chelsea back in the 2012/13 season was undisputedly successful.
He got the best out of the three amigos; Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar. He took us to third position in the league guaranteeing Champions League football and won the Europa League.
Brendan Rodgers: 2/10
I really don’t want Rodgers as our manager next year. He deserves some credit for almost leading Liverpool to their first title in 25 years but that team’s success was largely down to the brilliance of Luis Suarez.
He may have great character but the Northern Irishman is not tactically astute enough to manage Chelsea.
Manuel Pellegrini: 2/10
The Chilean is another manager who does not warrant a high score. He did a very good job at Villarreal but his time at Manchester City has highlighted his flaws.
He is tactically inflexible, always starting every match with the same formation. His substitutions rarely make an impact on the game and given the talent and money that he has at his disposal at City, the squad should be doing better.
Juande Ramos: 0/10
He is a former Spurs manager. Enough said.
Roberto Mancini: 7/10
I am a big fan of the Italian. Currently in his second spell at Inter, Mancini has won three Serie A titles, the Premier League, two Coppa Italias and the FA Cup.
His teams are defensively solid and he maintains good discipline. However, his European record is very poor as he has never progressed past the quarter-final stage of the Champions League.
He may only stay for the short term but he has the pedigree to do well at Chelsea.
Massimiliano Allegri: 4/10
Allegri would be a strange choice even though the Italian has won two Scudettos and took Juventus to the final of last year’s Champions League.
There is an element of doubt about him given that he has not managed outside of Italy. The prospect of him implementing a back three at Stamford Bridge next season does not sit well either.
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Fabio Capello: 0/10
Capello reminds me of Louis Van Gaal in the sense that they were incredible managers back in the day. Both have won the Champions League and league titles in multiple countries.
However, similar to Van Gaal, the modern day Capello has lost his touch and not good enough to be Chelsea manager.
David Moyes: 2/10
I do feel sorry for what happened to Moyes. The Scotsman got his big dream job at Manchester United but then got sacked. He then settled and took the managerial position at Real Sociedad but then also got sacked.
His work at Everton should not be underestimated but I don’t think he has the required respect to take over a big club again.
Alan Pardew: 7/10
Alan Pardew garners a seven on the scale and it is not because he is English. He took Newcastle United to fifth place in 2011/12 Premier League season. Just for emphasis I will repeat that. He took Newcastle United to fifth place in 2011/12 Premier League season.
If Pardew leads Crystal Palace to a top eight position this season, he then does deserve the chance to manage a big club.
Andre Villas-Boas: 1/10
Overrated, arrogant, smug and he disrespected Frank Lampard. No thank you.
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So we have had a look at the potential contenders for the next Chelsea manager and to be honest, there are not many that personally I would take. However, with Guardiola and Simeone increasingly becoming out of reach, this may be the group from which Roman Abramovich and the board will have to choose from.
Having said that, I do sometimes think about the image of Abramovich grovelling in front of Mourinho and begging him to come back. He just may have to if things don’t work out.
As promised, here is the poll. Which alternative manager would you settle for instead? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!