Next Chelsea manager: John Obi Mikel expects "another yes man" to arrive at Stamford Bridge, namechecks top contender

By Darren Plant | 27 Apr 2026 19:26

Club legend expects "another yes man" at Chelsea, name-checks top contender

John Obi Mikel has called on Chelsea owners BlueCo to appoint "a manager" rather than "another yes man".

At a time when Calum McFarlane will remain as interim Blues head coach for the rest of the season, the search is on for a permanent successor to Liam Rosenior.

BlueCo are said to be keen to appoint a head coach who possesses some level of Premier League experience.

While the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Francesco Farioli have distanced themselves from speculation, Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola is said to be regarded as a top candidate for the role.

However, speaking on The Obi One Podcast, club legend Obi Mikel suggested that he does not want Iraola in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

'Chelsea need a manager'

Obi Mikel is of the opinion that Chelsea officials should ditch their head coach approach and bring in an experienced name who is more of a manager.

The Nigerian said: "We need a manager. We don't need a coach. We've been successful in the past years because we had managers.

"They will never in million years allow that to happen. So what we're going to get is another yes man.

"Andoni Iraola is a guy that doesn't want to get involved with who comes in and who goes out. He just wants to get on with what happens on the football pitch, which is coaching."

Does Obi Mikel have a point?

Obi Mikel was alluding to wanting to see BlueCo allow Rosenior's successor to have his say when it comes to transfers.

Before he left, Rosenior indicated that he was heavily involved in discussions over how Chelsea's squad should look in 2026-27.

Whether BlueCo will allow a new head coach, or manager, the same involvement remains to be seen, but the majority of Chelsea's fanbase would support the club's recruitment team being removed from their roles.

That is highly unlikely to happen, however, and any candidate for the Chelsea job will have to show a willingness to work within the current management structure.