Chelsea have been told by former defender Glen Johnson that appointing a previous manager of the Blues is a good idea as Todd Boehly searches for a Graham Potter replacement. Following the turgid 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Potter was dismissed from the helm and Stamford Bridge and promptly replaced by Frank Lampard who will take charge of the club until the end of the season.
Julian Nagelsmann's availability following his shock sacking from Bayern Munich placed him as the firm favourite in the days after Potter's exit. However, a face-to-face meeting for ex-Spain manager Luis Enrique in London sparked significant talk that he could be the next Chelsea manager.
The Chelsea hierarchy decided to appoint Lampard on a temporary basis to allow ample time for them to pick the next manager. While the crucial Champions League tie with Real Madrid is dominating the thoughts of those associated with Chelsea, a new manager still needs to be appointed and Glen Johnson has given his latest thoughts on who Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali should bring in.
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When asked by Betfred for his thoughts on possible returns for Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti, he said: "I wouldn’t be opposed to any of those three names coming in. Managers of their calibre are hard to find. They’ve been there, done it and worked with these sorts of players before.
"For whatever reason they were sacked by Chelsea, but that happens to bloody everyone. It would be a new era for any of those managers as they won’t be working with the same players or the same owners. I wouldn’t be against Chelsea appointing any of those three managers."
Following his mutual exit from Tottenham, Conte is the only manager currently available. Mourinho is in charge of AS Roma while Ancelotti is head coach of Real Madrid, with both former Blues managers winning European trophies in the last 12 months.
Another name that has been quietly listed as a potential option is Xabi Alonso. The former Liverpool midfielder was appointed at Bayer Leverkusen towards the beginning of the 2022/23 season. During his time in Germany, the 41-year-old has gradually changed Leverkusen's style of play to great affect with the club enduring a rebuild as they sit in sixth in the Bundesliga and in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Johnson was fortunate enough to play with the Spanish midfield genius and admitted he was not surprised to see him doing so well given his attributes as a player. "In terms of his ability and football knowledge, then yes. He was an amazing footballer but when it comes to players that you expect to be successful managers in the future, then he wouldn’t necessarily be your number one prediction," Johnson said.
"He’s very intelligent and calculated, but he’s very quiet. When we played together, he was quiet and led by example rather than screaming and shouting. He’s got different leadership skills and it doesn’t surprise me that he’s doing well as a manager in Germany."
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