Former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers would be the ideal pick as next Chelsea boss, according to former Arsenal star and pundit Paul Merson.
Rodgers is available after being sacked by Leicester, and although things ended badly for the Northern Irish tactician at the King Power Stadium, he has long been highly regarded in the game.
Rodgers previously got his Liverpool and Swansea City sides playing some stylish attacking football, and he also enjoyed success in a spell with Celtic.
With Leicester, the 50-year-old earned the Foxes a surprise FA Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2021, whilst also regularly getting them to challenge for a place in the top four.
Merson now thinks Rodgers could be ideal to become the next Chelsea manager, despite the west London giants also being linked with some big names like Julian Nagelsmann.
“I would like to see Brendan Rodgers in at Chelsea. Either Rodgers or Mauricio Pochettino, who would have to get off to a flyer at Stamford Bridge given his previous allegiances with Tottenham. If he lost his first two games, there would be mayhem,” Merson wrote for Sky Sports.
“I’m a big Brendan Rodgers fan. Unfortunately, things have gone horribly wrong at Leicester. In football it all comes down to timing, and let’s be honest, if Leicester were where Brighton are now, everyone would be calling for Rodgers to go to Chelsea.
Looks like it's between Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique for the Chelsea job…
Who do YOU think should get it, #CFC fans?
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 5, 2023
“Rodgers ticks every box; he plays on the front foot, he started his coaching career at Chelsea and knows the club. But the timing of the Chelsea job coming up this time hasn’t worked in his favour, with him getting the sack at Leicester four hours before Potter was relieved of his duties.
“Chelsea fans will question why they should turn to a manager who has just been sacked by Leicester, but if you look at the all-round picture, Rodgers is a good manager who has worked at top clubs like Liverpool and Celtic, won trophies at Leicester and put them on the brink of Champions League qualification. I just think Rodgers is the one.”
Writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column yesterday, Ben Jacobs mentioned Tottenham as possible suitors for Rodgers this summer, so it’s clear that he could still land a big job even after the disappointing end to his time with Leicester.
insulting the entire premiere lig …mark is joking..he cant be serious….