Hiddink sets high standard for Ancelotti
Chelsea fans recovering from last night's Champions League disappointment would be advised to look to Carlo Ancelotti, not Guus Hiddink, as the man who will mastermind their campaign next season.
It's not exactly a surprise Hiddink will move on after the FA Cup final on 30 May.
That was what the club said would happen when he took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari back in February, and what Hiddink himself has always said.
He had come to help his friend Roman Abramovich get over a tricky situation, not least the possibility at that time that the Blues would fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.
However, such has been his success since he took over, reaching the FA Cup final and nearly overcoming Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final not to mention closing the gap on Manchester United and Liverpool in the Premier League, that speculation has persisted he might yet stay on.
I am told this has never been on the cards. Even if they had beaten Barca and then Man Utd to win the prize Abramovich desires above all else, it would have made no difference to the long-term plan laid out in the wake of Scolari's departure.
Chelsea had parted company with Scolari with some regret. Indeed, there remains affection at the club for the Brazilian, who still lives in London. The feeling was he might have got it right, reshaping an ageing squad, but would have required too much time to achieve his goal.
But people at Stamford Bridge are also in awe of the way Hiddink has managed the resources left him by Scolari, not only on the field but off it.
There is much for Chelsea to learn from the way Hiddink has got the best out of some well-established stars, players whom Scolari had so much difficulty motivating, let alone managing.
But there is also admiration for the classy way Hiddink has conducted himself, an area where Jose Mourinho - for all his successes on the field - sometimes caused the club a few problems.
Contrast Hiddink's measured reactions to the refereeing howlers which arguably cost his side a Champions League final place with Mourinho's outbursts, also following defeat at the hands of Barcelona, which led to Chelsea's much publicised problems with Uefa.
Yet Chelsea are focused on making Ancelotti their next boss.
The AC Milan boss was very much in their sights last season but talks with the Italian proved tricky. Whether they prove more successful this time remains to be seen.
What Chelsea will certainly hope is that the manager who eventually takes over stays long enough to give the club some real stability.
Apart from the turmoil and disruption a regular turnover of managers causes, there is the financial cost, too. Scolari's seven-month reign in charge cost the club £12m in compensation to the Brazilian and his support team.
Not good news for a club with a stated aim to break even.
I'm 
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Erm, what?
When Scolari left I think Chelsea were third (as they are now) and were closer to Man Utd then they are now. At best, they've trodden water in this regard. Where exactly is Mr Bose's evidence for the 'astounding' job Hiddink has done since February? I like Hiddink, but Chelsea's league form is little better than anyone else in the 'Big 4'.
In relation to Chelsea's reaction to the Barca game, the difference is simple. Mourinho made the comments and took the flak; partly because of a narcissistic personality, but also as a deliberate ploy to deflect pressure from the players. Hiddink doesn't; hence we get the full benefit of Drogba's English lessons, and the windmilling tantrum from Ballack.
This blog rehashes old news, and goes from implying that Ancelotti is definitely coming, to then implying that some talks are ongoing. Thank goodness it was Mr Bose doing this article, and he could bring both his insight and fiendish contact network to bear. Otherwise, this might have shaped up as a waste of time.
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I can't really understand why Ancelotti is their first choice manager, they haven't challenged for the Serie A title in years, even with Juventus out of the running for a season or two. The only reason seems to be that he has experience of winning the Champions league. It seems Abramovich only cares about the europe and nothing else. The reason Scolari was sacked was because it was thought they may not qualify for the Champions league next season, not that there was unrest in the dressing room or they were not close enough to the title challengers. This impatience and constant sacking of managers has to stop if chelsea want to bring in some more silverware (granted they are in the final of the FA cup but it is, unfortunately of little importance to the top four compared to europe and the premier league.)
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comment 1 is a joke
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
What point, apart from to emphasise that Mr. Bose is still around the day after the BBC News announced it was shedding another 90 jobs, is this post trying to make? It doesn't inform, it doesn't educate and it certainly doesn't entertain. (Though some of the comments on this blog can be quite entertaining.)
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I dont understand where the affirmative for Ancelotti at Chelsea is coming from? Does Mr Bose know something we dont?
