Chelsea must accept that they have made a mistake by appointing Liam Rosenior and correct it immediately, even if the ideal candidate to replace him isn't available until the summer.
The Blues were on course for a fine campaign at the turn of the year, despite a difficult period of results, which saw Enzo Maresca and the board fall out, and the Italian coach decided to walk away from his role as manager by mutual consent.
It immediately felt like the club didn't have a plan in place to replace him, despite the speculation around his position for several weeks, and when the decision to appoint Rosenior from sister club Strasbourg was made, it felt like a matter of convenience rather than an appointment that actually made sense on sporting merit.
Rosenior Isn't Right for Chelsea
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior looks on during the loss to Everton
While the Englishman was clearly highly rated and doing a fine job in France, the level of expectation and scrutiny at Chelsea is a completely different kettle of fish.
Rosenior has come in and made a mockery of himself, adding to the scrutiny, and the performance levels of the team have been poor as well. Chelsea were beaten by Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, losing both home and away, and then suffered elimination at the hands of PSG in the Champions League after losing 8-2 on aggregate.
Now, following a 3-0 defeat to Everton in the Premier League, Chelsea sit seven points behind Man Utd in third place and face an uphill challenge to qualify for the Champions League next season.
The oddest decision of them all was handing Rosenior a long-term contract, which runs until 2031, which while it showed faith in him to begin with, it has also now locked them into a deal with someone who has no experience at the highest level and is drowning in expectation currently.
Chelsea Can Soften Blow By Hiring Iraola
Andoni Iraola applauds Bournemouth supporters
It's clear that a change is needed at Stamford Bridge, but with Rosenior going to be owed a major payout as a result of that ridiculous contract, the club may need to be a bit more conservative with who they bring in.
Premier League experience could be crucial to getting the team back where they want to be, and there is an obvious candidate who would be ready to step in, in Andoni Iraola. Described as 'one of the best managers in world football', he is out of contract this summer at Bournemouth and attracting interest from several clubs.
But Chelsea have the finances and the squad to convince him a move to west London is the perfect option for him, and he would be a huge upgrade on Rosenior. It would also stick to the club's principles of their project, where they want to have the best young talent in the world, and Iraola is in that category for managers.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior smirks during a press conference Related
Chelsea’s Stance on Sacking Liam Rosenior Has Been Made Clear After Loss vs Everton
Liam Rosenior is already under pressure in the eyes of Chelsea fans after four straight defeats.