Chelsea have been linked to Massimiliano Allegri again. Such an appointment would be boring, uninspired and would probably work.
In the wake of any loss from now until Antonio Conte departs, Chelsea will be linked with new manager after new manager. The latest rumor to spring up is in connection to Massimiliano Allegri.
This rumor is not new. Back when Jose Mourinho was sacked and the club was looking for a replacement, Allegri was the first name and the one with the most steam until Conte entered the picture.
But appointing Allegri would be a boring decision. It would be an uninspired decision. But it would also be a decision that would probably work out better than any other managerial target.
The boring part comes from Chelsea digging out an old short list. This makes sense. With no technical director, it is hard to plan for what comes next. So the club reverts to the old list and hopes for the best. Allegri having been top of that list before just pops back up for round two.
It would be uninspired because Chelsea would simply be copying Juventus and hoping it works as well. Conte took Juventus from seventh place to winning the title three years in a row. The biggest knock on his record came in cups and European competition. Allegri not only one every title available during his time there (and is likely to do the same this season), but also lead the club to domestic cups and saw them massively improve in Europe.
So Chelsea pursuing Allegri would be wishful thinking in that regard. The club would hope that Allegri would do what he did before; take a Conte squad and build on it to make it a superpower.
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The issue with that is that things rarely work out the same way twice. Chelsea cannot hope that Allegri can turn Conte’s squad into world beaters. Everything behind the scenes is radically different. Juventus were able to track down cheap stars no one wanted. Or they found diamonds in the rough. The Chelsea board has not been great on that front and without a technical director will continue in that vein.
But, hiring Allegri would also probably work out. Following Conte a second time is uninspired but it is also helpful. He knows what the squad has gone through together and he knows the format to move them to the next step. At Juventus, Allegri initially continued Conte’s tactics before altering them to his own desires.
Furthermore, the adaptability that Allegri has shown over time is something that was promised with Conte but has not been seen much since the switch to 3-5-2 failed. Allegri will adapt to what is at hand to bring the best out of the squad.
In addition, his style suits the culture of the club. Since Jose Mourinho first came to Chelsea, the club has had a culture of defend first and counter quick. Managers that followed that creed have succeeded. Those that tried to ignore it struggled.
Allegri’s Juventus has been one of the best defensive teams in Europe for years. But they do not need to hope for a wonder goal to win. When they have the ball back they have several tools in the box to attack. That would mesh well with the culture of Chelsea and give Allegri a building point.
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Allegri would not be the exciting choice that most fans want. Pep Guardiola has come into the league and created a notion that only attacking football can win. This is of course, false, but the narrative is there and is causing the base to want someone attacking. Allegri will not fit that bill but he will be able to win despite it. Fans will simply have to survive the dull days in the pursuit of the victory.