I think it is easy to dismiss Mourniho's outbursts as narcisistic but surprisingly this is not the case, say, for Sir Alex Ferguson. It has become very clear now that a manager who demands being treated better that the rest gets it, especially in the EPL. Or at least, it takes pressure away from the players and SAF is a master at that.
Even though I personally dont think that it is the right thing to do, I believe that both Scolari and Hiddink have been wrong to play it so cool, almost disinterested. You need to yell and fight to be heard and respected, unfortunately. Mourinho is not stupid, he knew that mostly because of close observation of EPL greats such as SAF.
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Queenrichy7, it's often a good idea to say why something is a joke - because to my mind there's very little to disagree with in the first comment.
I too question the pointless speculation about Ancelotti - you go from 'Chelsea fans recovering from last night's Champions League disappointment would be advised to look to Carlo Ancelotti, not Guus Hiddink, as the man who will mastermind their campaign next season' to 'the AC Milan boss was very much in their sights last season but talks with the Italian proved tricky. Whether they prove more successful this time remains to be seen.' Those are fairly sizeable differences. Doubtless whether Ancelotti joins or not we'll be told that you knew.
The bottom line is that the Chelsea manager's position is undecided at present, regardless of what the Sports Editor or anyone else publishes, be it on Ancelotti, Hiddink, Rijkaard, or whoever else. A good illustration of the informative words coming through the press today can be found on www.football365.com/mediawatch - you'll have to scroll down past the analysis of the Chelsea match first though...
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this is all old news. After last night, perhaps its good to get some view that is not about the evil drogba. I wonder where all the hounding of ballack terry and lampard are?
Do You think Mr Bose some it could be cultural differences between the Ivorian and the English reporters?
Hiddink for what it is worth is a master, It's a pity he didn't get to show how good he is against Ferguson in the final. It would have been fascinating.
Ancelotti will be no walk over, you will see a different chelsea team next year in style and personell.
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To start with, I heard you on Five Live Radio Mihr.... I loved it when you said "I've been told Gus Hiddink is leaving at the end of the season". Which one of the 6 billion people who already knew this did you hear that off? An 'exclusive' the Daily Sport would be proud of.
Whilst there does indeed seem to be a bit too much press speculation (even for the notorious fiction writers of the UK sports sections of the press) about Ancelotti and Chelsea to suggest it's all hokum, Mihr you don't mention that Ancelotti has categorically denied that he's going to Chelsea.
I realise in these circumstances where people still have a job to do they can hardly announce they're leaving at the end of the season, just ask Sven Goran and he'll tell you it doesn't tend to go down well with your current fan base.
However I've seen two interviews with Ancelotti where he's been asked directly about ANY contact with Chelsea and both times (he's been quoted at various other points too) he's said in no uncertain terms that he hasn't spoken to Chelsea, he doesn't want the Chelsea job and he promises Milan fans he will definitely be at the San Siro next year.
Would he be the first person to be coy about a done deal that is a bit delicate? No. But equally Mihr, by not mentioning this fact you imply a deal is much closer than we know it is, or you know more than you're letting on or you just haven't thought it worth your time to follow Italian media. Ancelotti hasn't been vague or said he doesn't want to discuss it, he's flatly denied it.
I think the jury is out on this particular blog but it is either slack reporting or groundless gossip stirring.
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Comment one is very unjust and not focusing on the fundamental issue that hiddink has created much needed stability within the club in a troubled time. He was not brought in to bring success he was brought in to straighten the club out and cover Abramovich's mistake, success would just be an added bonus. Obviously with a club like chesea, trophies are a must and pressure is always high at the club.
When chelsea lost to man-united 3-0 it created a realisation that the club was not on the right track and changes were and have been made.Scholari had the right idea and mentality to be fair, we do need more creative players, he even stated after he was fired that 'Robinho would have made the difference' this remark shows he was trying to slowly change the style of play that chelsea have used to be successful in the past. In my opinion he was trying to change chelsea to quickly, chelsea uses a style of play which he is not used to when you look at the squads he has managed before. Brazil and portugal have flare players that can break quickly and effectively and he knows how to tactically use these type of players to his advantage. Mourinho created a strong powerful team that can bully other teams, and grindout results which created success making them hard to beat. I think that chelsea do need to sell particular players, some are on far to higher wages and we cant have a club that is constantly dictated by players stipulating how much they want to be paid a week. Ballack is on 120,000 a week for example no one should be on that a week even exceptional players! This creates big ego's in the dressing room which scholari could not cope with, the egos of the chelsea players are difficult to deal with which and its shown time and time again!
