‘He ticks every box’: Paul Merson backs Brendan Rodgers to be the next Chelsea manager…
Paul Merson has claimed Brendan Rodgers is the perfect man to replace Graham Potter at Chelsea.
Graham Potter was sacked as Blues manager on Sunday by ruthless American owner Todd Boehly.
Rodgers was suspended hours earlier on the same day by relegation-threatened Leicester after conceding a stupid injury goal that saw them lose 2-1 to fellow contenders Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman, 50, leaves the Foxes second in the Premier League and is deep in relegation trouble, with Merson admitting things went ‘horribly wrong’ for the Midlands club.
Despite that, the former Arsenal and England midfielder recounted Sky Sports that he supports Rodgers as the right person to take over at Stamford Bridge.
Paul Merson claims Brendan Rodgers is the perfect man to replace Graham Potter at Chelsea
Rodgers was sacked by Leicester on Sunday, hours before Potter (right) was sacked by the Blues
Despite pundit Merson (pictured) admitting things went ‘horribly wrong’ for the Foxes, he still supported Northern Irishman Rodgers – a former Chelsea coach – to take over at Stamford Bridge
He said: ‘I would love to see Brendan Rodgers play at Chelsea… I’m a big fan of Brendan Rodgers. Unfortunately, things went horribly wrong at Leicester. In football, it all comes down to timing, and let’s face it, if Leicester were where Brighton are now, everyone would be clamoring for Rodgers to go to Chelsea.
Rodgers ticks every box; he plays on the forefoot, he started his coaching career at Chelsea and knows the club. Chelsea fans will wonder why they should turn to a manager who has just been sacked by Leicester.
But when you look at the big picture, Rodgers is a good manager who has worked at top clubs like Liverpool and Celtic, won trophies at Leicester and brought them to the brink of Champions League qualification. I just think Rodgers is the one.’
Rodgers spent four years with the King Power, twice narrowly missing out on a top-four finish, which would have earned them Champions League football, and beating Chelsea 1-0 in the 2021 FA Cup final.
Former Tottenham boss Pochettino is one of the main targets for the West London side to replace Potter, with the Argentine admired by The Blues.
Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto De Zerbi – of which only De Zerbi, at Brighton, currently has a club – are also eligible.
However, Boehly and Co are in no rush to appoint anyone as they reportedly plan an ‘exhaustive’ search for their next manager.
Ironically, Potter could replace Rodgers at Leicester.