Calum McFarlane is back in charge of Chelsea following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior last month. Rosenior was sacked after a disastrous 3-0 defeat to Brighton on April 21, which extended the Blues' losing streak to five matches without scoring—a first since 1912. McFarlane has been appointed interim head coach until the end of the season and will lead the team against Manchester City in this afternoon's FA Cup final.
McFarlane's Previous Stint
McFarlane is no stranger to the role, having served as interim earlier this season after Enzo Maresca left Chelsea at the start of the year. The 40-year-old took charge for games against Manchester City and Fulham before Rosenior was appointed. His first match ended in a respectable 1-1 draw at City, thanks to an injury-time equalizer from Enzo Fernandez. However, the Blues lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage in his second game. Despite the mixed results, McFarlane earned significant credit for his handling of the team.
Second Spell Highlights
In his first game of the second stint, McFarlane guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Leeds. This was followed by a 3-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest and a 1-1 draw away to Liverpool last weekend.
Playing and Managerial Career
McFarlane's playing career was non-existent, and he moved into coaching at a young age. He joined Manchester City in 2020, working primarily as assistant manager for the Under-18 side during his three years there. He crossed paths with Enzo Maresca, who was also in City's academy before becoming Pep Guardiola's assistant. In Manchester, he also met Joe Shields, Chelsea's Co-Director of Recruitment and Talent, and Academy technical director Glenn van de Kraan. In 2023, McFarlane moved to Southampton as U18 and U21 manager before Chelsea hired him last summer as U21 coach.
Tactics and Preferred Formation
McFarlane has set Chelsea up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for all his games in charge this season, a system familiar to the players who have used it for most of the campaign.
Who Could Be Chelsea's Next Manager?
Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is the current favorite to become Chelsea's next manager. Alonso won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/24 before moving to Real Madrid last summer. He left the Spanish giants earlier this year after a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Other candidates linked with the job include Andoni Iraola, Filipe Luis, and Cesc Fabregas.