Sholari is a good proven internationalmanager and he was just given very differnt type of squad to what he is used to, he would be better at a club like manchester city, where he can apply his attacking mentality.
As for the next manager for chelsea Ancelotti would not be the best candidate, the only bonus of having him would mean you could attract kaka to the club! David Moyes should be given the job, he knows the premiership inside out and his team plays in a simlar way to chelsea.
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#10
You don't seem to say anything different to me. I didn't criticise Scholari. I said Chelsea's results were much the same under Hiddinkk and they were under Scholari - which is true.
Mr Bose's most illuminating article stated that Hiddink had done a tremendous job and was a very hard act to follow. That is the substance of his piece. I put forward the alternative view that this was rubbish, and Hiddink has only continued with the same performance levels.
Your view about Ancelotti is interesting - personally I think he wouldn't do that well because he is too steeped in Italian ways and his English isn't good enough for leadership, superb as he's been at Milan. But if you read the start of Mr Bose's insight, Ancelotti is taking over. If you read the end of Mr Bose's keen analysis, talks with Ancelotti have gone almost nowhere.
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I read this in the papers last week:
Ancelotti told Il Messaggero: "I will stay for at least next year and we are already working to strengthen the squad. [Talk of Chelsea] is a refrain to which we are accustomed and it will probably run again, but that is no problem."
Good to see Mihir has the inside line on Ancelotti's subconscious as well as the headlines.
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I don't like the style of writing each sentence as a seperate paragraph.
I feel this way particularly when sentences definitely belong together in the same paragraph.
We aren't idiots.
Well, some of us are.
These people usually don't coment on this blog though.
By and large, we are capable of reading more than one sentence at a time before needing a break.
Okay?
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Hiddink masterminded a tremendous draw last night !!
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chelsea do not need ancellotti, they need a manager who speaks english as good as or better than Hiddink. Also, chelsea need to get rid of all the ageing players such as Ballack, Drogba, Deco, Belletti, Paulo Ferriera and Alex (possible he can stay) and the inconsistent performers such as Kalou. Whilst Terry, Lampard, Joe Cole, Essien, A.cole, Boswinga, Carvalho, malouda etc need to be the spine of the next rebuilt chelsea team which can be improved by signing technically gifted players e.g. Rafael Van Der Vaart who can come in at a cut price 6.5 million pounds
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i totally agree with comment 10, chelsea should bring in someone like David Moyes who sets everton up in a similar way in which chelsea are set up tactically. Also he has a good eye in the transfer market, e.g. Fellaini
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I have the greatest respect for David Moyes but he would be an appalling choice for Chelsea manager. The Chelsea job is a million miles from Everton, not just because the aspirations are different but the day to day management is totally different and requires a certain kind of boss.
The Chelsea manager must handle a squad of 10 languages, major trophy winning players and staff on astronomical wages with ego's the size of Stamford Bridge. There is no time for 'squad building', low profile bargain buys are not the favoured choice of the owner (his perogative) and there is a media glare bright enough to light up Wembeley Stadium.
You need a manager who is multi-lingual (definate), has experience of managing on the continent or internationally so they know how to handle superstars who play in the Italian/South American style (definate), someone who will tow the owners line (preferable) and who inspires confidence as a safe pair of hands (preferable.)
Moyes's achievements are admirable but the move to Chelsea would be akin to a player who has scored 30 goals in the Championship moving to Barca to play alongside Messi and E'to. Not impossible but darned problematic.
P.S Moyes paying 16million for Fellaini was hardly a masterstroke of bargain hunting. The boy may look promising but I doubt he'd fetch more than 16m if he went on the market today.
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I agree moyes has a good eye in the transfer market but fellaini is possibly one of the worst examples. £15 million?! Yeah he's been alright, he's scored a few goals, and gets stuck in, especially in the air, but £15 million?
