Monday, February 9, 2009

The sack

The dole(unemployment) line got a little longer in England, after Chelsea sacked Big Phil Scolari. The news was a big shock, with Scolari having been in charge for only seven months. Fergie expressed his shock, and said that "there is absolutely no patience in the world right
 now." He's right.

Scolari's reign at Chelsea had a strange start, when his appointment was announced while he was still coaching Portugal at EuroCup. A dramatic transfer window ensued, with a number of players linked with a Jose Mourinho reunion at Inter Milan. Those moves never materialized, and the only players who came in were Bosingwa and Deco. Scolari singled out Chelsea's inability to sign Robinho as a big failure, and his attempt to rejuvenate the squad. Chelsea's squad was built for a 4-5-1, and Scolari's 4-3-3 had square pegs fitting into round holes. Essien, Lampard, Ballack and Deco are all more comfortable in the center of the pitch, while Drogba plays best with his back to goal. He was also unlucky with injuries, losing Terry, Carvalho, Essien, Drogba, Cole and Malouda for extended periods. This led to their position in fourth place, after finishing in the top two for the past five season, the end of their streak at Stamford Bridge, and Scolari's dismissal.

It appears the decision came from Abramovich, and he must have been rather confident to pay Scolari £12  to go away. With their Champions League tie against Juventus coming up, and an FA Cup match against Watford, Abramovich decided a new coach was needed for the Cup runs. Who will be the coach is a hot question, with Hiddink and Mancini already linked, while Grant could make a surprise return. Abramovich had wanted "beautiful football(soccer)", but now is
 the time for results. Chelsea need a coach that can work with their current roster, and after three coaches in 18 months, they need stability.

In other, much less surprising news(excepting the man himself), Tony Adams was sacked by Portsmouth. Pompey have taken a nosedive since the departure of 'Ansome 'Arry 'Oudini. They are only a point above the drop, and have won only two of their last sixteen matches. Much of their problems are financial, and they've sold off Muntari, Diarra and Defoe. There is still enough quality that they shouldn't be dragged into a relegation battle with the likes of Stoke, West Brom and Middlesbrough. Saturday's 3-2 loss to Liverpool was a bitter pill to swallow, after they blew two leads, and choked hard in the last ten minutes. Given their place in the table, and financial constraints, it will be interesting who they can get in.