Paul Merson believes Chelsea should consider poaching a ‘top manager’ from a Premier League rival after sacking Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior signed a five-and-a-half yr deal at Stamford Bridge in January after arriving from French club Strasbourg.
But the previous Premier League player spent just 106 days in charge before being sacked after a miserable run for the Blues.
Rosenior oversaw just 11 wins in his 23 matches on the helm and last week’s defeat at Brighton was Chelsea’s fifth successive league loss without scoring, the club’s worst run since 1912.
‘Liam has at all times conducted himself with the very best integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,’ an announcement from Chelsea said.
‘This has not been a call the club has taken evenly, nevertheless recent results and performances have fallen below the mandatory standards with still so way more to play for this season.’
Chelsea also confirmed academy coach Calum McFarlane would take over as interim manager until the top of the season, when Rosenior’s everlasting substitute shall be appointed.
Premier League bosses Andoni Iraola, set to go away Bournemouth at the top of the season, and Marco Silva, currently at Fulham, are believed to be into account for the Chelsea job.
But Merson has suggested Chelsea needs to be keeping tabs on ‘top manager’ Eddie Howe as he continues to be linked with a departure from Newcastle United.
Howe led Newcastle to a fifth-place finish and to the Carabao Cup trophy last season however it has been a special story this term.
Newcastle have lost almost half of their league games and Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal leaves them 14th within the table, just eight points above the relegation zone.
Merson has warned Newcastle to ‘watch out’ as they consider replacing Howe, nevertheless, and says clubs like Chelsea shall be ‘queueing up across the corner’ if he becomes available.
‘I’m an enormous fan of Eddie Howe,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘If Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle, they’ll be queueing up across the corner for him.
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‘In order that tells you all the pieces. Watch out Newcastle. Chelsea would take him tomorrow morning, you’d prefer to think so wouldn’t you?
‘In my view, they’d take him all day long. We’re talking a couple of next England manager, 100 per cent.
‘As I say, everybody can be queueing as much as take Eddie Howe, he’s a top manager.
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‘He’s just had injuries and with the [Alexander] Isak thing at the top of the season. I feel Eddie has done enough to come to a decision whatever he wants on the club. I feel there’s a real love for him up there.’
Discussing Howe’s future at St James’ Park, Jamie Redknapp added: ‘I feel Eddie has done enough to come to a decision whatever he wants on the club.
‘I feel there’s a real love for him up there. I feel the fans shall be disillusioned with the season, understandably.
‘I feel they’re 14th within the league. They’ll have expected so much more whenever you have a look at what they’ve done previously. He deserves the chance and the luxurious of deciding what happens.
‘There might come to some extent at the top of the season Eddie thinks, “I’ve possibly taken this group so far as I can.” There’s obviously something not right there and the performances haven’t been acceptable.’
Meanwhile, Howe admitted talks with the Newcastle hierarchy at the top of the season could possibly be ‘barely harder’ than in previous years after the team’s poor form continued against title-chasing Arsenal.
‘These are things that we at all times have yearly,’ Howe said. ‘Obviously this one shall be barely harder for me I’m sure, but it’ll be good to fulfill with the owners and discuss the longer term.’
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