Look at other examples such as Pienaar for a few million, cahill, lescott, jagielka, neville. These players have been brought in for not large amounts of money and have become established players, internationals some.
I think Moyes is a great manager, he really has done a fantastic job at everton, but buying fellaini was a reaction to having such a tiny squad coming into the start of the season.
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I agree about Cahill, Jagielka and Lescott, they were both sound investments that would reap significant profits if sold. He had faith they could make the leap from Championship to Premier League standard and they both undeniably have.
I agree less about Pienaar, he has a set fee for his club and his desire to leave the (I believe) German club he was at was public knowledge. There was no negotiation on fee and if anyone else had wanted him it would have been simply a question of where Pienarr wanted to go.
As for Neville, he has been an excellent buy but his quality was not exactly a gamble and United were looking to sell, he was always going to flourish at a club such as Everton (barring injury) just as a player like Darren Fletcher would become a star player at Everton or Villa etc. The fact Everton made Neville their highest paid player shows it was a sound purchase but not an 'inspired' one.
Before we wonder off topic too much, I think what Moyes has is an excellent knack of getting more out of players than they were previously giving. He is the man to bring players on, develop them and turn a team that might seem a tad mediocre on paper in to a quality package for a reasonable price. This is not what would be needed at Chelsea.
Players who come to Chelsea or who are already in the sqaud tend to be the finished package. Chelsea managers haven't been expected to develop or nurture players like Shevchenko, Ballack or Deco but rather they're expected to exploit their skills and versitility to the max and create a team that has no weak links. Whether Moyes would be able to go from a team where (I'm aware some would debate this point) it could be argued not one of his team would make a fully fit Chelsea starting 11 to a team where some of the players costs more then this entire current Everton squad.
I don't want to come across as anti Moyes or as being down on Everton, I admire both exceedingly but the Chelsea job is not something for someone to 'step up to'. You need to bring in an established heavy hitter.
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Mihir - on the 13th Jan, in your blog entitled "A new Scolari emerges", you suggested that your "special" inside sources at Chelsea had assured you that sacking Scolari was not going to happen -
"The club also recognises that it cannot just keep on changing managers. Getting rid of Scolari would mean three managers going in the space of about 18 months. He has not matched Mourinho's success on the field, not as yet anyway. But the talk at the Bridge is the club needs to be in contention for major honours at the end of the season. If that happens that would be acceptable, even if Scolari does not land an honour by the season's end."
Less than a month later, he was gone - by this logic, can we read that Chelsea do the exact opposite of what they tell you and Hiddink will be staying?
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First of all, Joe_Green, a Chelsea manager does not need to be multi-lingual. How many languages do you think Sir Alex speaks? He has Serbians, Brazilians, Argentinians, Koreans, Bulgarians etc in his squad. What you need to deal with foreign players is a structure in place to help them settle and integrate, it would be nigh on impossible to find a manager who speaks the language of every one of his players.
Secondly, how is a manager such as David Moyes ever going to get a top job if a club don't hand him the opportunity to 'step up'. David Moyes has nurtured unknown players into top Premiership players because he's had to, not because that's necessarily his style. It just happens to be that he's managed clubs without the financial clout of those he's competing against and he's done a very good job of it. In other words, he's managed.
For the record, though, I think the reason that he won't go to Chelsea (other than the fact that he's stated that he doesn't want to leave Everton) is precisely why MrGwinnell thinks he should. His team's playing style is exactly what Chelsea are trying to get away from. The reason they brought in Scolari, the reason Hiddink has been criticised by some for the Nou Camp performance is that Chelsea are strong, dogged but defensive. Abramovic needs expansive football at the Bridge in addition to success. This, too,is why I don't think they should bring in Ancelotti. I think that they need a Rijkaard, an O'Neill, a Jol or, most relevantly, a Hiddink.
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#21
To respond to each point...
When Alex Ferguson took over at United it was remarkably rare to have non-english speaking players in the team. The world of English football has changed around him so he's a poor example. When he was hired he was a partial gamble who in his early years nearly got the sack due to poor performances. Do you think United will replace Ferguson with a manager who's only managed in Scotland and is unproven at the highest level?
