Yes or no. Our verdicts on whether trigger-happy Roman Abramovich has made the right decisions with regards to his managers.
Claudio Ranieri
The Italian remained in charge through Abramovich’s first year, and did a thoroughly good job. The year after he was sacked Chelsea won the league, but Ranieri would argue it was the team he built. Would he have converted the chance he teed up if he remained the boss for another year? We’ll never know. Since then he has enjoyed unsuccessful spells at Valencia, and currently Inter, and had a near-miss at Roma where he was denied glory by Jose Mourinho’s Inter side.
Was it the right choice to sack him? Based on how Mourinho steered the side afterwards to two titles, we say YES
Jose Mourinho
The fact supporters and players still speak of the Portuguese maverick so fondly tells its own story. He led Chelsea to two league titles and only a power dispute with Abramovich led to his sacking. Mourinho was unhappy with interference in team affairs after Andrei Shevchenko’s arrival, and when results started to dip below his high standards, he was shown the door. Mourinho would likely have still been here now if he was left to it, and his dismissal remains the Russian owner’s greatest folly.
Was it the right choice to sack him? Definitely not. NO
Avram Grant
The ‘not so special one’ actually had a good record at Chelsea. Remarkably he was just a penalty kick away from achieving what Mourinho never did, winning the Champions League with Chelsea. As it was he remained a nearly man, and even if he had won the trophy, Abramovich still could have shown him the door. He was only ever seen as a temporary fix, but did well. Did he have the personality in the transfer market to attract the star players? At Portsmouth and particularly West Ham his reputation really suffered with two relegations, but to his credit he did a good job at Chelsea.
Was it the right choice to sack him? We’re a bit split on this one, but as he was never likely to be able to sustain success long-term, we say YES
Luiz Scolari
‘Big Phil’ found himself out of his depth and unable to control Chelsea’s big egos. Sound familiar? Scolari was the first big victim of player power at Stamford Bridge, and it was difficult not to feel sorry for him. He arrived at a time when supporters expected a league title challenge, and by February they were out of it. By failing to meet these standards he was asking for it. At this stage Abramovich had progressed from trigger-happy to downright impatient.
Was it the right choice to sack him? Scolari looked lost at Chelsea and it was best to put him out of his misery. YES
Guus Hiddink
Ok, hands up here. We know Hiddink was not sacked. He was brought in on a short-term deal after Scolari and left in the summer as per the agreement. So in this case we are asking, should Chelsea have re-hired him? Hiddink was loved by the players, who got back to playing good football and went on to win the FA Cup. Hiddink was available as recently as a month ago, signing on at Russian club Anzhi. Abramovich should have acted quicker with Villas-Boas, if he was always going to sack him, and brought in the right man.
Should Hiddink have been offered a permanent job? Easy, YES.
Carlo Ancelotti
Ancelotti is the man whose two seasons in charge encapsulates Chelsea. He won the double in his first season, getting the side playing some terrific football and the plaudits were well deserved. In his second he had a shaky couple of months, and looked to be bringing it back, before Fernando Torres was forced upon him. Despite this he still helped Chelsea to finish second last year, but was sacked for a failure to win the league, and lack of progress in the Champions League. It cost millions to sack him and Chelsea are in a worse position now after hiring a new manager, so it is easy to see this one is a mistake.
Was it the right choice to sack him? He is a proven winner, and just look at the club now. NO
Andre Villas-Boas
The Portuguese manager came in with a big reputation, but there were always questions about how he would handle Chelsea’s big stars, many of who were his own age. In hindsight his biggest mistake was too much indecision last summer. Juan Mata was his only big signing, with Meireles added on deadline day, and Lukaku was a player he never wanted. He was another manager let down by Fernando Torres’ hopelessness in front of goal. We think he would have got it right at Chelsea given time, but time was something Abramovich was not prepared to offer.
Was it the right choice to sack him? He should have been given more time. NO
How will caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo get on at the Bridge?
image: © sonyds
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
