Does Julian Nagelsmann’s sacking change Chelsea’s plans?

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is in at Bayern Munich, leaving Julian Nagelsmann up for grabs as a potential coaching candidate for a top European club.

In the midst of an international break, one of the most prestigious clubs in European football found a way to send shockwaves throughout the rest of the game. After two losses in the Bundesliga in the last five contests, Bayern Munich thought it was time to part ways with German manager Julian Nagelsmann. Despite being given the keys to Bayern in July of 2021, the 32-time German top-flight champions were not convinced by Nagelsmann since club play resumed following the World Cup.

Looking at a fixture list that features Borussia Dortmund in the league, and Manchester City in Europe, this was the time for the German juggernaut to put in the man they believed in the most. Nagelsmann was clearly not that guy.

He was brought in by Bayern from RB Leipzig for a record managerial transfer fee of €25 million. That money was stamped to a five-year contract.  The 35-year-old won the league by a significant margin in his first year in charge on top of hoisting two other major trophies during his time in charge.

Life comes at you fast, and in less than two years, Nagelsmann went from the future of one of the biggest clubs in Europe to out of a job. Some say it makes sense given the proven track record of someone like Tuchel, but it still seems quite harsh against someone who has produced quality results in such a short period of time.

With the former CFC boss taking the reins in Munich, could the west London side take a look at the passionate and experienced Nagelsmann to lead this club into the future rather than Graham Potter? Despite the Blues turning around their form, Potter’s seat in west London is still not safe. Nagelsmann brings in experience winning one of the top-five domestic leagues in Europe on top of being someone who coached his team to a perfect start to the 2022/23 Champions League campaign.

Despite Tottenham having a clear route to securing the German, does it make sense for Todd Boehly to look into Nagelsmann to replace Graham Potter?

Jumping into a job, especially in the Premier League may not be the most intelligent idea for Nagelsmann. Tottenham is in limbo right now, and while he is open to speaking with Spurs, that does not mean a decision on his arrival in north London will be decided anytime in the near future. If a few of the results after the international break are not up to par, Boehly may find it time to sack Potter with a young manager with experience like Nagelsmann now on the market. Is replacing Nagelsmann with Potter an idea that the west London outfit should even pursue?

When discussing his manager’s sacking, the 28-year-old German Joshua Kimmich expressed his view point on his now former coach, stating,

"“I can only say that Julian Nagelsmann is an outstanding coach. He’s easily in my top 3 best coaches.”"

In addition to Nagelsmann, Kimmich has played under Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, and current German national team head coach Hansi Flick. History shows us that Nagelesmann favors a three-man defense, a formation that Potter has switched after observing that a back-four was clearly not the short-term solution. The young German has already coached some of the best in world football for over a season, but the former Leipzig man has never experienced what a Premier League match is like.

Should Julian Nagelsmann replace Graham Potter at Chelsea?

Despite the fact that Nagelsmann does have a history of trusting the youth amongst his team, it just does not seem fair to sack a manager that has figured out a way to point his team in the right direction.

The odds of the Blues securing a top-four spot are slim to none at this point, but that does not mean Champions League football will not be at Stamford Bridge next season quite yet. The resilience that this group of players have shown under Potter is extraordinary, especially given the amount of scrutiny thrown their way.

Potter is new to coaching at the helm of a European juggernaut but has adapted well for the most part following a brutal run of form in the month of January. At the end of the day, the west London side has not even scratched the surface of what Potter could be able to do at the club.

Nagelesmann is a talented manager that preaches attacking football with an emphasis on a high-press, but a third manager within one season has the potential to cause a whole lot of problems. His high-pressing style of football makes his team adept to counter attacks, but could solve one of the Blues largest problems, scoring goals consistently.

Soon to be Blue, Christopher Nkunku even credits the German for a majority of his development at Leipzig. It is going to be difficult to pass up a manager like Nagelsmann, especially if he has the potential to land at one of your inter-city rivals. His intelligence, adaptability, and player-focused attitude are just some of the traits that the now largest fish in the managerial pool possesses.

It is not all about Nagelsmann, it is more about Potter. The German fits the bill. He knows how to teach, and his age makes his ceiling even higher. Given the right belief, the former Bayern man could be leading the Blues back to the top of the Premier League some day. Potter’s leash has extended quite a bit since the win over Dortmund, but if Real Madrid knocks Potter’s men out of Europe in the quarterfinals and Nagelsmann is still on the market, it could be time to make a switch.

For right now, the focus should be on developing a culture with Potter at the helm. Nagelsmann is without question an enticing manager to bring in, but at this point, it makes a lot more sense to provide Potter with a full offseason in west London before making a final managerial decision.