I see no reason why Moyes can't get a top job and I didn't say anything about him not being able to get one or being a bad choice. I said he'd be a bad choice for Chelsea because there's more to the Chelsea job than the stature. Liverpool, United and Arsenal have all had their managers for years... Chelsea have had 4 managers in less than two years and are likely to have a fifth by next season. That is not a good omen for Moyes to go and be manager there.
If I had said Moyes wasn't up to managing a big club or if I'd said EVERY top flight club manager needs to be multi lingual then perhaps you'd have a point... But I didn't.
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No you said the Chelsea manager had to be multi lingual. He does not. Chelsea are no different to the other top 4 clubs in the amount of foreign players they have and though Benitez and Wenger may be bi-lingual they aren't multi-lingual. It most certainly should not be a pre-requisite for managing Chelsea.
You're approaching the Moyes thing from two different angles. First you say he would be a bad choice, then you say it would be a bad omen for him to go there because of their recent turnover of managers. What you originally posted was that the Chelsea job is not something you can 'step up' to. I'm saying the Chelsea job is no different to any of the other top 4 jobs and if its not something you can 'step up' to then no up and coming managers will ever get the chance to manage a top club.
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I certainly do think the Chelsea boss has to be multi lingual. Is it a legal requirement for the job? No but I didn't think I'd be taken that literally. It's not a deal breaker, Ancelotti doesn't even speak English but it's hardly an extra feather in Davod Moyes's cap.
The Chelsea job is completely different to the other jobs in the top 4. All four jobs are different. Liverpool is a job with a lot of money but a club that don't demand the league title. Arsenal is a huge job but the money is tight and the emphasis is on youth. The United job is a bigger spotlight is a far more established squad with demanding fans. The Chelsea job isn't some pinnacle that eclipses the others, it isn't 'harder' than the United or Arsenal job it's just different.
I don't say Moyes can't become Chelsea manager ever but a move from Everton to Chelsea wouldn't be a step up, it would be a complete change. Why hire a manager who has no signifcant European or league title winning pedigree, has never paid more then 15m for a player, speaks only English, has never had to deal with global glamour players and hasn't been under pressure for his job for years?
Surely only a fool would opt for that over a manager who has won league's and European cups, is multi lingual and knows how to handle megastars. Were he not in charge of England then Capello would be ideal.
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Chelsea should really look no further than to the end of the Fulham Road.
Roy Hodgson has turned Fulham 180 degrees, he has vast experience across Europe, and has Fulham playing great football without spedning a wads of cash.
Chelsea needs an older manager who can carry respect, who knows how to manage full internationals. All these "alleged" superior managers don't need them.
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There is a massive problem here.
Chelsea are going from great manager to great manager, when will it stop. Soon enough no-one will be left. If Ancelotti does go to Stamford Bridge he will have to succeed. If he doesn't, who will replace him? It is becoming ridiculous. You will never replace what you had with Mourinho.
Ranieri
Mourinho
Scolari
All of the above are world class managers, who else would Chelsea fans honestly want?? I think you need a home grown manager myself. Moyes would be ideal!!
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If you do get Ancelotti i know of some people who would be very happy, all the AC Milan fans! As far as comment 17 goes, who exactly are these "major trophy winning players"? Yes, some have won the premiership and FA cup, but internationally? Has anyone won anything at the European level, with team or country? Ballack is a prime example. Oooopsa, sorry, you do have a CL winner, Schevchenko.......
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As a Chelsea fan I would like some stability and for us to get away from looking for what the owner sees as the best manager. Scolari was clearly an example of over hyped, over paid and under achieved.
I see people posting about these massive ego's at Chelsea and how we need a world renowned experienced multi-lingual manager and yet you only have to look at Barcelona with the likes of Henry, Eto and especially Messi who to me is the best player in the world at present (quick, superb skill and above all tries to stay on his feet when people are kicking lumps out of him). They have a young and fairly inexperienced manager who manages to get the best out of all those players.
