Chelsea ‘don’t have a plan’ and put off Guardiola

Mark Holmes
Pep Guardiola: Will take over at Manchester City in the summer

Pep Guardiola: Will take over at Manchester City in the summer

Chelsea have been accused of lacking a plan when it comes to appointing managers, making them look an “unappealing proposition” to Pep Guardiola.

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is reported to be Chelsea’s top choice to take the permanent position at Stamford Bridge in the summer, with Italy coach Antonio Conte also strongly linked, but it was Guardiola that Roman Abramovich really wanted, according to the Sunday Times’ chief football correspondent Oliver Kay.

“Allegri and Conte are the two names buzzing around. Guardiola is the guy Abramovich has been obsessed with for as long as Man City have,” Kay told Sunday Supplement on Sky Sports. “When it came to it, they were not in the position to get him because they’ve made themselves look an unappealing proposition.

“Allegri is a completely different type of manager. He’s obviously a very good manager, but they have been obsessed with Guardiola for a long, long time.

“When are Chelsea going to appoint that manager that sees them through three years, let alone 18 months? It just seems with Chelsea that it’s always a case of: ‘Who is available?’ rather than having a plan.”

The Daily Mail’s Ian Ladyman believes Chelsea’s approach to appointing and sacking managers has restricted their success.

“If they’d had a strategic, long-term view to managers they probably would have won more,” Ladyman said.

“If they hadn’t ran Jose out of the door the first time I think they would have won more. I think they’ve won a lot of trophies despite that strategy, not because of that strategy.

“When Chelsea won their first title under Mourinho, when they had the money, Sir Alex Ferguson was absolutely terrified at that point. They knew Chelsea had United on the back foot.

“The only reason Chelsea did not go on and dominate the way United had previously done was because they kept changing their manager.”