It doesn't take much for the job security of a Roma manager—any Roma manager—to come into question; it's just part of life in the bubble. Rudi Garcia has taken the Giallorossi to the almost highest of highs multiple times only to wilt under the weight of expectations and his own words each of the past two seasons.
As recently as two weeks ago, Garcia was second only to Pope Francis in the Eternal City popularity poll—defeating Juventus and warding off Leo Messi and company has that affect—but consecutive lame duck performances against Sassuolo and Sampdoria has suddenly rattled Garcia's managerial seat. Not so much for the results in and of themselves, but the lifeless and hopeless manner in which his side played.
We've mentioned it several times over the past year or so, but in some ways, Garcia is a victim of his own success. Once again, we're talking about a man who rescued Roma (along with some shrewd purchases, granted) from an Enrique-Zeman sized abyss, guiding the club to consecutive second place finishes and automatic Champions League qualifications, so one would've thought he'd have a bit of a longer leash.
But you already knew that, you also probably knew that there is one man to whom Roma will be eternally connected, Carlo Ancelotti. The former Roma midfielder and three-time Champions League winning manager has, in the wake of the latest crisis of confidence in Garcia, been connected with a return to his adopted home, with some Italian bookmakers placing the odds at 2.5 (I'm not a gambler, so I may have formatted that incorrectly).
However, before you go unfurling your Ancelotti banners, remember this: this is man who commands a massive paycheck—results like those don't come cheap, after all—and who isn't used to working with in a constrained budget. So, were this to happen, Roma might have to rely on some sort of nostalgic discount from Ancelotti.
There is an additional wrinkle to this story, an intriguing and intertwined one at that. With Roma's chimeric twin Liverpool undergoing troubles of their own, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers might be facing the chop himself.Now here comes the intriguing part. While many men have already been connected to the Liverpool job, Ancelotti AND (if you can believe it) Garcia are rumored candidates.
In what world does that make any sense? If nothing else, it underscores the fact that Roma will need to rely on more than romanticism to lure Carlo Ancelotti out of retirement and away from the deep pockets in Britain.
Besides, that's an awful lot of moving parts to re-arrange this early in the season, so color me a bit skeptical. Multiple sources are indicating that Garcia has essentially a three-week stay of execution, facing must-win matches against Carpi, BATE Borisov and Palermo; three pretty tiny clubs, lost points against whom would (and should) spell doom for Garcia.
While my confidence in Garcia has waned throughout this calendar year, to jump ship at this point—after directing the transfer market around his wants and desires, no less—is yet another example of the instability and lack of prescience in Roma's front office.
I love the drama as much as anyone else, but stories like this, no matter the degree of veracity, are the last thing Roma needs right now.