If we have all these so called superstars (to me only the likes of Lamps, Terry, Cech and Essien and possibly 1 or 2 others can be put in that class) then they should just get on with the job they are paid vast amounts of money for and not roll around or fall over when a short nine stone midfielder blows on them (You know who I mean Drogba). If they can't do the job they are paid for then put them in the reserves until you can sell them as they are no good for the team.
If Chelsea want to break even then they need have a blend of experienced and players from the youth system but the problem is the owner wants instant success so any manager they employ will play all the experienced players or buy expensive players when in fact they have some quality youngsters in reserve. You have to gamble sometimes in life, Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson with his reserve team (Beckham and co) or more recently his son Darren at Peterborough (albeit at a lower level).
What do we have to lose, we tried Scolari and that cost us £12m in fees not to mention the cost of not winning the Premiership.
If we can't have Hiddink then I would prefer the likes of Rijkaard but I'm not the owner and if he wishes to waste his money on so called world class managers then good luck to him, I won't be giving them my hard earned cash to help fund it thats for sure.
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An interesting debate, more insightful and well conceived than the original blog. As an Evertonian I want Moyes to stay. I usually agee with Joe Green's contributions. This time not, but only of the Moyes issue).
If DM can more out of less at Everton, then surely he can get more out of more from an expensive squad at Chelsea or elsewhere. As as an evertonian I hope he is never tempted. The debate could be argued ad infinitum. Mihir's blog has at least stimulated an interesting discussion. Whereas, in the past comments tended to point out the lack of rigour, or research in the blog, now contributers are setting the agenda and asessing the rigour of their fellow responders.
Mihir, Mr Hiddink is manager of the Russian National team. Amazing that there is no mention of this aspect in your piece. Can you imagine the furore if we lent Mr Capello to AC Milan and they tried to keep him? If Hiddink stays it would be an insult to the great Russian nation, one that even Mr A can hardly contemplate? Great comments on the blog.
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Many thanks for the comment GOOD1878. I take on board what you say about DM and you may be right. The funny thing is I don't think Moyes would be an unmitigated disaster for Chelsea, he may do well.
But what I do think is it's hard to see how the Chelsea board when they sit down and say 'who shall we get' could look at Moyes, then look at managers who have won leagues, been competative in the CL and have experience with high profile players and world class squads how they'd think MOyes was the better option.
I think Moyes's qualities are to be valued by Everton (as Everton indeed do) and admired by everyone else but being a good manager at one club does not mean you can't be a flop somewhere else. For example, Newcastle despite having a lot of money and in relative terms for their league position some quality players have in turn had a lot of mediocre managers who have failed to get the results from the players. If, hypothetically, Alex Ferguson or Marcello Lippi went there would Newcastle United suddenly start winning? Quite possibly but my gut suspicion is no. Newcastle's flaws go beyond the players in the squad or the expectations of the fans. Equally the job of Chelsea manager is more than just picking the right team, formation and making the right substitutions.
If the past week has taught us anything (Grandstand matches against Barca, Drogba losing it and another year of falling short) it's that the job of Chelsea is like having 6 children, all child prodigies. You need to be more than a tactician, you need to be a world class manager, a World class diplomat and part time bouncer.
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Any team that wins the english title has been born out of stability.
I feel the only thing that Chelsea would have sacrificed with staying with scolari would be not been in a league position of finishing 2nd place.
I also feel that Drogba has cost them more - coin throwing, sulking etc when he couldnt be picked through injury or suspension the team were happy and devastating.
Scolari could have easily won the CL and FA cup and qualified for next seasons CL automatically albeit in third.
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Ooh theres an idea, Moyes to chelsea? id be happy with that.
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If you do get Ancelotti i know of some people who would be very happy, all the AC Milan fans! As far as comment 17 goes, who exactly are these "major trophy winning players"? Yes, some have won the premiership and FA cup, but internationally? Has anyone won anything at the European level, with team or country? Ballack is a prime example. Oooopsa, sorry, you do have a CL winner, Schevchenko.......
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Carvalho, Ferraira, Belleti have all won the champions league, Drogba the Uefa cup, Anelka was in the French Euro winning squad, Deco has won the champions league so in fact yes we do have a few players who have won stuff in europe..
