DECODING JOE COLE’S TACTICAL BREAKDOWN: WHY OLIVER GLASNER IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR CHELSEA
From Fabregas to Glasner: Inside Chelsea's search for a new head coach following a string of five consecutive defeats.
Joe Cole thinks Oliver Glasner would be a smart pick to manage Chelsea, and he’s pretty sure the Crystal Palace boss would leap at the opportunity this summer.
Right now, Chelsea is looking for a new permanent head coach after firing Liam Rosenior. Calum McFarlane has stepped in as caretaker for the second time in just four months.
Toward the end of Rosenior’s time, results took a nosedive. A 3-0 loss at Brighton, which was their fifth straight defeat, was the final straw for the people in charge at Stamford Bridge.
McFarlane picked up the pieces and managed to guide the team to a tough 1-0 win over Leeds in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. He’s expected to lead them out again in the final against Manchester City on May 16.
Chelsea’s decision-makers want to sort out a permanent manager soon, and Glasner, who’s set to leave Crystal Palace this summer, is one of several names on their radar.
Andoni Iraola, Felipe Luis, and Cesc Fabregas have all been mentioned recently. But last Friday, Fabregas seemed to rule himself out by stressing his commitment to Como.
Speaking on The Dressing Room Podcast, Cole said, “Glasner’s a good shout. He’s not quite at the top level yet, so Chelsea would look like a big step up for him after Frankfurt and Palace.”
He added, “But honestly, if you take the Chelsea job, you have to know they’re not going to throw huge money at it. The cash just isn’t there right now, no matter what anyone says. They won’t be spending hundreds of millions in the summer. It just doesn’t add up financially.
“So, Chelsea needs someone who can grab hold of things. Glasner’s a good fit, and you know he’d want the job. Don’t even start hoping for someone like Luis Enrique if he’s leaving PSG. Xabi Alonso’s done really well, but still…”
Cole also mentioned Fabregas as a possible ‘interesting’ choice if things change. “Cesc would be a wild card, but you’d be handing the job to someone pretty inexperienced. Still, he really understands what it takes at the very top,” Cole said.
“It’s not the same as Liam [Rosenior], who came in as a young manager. Enzo Maresca played at Juventus but wasn’t there long. Cesc was honestly one of the best midfielders the league has seen. So that would be interesting if conditions were right.”
In his Paddy Power column this week, Cole told Frank Lampard not to even think about returning for a third stint as Chelsea manager, despite Lampard’s strong season with Coventry City.
“Frank should stay away from Chelsea, no matter how tempting it is. He loves the club, I get that, but he shouldn’t go back,” Cole wrote. “He’s been fantastic at Coventry. Nobody really expected them to push for promotion this year.”
Looking ahead, Chelsea wants to build on their FA Cup win over Leeds as they return to Premier League action at home against Nottingham Forest next Monday.
The Blues are stuck in eighth place after five straight losses. But a win over Forest could jump them up to sixth, ahead of Bournemouth and Brighton.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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