One manager has now ‘pulled out’ of the race to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea.
The Blues are in need of a new manager after parting ways with the Argentine a couple of days after the final game of the Premier League season.
Some people feel sacking Pochettino was a harsh move, but Chelsea’s owners had their reasons to do what they did. Now, they need to find his successor.
Unfortunately for them, one manager has decided against accepting the Blues job.
The latest on Chelsea’s managerial search after Kieran McKenna pulls out
Chelsea have been linked with quite a few managers since Mauricio Pochettino left the club.
Todd Beohly and co have got every single one of their managerial decisions wrong since they began calling the shots at Stamford Bridge, and that is not good at all.
They simply have to get their next appointment right, which is why they are taking their time.
One manager who emerged as one of the main contenders for the Blues job was Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna.
Reports claimed earlier this month that Chelsea have spoken to the ‘phenomenal‘ 38-year-old about taking charge of the club this summer.
McKenna and Leicester City’s Enzo Maresca were said to be the two managers in the running for the Chelsea job on Friday.
Now, one of them has ‘pulled out’ of the race to take charge of the Blues – McKenna.
That’s according to Jacob Steinberg of The Guardian, who tweeted: “Chelsea continued talks over Enzo Maresca over weekend – Leicester manager has support from key figures. Thomas Frank also considered but Kieran McKenna has pulled out of the race to succeed Pochettino.”
Fabrizio Romano has backed that claim and wrote in his Daily Briefing: “Kieran McKenna also looks to be out of the running now.”
Kieran McKenna’s stats compared to Enzo Maresca in 2023/24
Enzo Maresca and Kieran McKenna were the two best managers in the Championship in the 2023/24 season.
The former led Leicester City to the title, while McKenna’s Ipswich Town finished second, just a point behind The Foxes in the Championship table.
Let’s dive a little deeper into their stats.
In 52 games in all competitions at Ipswich in the 2023/24 season, McKenna won 32 games, drew 12 and lost eight. His side scored 107 goals, conceded 68 and averaged 2.08 points per game.
Maresca, on the other hand, managed 53 games in all competitions at Leicester City. His record reads 36 wins, four draws and 13 losses. The Foxes scored 103 goals and conceded just 50, averaging 2.11 points per game.
It is really close, but Maresca just edges it. That’s probably why he may end up getting the Chelsea job.