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In reply to Sweet Smell of Success - I think you'll find that if you add up the points won by the top 4 since Hiddink arrived at Chelsea on 11th February it goes as follows:
Man Utd 31 (P: 13)
Chelsea 31 (P: 12)
Liverpool 29 (P: 12)
Arsenal 25 (P: 12)
Hiddink is a genius and shows it time and time again
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Mr Bose, I usually find the criticism of your blogs harsh. Im afraid this is too short and reads like a half-hearted effort at having something to say about the topic.
You said Scolari would not get sacked. Now you say Ancelotti is sure to be the manager. All your colleagues in the media are singing this same tune. While I take it with a pinch of salt, I also believe there must be some truth in it.
Abramovichs desperate lust for the Champions League is diminishing our chances of winning it. Ranieri would have kept the job if he had won it. Mourinho was brought in days after winning it, and fired after a draw at home to Rosenberg. Grant was fired after losing it by a penalty kick. Scolari out so as to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for.
Just because Ancelotti has won it twice does not mean he will guarantee another one for Chelsea, He couldn't even qualify for it last season. No doubt Rijkaard and Benetiz are also on the short list. Might as well enquire about Del Bosque and Hitzfield while they are at it?
And the first poster who says Hiddinks reign is no better than Scolaris, I cannot think of anything further from the truth.
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You don't seem to say anything different to me. I didn't criticise Scholari. I said Chelsea's results were much the same under Hiddinkk and they were under Scholari - which is true.
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Well, that's a lie. Under Hiddink we have lost just one game in the league, and have dropped something like 4 points in total since his arrival. So to say that his results were the same as Scolari's is, quite frankly, laughable.
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Scolari is not in the same class as HiddinK and nor is Ancelotti. Chelsea need a manager who has proved himself successful with teams who do not have the luxury of players the like of Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo.
Mourhino and Hiddink have done this. Also Chelsea need someone who understands the EPL , where physical fitness is the priority and not delicate skills and an acting ability ( Drogba and Ronaldo please note ). Barcelona, Real Madrid and both Milan sides would not finish in the top six in an EPL full season. I would like to see O'Neil or Moyes at Chelsea. Imagine what these guys could do with Chelsea's talent.
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What RA doesn't seem to get his head around is that football dynasties need deep roots. That means a manager who is given the time to build teams, create a distinctive culture and work ethic and select the right staff (Chelsea could really do with much better scouts and I'd like to see some more talent out of the youth policy).
Liverpool in the 70s and Man Utd since the 80s have known this. Evolution, not revolution. It's been said a million times, but obviously RA's never heard it. What did SAF win in his first FIVE seasons? One FA Cup. And that was ALL that he won. What would Man Utd have done in the past 15 years had an itchy-fingered board fired SAF when all the fans and pundits were telling them to?
In contrast, we've had 6 managers in 6 years. This is total and utter madness. Not to mention complete stupidity. We sacked the most successful manager in the history of the club, ostensibly because of a run of bad results that lasted less time than a RA cruise around the Caribbean. Avram Grant, who by near complete agreement was woeful for the team, was a swing of John Terry's boot away from bringing the biggest prize in club football to the Bridge. Scolari was given 15 minutes and wasn't given the authority to fire all the dressing room egos that needed firing.
Hiddink has been very good for the club. The football's been much better, the attitude is right, the vibes of unity from the squad are the best since Mourinho's day.
Ancelotti doesn't inspire confidence in me. He feels and sounds like a dog that's had his day, won his trophies and has nothing left to prove. Unlike SAF and The Special One, he shows no signs of the hunger necessary to keep winning.
So here's my forecast. Make that 8 managers in 8 years. Ancelotti will come in for a year and Chelsea will finish 3rd again in the league (notice that Rafa is also being allowed the time to dynasty build and improve the team). We'll go out in the quarters of the Champion's League.
Ancelotti then picks up another multi-million pound kiss off (a la Scolari) and Hiddink says a fond farewell to the Russian side to return to Chelsea on a permanent basis. My only hope is that RA takes a look at Man U, takes a look at Liverpool and comes to the realization that truly great sides are the singular vision of truly great managers. RA backs off, doesn't interfere in the choice of transfer targets and team selection and lets Hiddink do his work over a number of years to create a dominant Chelsea side in the future. But what are the odds on that?
