Chelsea have decided now is the time to part ways with Graham Potter. The club are currently sitting in a precarious situation in the Premier League standings and only have the Champions league to compete in. One name that has emerged as a potential replacement is Julian Nagelsmann and we are going to take a look at why he could be the preferred choice of coach to take Chelsea back to competing on all fronts.
Nagelsmann is one of the most highly regarded young coaches in world football. At the age of just 35, he has already established himself as a top-level coach, having led Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig, and Bayern Munich to significant successes. With disgruntled Chelsea fans demanding a coach that embodies everything that Thomas Tuchel offered to the club – could Nagelsmann be the savior? Let’s take a look at some of the many reasons why Nagelsmann could be a good fit for Chelsea.
Tactical Prowess
One of Nagelsmann’s strengths is his tactical acumen. He is known for his ability to adapt to different situations and come up with innovative strategies that can get the best out of his players. His ability to read the game and make changes quickly has been a hallmark of his success at every club he has managed.
At Chelsea, this quality would be invaluable. The team has a deep squad with plenty of quality players and quality “role” players that Nagelsmann would be able to utilise in certain situations. Chelsea struggled to find a consistent identity under Potter and Nagelsmann’s tactical flexibility could be just what the club needs to get back on track.
Player Development
Nagelsmann is also known for his ability to develop young players. At RB Leipzig, he worked with some of the most promising young talents in European football, including Dayot Upamecano, Ibrahima Konate, and Christopher Nkunku (who is joining Chelsea this summer). He was instrumental in their development and helped them become key contributors to the team’s success.
Chelsea have one of the most talented young squads in world football with players like Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile and Enzo Fernandez already making an impact at the club. Nagelsmann’s track record of working and developing young talent could help these players reach their full potential and become even more important to the team.
Winning Mentality
Nagelsmann has a proven track record of success. At Hoffenheim, he led the club to their first-ever Champions League appearance, while at RB Leipzig, he guided the team to the semi-finals of the competition in just his second season in charge. Most recently, he won the Bundesliga title in his first season at Bayern Munich.
The facts were that Potter did not have a history of winning titles and trophies, but instead had a philosophy and great intellect for the game shown by his rise from Ostersund to Chelsea.
However, Chelsea is a club with a winning tradition and Nagelsmann’s winning mentality would be a perfect fit. His ability to motivate his players and instill a winning mentality could be just what the team needs to bounce back from what has been a disappointing season.
Attacking Football
Nagelsmann is known for his commitment to attacking football. He encourages his teams to play with intensity and purpose, always looking to take the game to the opposition and create scoring opportunities. His philosophy of playing on the front foot would be a welcome change from the more cautious approach adopted by Potter, especially on the pressing front, with Potter choosing to deploy a more laboured pressing system.
With Chelsea struggling under previous managers to adopt the attacking football they want to play, Nagelsmann could be the perfect coach for this talented group. Previous managers such as Lampard, Tuchel and now Potter have all struggled to get the best out of the forwards at the club. Tuchel was handed a £100 million acquisition in Romelu Lukaku to fix his x/G woes at Chelsea (which failed), whilst Potter has been plagued with an x/G curse as some would call it from his Brighton days and this has carried over at Chelsea only scoring 33 goals in 31 matches.
Chelsea have a large group of talented players like Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez, Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, and Christian Pulisic amongst others. It feels like the team has the potential to be a real attacking force.
Innovative Approach
Nagelsmann is known for his innovative approach to coaching and has been praised for his ability to bring fresh ideas to the game. He constantly looks for ways to improve his team’s performance and is not afraid to try new things.
Chelsea will need to adapt and grow with the modern era of football as these other top clubs are doing. Mikel Arteta, Erik Ten Hag and Pep Guardiola have all delivered impressive attacking numbers from their squads this season. At Chelsea, where success is expected, but the competition is fierce, Nagelsmann’s innovative approach could be a key factor in helping the team to keep on track with the rest of the pack.
Champions League Experience
Nagelsmann has a proven track record of success in the Champions League, having led RB Leipzig to the semi-finals of the competition in his second season in charge. This experience could be invaluable to Chelsea, a club with a rich history in the competition.
Nagelsmann has also led Bayern Munich to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, winning 8/8 matches, scoring 21 goals and only conceding 2. This includes beating PSG on two occasions, beating Barcelona 2-0 and 3-0 in the group stage plus brushing aside Inter Milan 2-0 in both home and away fixtures.
Should Chelsea knock out Real Madrid and Bayern Munich do the same against Manchester City, we would see a reunion for both Thomas Tuchel with Chelsea AND Julian Nagelsmann with the team he took to the quarter-finals of this competition, that would be quite some script.
Strong Personality and Leadership
Despite his relative youth, Nagelsmann has already established himself as a strong personality and leader in the dressing room. His ability to communicate effectively with players and earn their respect has been a key factor in his success. At Chelsea, where there is no shortage of strong personalities, Nagelsmann’s leadership skills could be particularly important in managing egos and creating a cohesive team.
Something Potter seemed to lack was a fiery nature to demand more from those underperforming. This could have seen certain characters in the Chelsea dressing room become complacent and this is something Nagelsmann would not allow to happen.
Rumours circulating from BILD around Nagelsmann falling out with players at Bayern have so far been publicly denied by Joshua Kimmich, Yann Sommer, Mathijas De Ligt and more.
Long-Term Planning
At just 35 years old, Nagelsmann has already established himself as one of the most promising young coaches in Europe. Hiring him would represent a long-term investment for Chelsea, as Nagelsmann has the potential to build a successful team over several seasons. This long-term planning is particularly important for Chelsea, who have been known to change managers frequently in the past.
This appointment would be a balanced approach mixing both the project style appointment Chelsea are looking for, and were looking for when first hiring Graham Potter, with the traditional trophies or leave mentality.
Some might say that his longest spell at a club has been for two years, and while statistically true, you have to take into account that he was a wanted man at both Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig due to his successes whilst at Bayern Munich it is thought that their hierarchy had to force a change to pounce on Thomas Tuchel before Real Madrid.
At Chelsea under Todd Boehly and Behdad Egbhali, together with the guidance of key recruitment personnel, Nagelsmann would be given the backing and support for the long term.
In conclusion, Julian Nagelsmann could be the perfect replacement now that Chelsea have parted ways with Graham Potter. His tactical prowess, ability to develop young players, winning mentality, and commitment to attacking football are just some of the things that make him an ideal fit for the club. If Chelsea want to return to winning ways and challenge for major honors, Nagelsmann could be the perfect candidate to take the team forward.
