Five Curious Candidates BlueCo Might Actually Pursue to Replace Rosenior at Chelsea

Three months after their last search for a head coach, BlueCo are back hunting for a new manager following Liam Rosenior's departure. The club has pledged itself to establishing "stability to the Head Coach position" and has promised "a process of self-reflection," though few would wager serious money on them getting it right.

Let's examine five peculiar possibilities that might appeal to Behdad Eghbali and his consortium.

John Terry

The Chelsea legend has ventured into TikTok territory during his retirement, recently weighing in on Rosenior's exit. His commentary reads rather like ChatGPT having been forced to endure talkSPORT, though Terry did drop a not-so-subtle hint that Chelsea hadn't come calling—at least not yet.

There's no doubt Terry would relish the opportunity, and BlueCo might fancy the PR boost such an appointment could provide. However, the man has zero experience as a head coach, and parachuting him directly into Chelsea's chaos feels like recipe for catastrophe.

Gary O'Neil

Overlooking the uncomfortable reality of multi-club ownership and Strasbourg's role as a Chelsea feeder club, it would be darkly amusing if BlueCo raided their French operation for another manager. O'Neil, formerly of Wolves, now manages Strasbourg and has steered them to eighth place in Ligue 1 whilst reaching the Conference League semi-finals.

The appointment would be quintessentially BlueCo—mad enough to actually happen—and he does carry Premier League pedigree, albeit from his time in a relegation battle. He's already on the payroll, which probably appeals to the ownership's spreadsheet. Yet if the squad already lacked respect for Rosenior, O'Neil seems unlikely to command more. Andoni Iraola's transformative work at Bournemouth since taking over from O'Neil rather underlines the point.

Filipe Luis

The former Chelsea defender sits among the bookmakers' favourites following his retirement in 2023. The Portuguese full-back worked his way up through Flamengo's coaching structure and lifted the Copa Libertadores with them in 2025 before departing in March amid talk of negotiations with the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

Chelsea's interest in the 40-year-old appears genuine. The logic is straightforward—every top club wants to back a young, promising manager before others do. Yet Luis's Premier League experience as a player was minimal, and his managerial credentials outside Brazil remain unproven.

Jose Mourinho

This would be the scorched-earth option, though not entirely beyond BlueCo's realm of possibility. Obstacles exist, naturally. First, the ownership would need to abandon their strategy of allowing medical staff to dictate team selection—something Mourinho has consistently resisted throughout his career. Second, he'd almost certainly demand the arrival of experienced heads to complement Chelsea's youthful squad.

There's also the matter of other vacancies. The Real Madrid job and the Portugal position could both materialise this summer, potentially offering Mourinho more appetising prospects. A third Chelsea stint could either restore his reputation or confirm he's finally run out of tricks.

Frank Lampard

When Lampard first took the Chelsea job, circumstances favoured him more than the club. Fast-forward three years, and the equation has inverted. At Coventry, Lampard has rehabilitated his managerial credentials and guided the Sky Blues back to the Premier League. Sticking with them for their top-flight return makes sense—newly-promoted sides operate under low expectations, a comfortable position after Sunderland and Leeds's respective campaigns.

From Chelsea's perspective, they'd acquire a manager who's developed considerably since his Stamford Bridge tenure. Yet Lampard was notably critical of his previous squad's commitment, and little suggests that mentality has shifted. Besides, the revisionist affection for Lampard has reached almost comic proportions.