Chelsea: Laurent Blanc is a safety net with a quick expiration date
By Travis Tyler
As Chelsea continue to haggle their way out of Maurizio Sarri, they will look for other targets. Laurent Blanc has emerged as the last choice option.
Chelsea have an incredibly short window in which Sarri’s release clause can be activated. After that, the fee will become negotiable but more expensive. Napoli are content to sit on Sarri, even though he has been replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
Surprisingly given their history, Chelsea are actually considering other options while working on a main choice. Because the Blues are in full on penny pinch mode, they are looking for managers that are currently free (Sarri excluded). This has led to the sudden, rapid rise of rumors linking Laurent Blanc to Chelsea.
Keep in mind, these rumors are probably only a thing because Blanc is available and Chelsea are desperate. But would it work?
On the tactical level, yes. Blanc prefers a 4-3-3, possession based system. It is not as high octane as Sarri’s or Pep Guardiola’s, but it proved incredibly effective with both Bordeaux and Paris Saint Germain. At both, he won a vast amount of trophies and has a proven record for developing talent and youth.
That would help him during any initial days at Chelsea. Both fans and players would react kindly to his style once it is implemented. And history has shown that it will carry the Blues upwards initially.
But the next part of Blanc is where he would ultimately fail. His man management is incredibly lacking at it has followed him since his time at Bordeaux.
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Most notably, PSG saw the players run the club out from under Blanc. Players criticized him publicly and remained in the club. Players demanded playing time and they got it. And ultimately, it led to PSG sacking him because the players had gone as far as they could under him.
Player power was, and still is, a major problem at Chelsea. Antonio Conte helped to curb it a great deal, but ultimately it will be one of the reasons for his departure. Blanc has already failed in that department and the Blues should be hesitant to hire a manager who will struggle in the same vein.
So while Blanc may succeed at first, and provide a steady hand, ultimately he will struggle as soon as things turn bad. When the poor results flow, then the players will turn, and Blanc will be unable to control the players any further. That would see him sacked quickly and the whole process starts again.
But if Sarri fails, Chelsea are short on options. Luis Enrique seems to have priced himself out of contention. After him, Blanc is the most high profile and free manager. The only other option is to take a risk on a younger, cheaper manager but Chelsea are not in a position to do so at this crucial period.
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Chelsea must figure out a solution to the manager situation soon. Whether that means paying the clause for Sarri, or settling for Blanc, or making amends with Conte, the club cannot advance with the situation lingering all summer. The Blues have already taken too long on this process and need to wrap it up.