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Pochettino is the perfect replacement
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Zidane and Simeone both a bad fit
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A second chance for Tuchel could work
Potter losing his magic touch
Graham Potter was hired to implement a long-term vision over a number of years, and on his appointment, Todd Boehly made it clear the cut-throat decision to remove Thomas Tuchel was in order to hire his own guy; the last action of the short-termist model he inherited.
But that sentiment is now being tested. Defeat at home to bottom club Southampton means Chelsea have won just one of their last ten matches in all competitions and just two of the last 14 in the Premier League.
They have also scored only once in the last five matches. These are clearly unacceptable numbers that would put any manager under pressure.
There is no obvious sign yet that Potter is about to be sacked but many supporters appear to have already made up their mind.
This leaves the question: is there anyone better out there?
Here's a look at the five current favourites to replace Potter (excluding 15/2 Pep Guardiola, who would fall off the end of the list should Chelsea change manager this season) and analysis of whether any of them could do any better with this bloated, confused squad.
Pochettino (6/5) has the right tactical model
The current favourite is Mauricio Pochettino, a man whose hard-pressing tactical ideas do seem well-made for the Chelsea squad at the moment.
Many of the new signings are specifically in the mould for adventurous football played in the transition and in sharp vertical lines, and indeed this might even explain why a more patient possession coach like Potter is struggling to integrate them.
Pochettino would enjoy the make-up of the squad, from the attacking quality in the full-backs - an important part of his Tottenham Hotspur team - to the young forwards like Noni Madueke who are ready to learn.
Historically Pochettino has been excellent at coaching individuals and the collective but less so at managing egos, if his Paris Saint-Germain stint is anything to go, so Chelsea's focus on buying young players makes him a very interesting fit.
Considering that Boehly wanted to hire someone to manage for multiple years he could not do any better than Pochettino, whose blend of Premier League experience and project-building history makes him, in some respects, the choice Chelsea should have gone with all along.
Pochettino was reportedly interested in the job back in September and remains out of employment, suggesting it would be an easy appointment, too.
Zidane (6/1) is the opposite of the Chelsea project
Swinging in completely the opposite direction is Zinedine Zidane, a man whose appointment at Chelsea would appear to signify the end of Boehly's attempts to manage differently to his predecessor Roman Abramovich - which is why it probably would never happen.
Zidane's success at Real Madrid owed much to his abilities in the dressing room, and while that might allow him to handle such a huge Chelsea squad it is arguably the only thing going for him here.
Real were led, on the field, by the likes of Casemiro and Luka Modric, who controlled the tempo of matches on their own, requiring minimal tactical intervention from the sidelines.
By contrast Chelsea's young team needs a vision and detailed coaching, not someone who can rouse legendary players to overcome their rivals in knockout Champions League matches.
It is also debatable whether Zidane would command quite the same respect in the Premier League as in La Liga, plus the PSG job could be up soon, which could not be a more perfect job for him.
Massaging the egos of superstars is his speciality - and pretty much all that is required of a PSG manager.
Rodgers (9/1) could be wizened version of Potter
If Boehly wants to go down a very similar route to Potter then he could look to Brendan Rodgers, and indeed one advantage here is the Leicester City manager's previous experience building something special at Liverpool.
Along with his time at Celtic this tells us Rodgers would not look out his depth in the way that Potter has, perhaps giving him more time to get his ideas across.
And Rodgers is flexible, able to adapt to different challenges by tweaking his tactics significantly.
At Leicester he has moved towards more transition-focused football through playmakers who like to occupy the central column of the pitch, although at Chelsea he would likely pivot again to suit the players he inherits.
Nevertheless, an important question remains: is Rodgers really good enough?
His record is just outside the elite and he has never been the fascinating innovator that took Potter to such a high-profile job.
Ultimately Rodgers would not be the best pick - even though he is more likely than most to find a regular front line that clicks.
Simeone (12/1) is a backwards step
How much does Boehly understand about football? Judging by the players recruited so far he either has an acute tactical eye or, more likely, delegates to more qualified people when it comes to these kinds of decisions, which should bar Diego Simeone from being considered.
His achievements in Spain, and over a long period of time, may attract Boehly's attention, but the style of football should not.
You only have to witness how Joao Felix has looked better at Chelsea than at Atletico Madrid to see why.
Simeone is a defensive manager first and foremost, who is happy to win ugly and by sitting players behind the ball, which would essentially throw out all of the work Chelsea have done to assemble their current squad.
There is no way his football would work and the fans would not buy into it, not anymore.
There was a time when Simeone seemed the sensible choice for a club built in Jose Mourinho's image, but his tactical system is no longer fashionable and Chelsea possess a young squad educated in a high-pressing and attacking style.
Tuchel (14/1) would finally have the squad he wanted
Ironically, perhaps the best fit for the job right now is the man Boehly got rid of.
Thomas Tuchel was unfortunate not to be given more time when he was fired in September, especially considering the club have since invested in direct runners and in players willing to drive forward whenever possible.
Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Felix, and Enzo Fernandez are made for Tuchel, who always wanted Chelsea to counter-press more sharply by piercing through the lines.
But he was never able to get his vision across in full due to Chelsea missing out on key transfer targets. Now, as a popular man at Stamford Bridge and Champions League winner, he could return with the right set of players to build a title-challenging team.
Of course, Boehly is unlikely to have the humility to go back to Tuchel, not when there are more exciting names out there.