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Can Carlo help Chelsea? I doubt very much if their relationship is going to go any distance.
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I am not a new member, for Christ's sake.
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I for one, as a gooner, hope to see Ancelotti at Chelsea next season. He won't be able to put them on top, just like he struggled for some good time with Milan.
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he's 100% certain...that's a sure fire way of saying there's no way in hell he's going to be there. He has to be at least 110% certain for there to be a chance. In the same way that sportsmen need to be giving at least 150% before they start trying these days.
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chelsea will have a great manager if they get ancelotti,abit like hiddink,respected around the football world,good luck chelsea fans if you get him.
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It will take a little more than a also run from italy to turn things around at chelsea,they need to start rebuilding,they need younger players and that takes time (witch they never seem to be given).Man united,arsenal have both had to do this over the last few years and they understand it's something that has to be done if chelsea arn't allowed to do this then they will never be able to dominate as other teams have
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my my Chelsea seem to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons yet again!
2 season wonders, appauling behaviour, boring football, poor leadership,
moaners, wingers, and according to the latest investigations and hearings, still suffer from a serious hooligan element.
Lets face it the Chavs have overtaken man u as the team most disliked by all surporters .
as for thier managment situ its a bit like newcastle really only RA is bank rolling this disgracefull outfit. the new guy is no doubt in protracted talks over just how much compensation he will get if he fails to win them anything after one season such is the contempt shown by RA to his staff afterall chelsea is his plaything, nothing more.
the Chavs are what they are: 2 season wonders having spent bucket loads of cash and a host or managers to prove otherwise.
The Club as a whole is a disgrace to the PL and whoever they get to manage them he wont have the CL to worry about as my understanding, from a very reliable source Chelsea will NOT BE IN EUROPE next season .
we can all applaud that i think.
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The Club as a whole is a disgrace to the PL and whoever they get to manage them he wont have the CL to worry about as my understanding, from a very reliable source Chelsea will NOT BE IN EUROPE next season .
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Wow! A very reliable sorce. I think your source has been whizzing up your leg! Anyone who thinks Chelsea will NOT be in Europe are as stupid as the above comment is. lol
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Brazilian press has just aired that AC Milan's director of football Leonardo is the new manager replacing Carlo Ancelotti. The official presentation will happen in June just after the end of Seria A. For more info:
[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
(Portuguese website)
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Rikjaard will be the man at Chelsea next season. He is well known to Hiddink and has had his recommendation. His appointment makes more sense than Ancellotti's. He carries the same calm and focused authority Hiddink displays and has fluent English which addresses the crucial communication issues with the squad. He's the sensible and correct choice and the most likely one for me.
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Is he even that good a manager?
By the way I'm guessing davidgilmourthe3rd is a bitter fan who wishes his team were as good as Chelsea so he's taking it out on us.
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We don't want him! Need a manager that actually cares about the development of the club, not someone who'll let people in need of zimmerframes still play!
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Hiddink is a great tactical manager, no question. Given another season in charge at Chelsea, I suspect he would have got Chelsea closer to Manchester United.
Ancelotti would be a good choice. But I also think there are a number of good options for Chelsea, should Ancelotti decide to stay at Milan.
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It's clear after leaving AC Ancelotti is off to Sunderland.
Great signing for the Black Cats.
; )
Football worlds worst kept secret.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
No, don't let Chelsea have Alonso! Arsenal need him!
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I am not a new member either!
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Ancelotti is on the way to Man City.
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Ancelotti would be a much better choice than Scolari ever was. He definitely has management experience and did well with a very average Milan team that really has only one star. I wonder if they'll give him a season and then try and entice Hiddink back once the World Cup finishes.
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We are craving for a Chelsea squad to be rebuilt with younger and fresher talent. And stability.
The board clearly have no intention of doing this.
Ancelotti, in his time at Milan will be remembered by how he assembled and got the very best of an squad of old, great players in the twilight of their careers.
Much like the Chelsea squad now.
This club needs a young, talented and hungry manager who will build and rebuild truly great sides in his vision. No transfer and team inteference. Time to build his team, create a distinctive culture and work ethic. A football dynasty.
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