Following an explosive month or so, Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have parted ways. Both parties are firing shots at each other, but it’s looking like the Premier League side have already settled on making Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior their replacement.
Of course, Strasbourg fans won’t take kindly to their ‘parent club’ coming in and snatching their highly rated young manager up mid-season, but several reports have suggested that BlueCo ‘couldn’t care less’ about what they think.
So, with a degree of certainty, we can say that the Ligue 1 side will be looking for a new manager in the coming days. Here are three potential replacements Strasbourg should consider.
3. Filipe Coelho – Strasbourg
Sometimes, keeping it in house isn’t such a bad idea. Coehlo, 40, spent a year as Chelsea’s under-21s manager before moving across the channel to become an assistant under Rosenior at Strasbourg.
Rosenior leaving will likely bring some chaos to the club. The fans will protest their seemingly clueless owners more than they already are, and the players will start to question if there is any point to playing for Strasbourg at all.
Having a level of continuity, even if it’s small, would be wise. Coehlo is a well-regarded tactician, and he knows this set of players well. Strasbourg’s form hasn’t been good recently, appointing the Portuguese coach could stop it from becoming catastrophic.
2. Will Still – Unemployed
Cue everyone on social media going on about how Still, 33, started coaching because of Football Manager. It’s everyone’s dream, but it takes away from the fact that Still remains a talented young manager.
Still has a legacy in France, impressing at Reims before leaving to join Lens back in 2024. Let’s just ignore the fact they’ve gone on to become genuine Ligue 1 title contenders now that he’s gone.
One thing that will doubtless be used against him is a disastrous and short stint at Southampton. Still won four, drew six, and lost six of his sixteen games at the helm before being sacked in November.
Strasbourg will be looking to bring in a young, progressive coach to work with a set of talented young players. Still certainly fits the bill and has been heavily linked with the move.
1. Eric Ramsay – Minnesota United
The Guardian reported that Ramsay, 33, is a leading candidate to replace Rosenior at Strasbourg having impressed during his time at Minnesota United. Contracted until 2027, it wouldn’t break the bank for Strasbourg to hire him.
Ramsay spent time at Chelsea as a coach before leaving to join Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man United back in 2021. He’s earned plenty of plaudits since taking over the MLS side, guiding them to their best ever regular season finish, fourth in the Western Conference.
Again, he fits the bill of being a young, emerging coach, but his record is better than the other two options. He’s also fluent in French and Spanish, which Rosenior isn’t, meaning communication shouldn’t be an issue.