Since sacking Liam Rosenior last week, Chelsea have linked with many managers who are currently out of a job and those expected to leave their clubs in the summer.
Andoni Iraola is one of the managers they have linked with. The Bournemouth manager will leave the Cherries at the end of the season, but he is open to the idea of remaining in the Premier League, and Chelsea are reportedly interested.
Signing Andoni Iraola to lead Chelsea into the 2026/27 season could turn out to be a mistake because of some strong philosophical reasons.
Iraola has done a brilliant job for Bournemouth, by Bournemouth’s standards. He led them to a 12th-place finish in his first season in charge, and they finished 9th last season. His side are 7th on the Premier League table, one point ahead of Chelsea.
Iraola’s placement on the table is a secondary reason why he should not become the new Chelsea coach, but the primary reason is his playing style and on-pitch philosophy.
Iraola wants his team to press constantly and always run more than their opponents. While nothing is wrong with that school of thought, Chelsea’s squad is not built for it.
Chelsea’s squad was put together to play positional, high-possession, controlled football, and that is why Enzo Maresca was able to get more out of the Chelsea squad compared to Mauricio Pochettino, who has a similar philosophy to Andoni Iraola.
Bournemouth’s squad is built perfectly for counter-attacking football, so it works brilliantly for the Cherries. It was also the perfect setup for Pochettino at Southampton, a team expected to soak up pressure and hit on the counter. However, in a Chelsea side that wants to have the ball and properly build up attacks, this style of play will be very volatile.
Chelsea need to prioritize signing a manager who can implement excellent positional play, controlled pressing, and brilliant midfield play. It is the style of play that suits a side with the players Chelsea have
