That grass took the form of Luiz Felipe Scolari, world cup winning manager of Brazil. Scolari came into the Premiership unable to speak a word of English and having never managed in Europe. His reign was a disaster. Chelsea lost their organisational strength and failed to suddenly begin playing like Brazil. The managed looked lost on the touchline and was wary of the media. His tenure was ended in February 2009.
Gus Hiddink, taking the Avram Grant role came in and steadied the ship once more. They finished third in the league and also won the FA Cup.
Abramovich offered Hiddink a permanent deal, but the Dutchman (who has never broken a contract) refused and remained with the Russian national side. Abramovich went back to AC Milan. On the last occasion he came back with their star-striker, this time he returned with their manager, Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian’s first season in England was a hugely successful one. Not only did Chelsea win their third Premier League title they did so in breathtaking fashion, scoring a record 103 league goals, and finishing the regular season beating Wigan 8-0. They also lifted the FA Cup.
They started last season as they finished the previous one and pundits began claiming the title was theirs to lose by October. However, in November, with the Blues four points clear at the top the decision was made to sack Ray Wilkins.
Wilkins was a popular member of the backroom staff, an affable link between the players and the somewhat reserved Ancelotti. The reason given for the sacking was a cost-cutting measure, Wilkins being paid £400,000 a year. It was a reason that didn’t hold water when one considers Chelsea’s financial dealings.
People will say the manager is all-important. And this is correct. But football clubs are finely balanced mechanisms and the least little tremor can cause chaos. Had Abramovich been aware of this he wouldn’t have risked upsetting the proverbial apple-cart with the dismissal of Ancelotti’s lieutenant.
The move stunted Chelsea’s momentum and they began to stumble before going on a horrendous run until the turn of the year. They never really recovered and when Manchester United eliminated them from the Champions League the dye was cast.
Ancelotti, like his compatriot Ranieri became a dead-man-walking and within thirty minutes of the club’s 1-0 defeat to Everton on the final day of the season was relieved of his duties.
When one thinks of last season beginning so well and the subsequent disruption created by the sacking of a man on less than half a million a year, it seemed ironic when Chelsea then went out and paid a £13million release clause to FC Porto for Andrea Villas Boas.
Admittedly, the man does have an amazing record in albeit a young career but one has to remedy this against the league that he has done it in.
Since 2002-2003, FC Porto has won the domestic title on no less than seven occasions. Four of these included domestic doubles and twice, in 02-03 and 10-11 included trebles. Last season they went undefeated.
The leap to the Premier League is going to be difficult enough with the emergence of Manchester City and the age of Chelsea’s squad. It’ll be even more problematic to do it for an owner who has shown that he demands success (in his quest for the Champions League for example) whilst at the same time possessing a penchant for interference (the purchases of Shevchenko and Torres, or the sacking of Wilkins).
Mourinho proved too much of a hot coal in Abramovich’s palms and he got steadily tired of juggling him from hand to hand. Then there was Ancelotti, a man who would never rock the boat and, as such never put up much of a fight to remain in the job.
Avram Grant and Gus Hiddink were ‘yes men’ who would allow the owner to interfere (Hiddink has a great reputation on the continent, but was inextricably tied in with Abramovich due to his links with the Russian national team).
Now, Chelsea has appointed a manager in similar age to a lot of the players. Like Jose he never played the game professionally and, like Ancelotti appears to have a streak for success married to a mild-manner. Just how mild that manner can be will only be seen once the oligarch’s hand has intervened in a few of his affairs.
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