To no surprise at all, after our last game of the season, Roman has yet again pulled the trigger and sacked another manager! As Chelsea fans we have seen this time and time again, and since the Russian Billionaire took control in 2003, we have seen 7 different managers come and go in just 8 seasons. The sacking of managers has become a common feature at Chelsea, and it seems that the policy that is in place is ' Win a trophy or your out!'
I mean I am all for the changing of management of the team, if it is the right decision, and it helps the club progress forwards. However, I do not agree that changing managers is the answer each time. It was only 12 months ago that Carlo Ancelotti, in his first season in charge brought us the double for the first time in our history, and now after a trophy less season, he finds himself out of a job. Yes, I do agree that this season has been poor, and Carlo has made mistakes as well, but we have to bare in mind that some of the circumstances were not ideal for him at times. Last summer, the club decided that it needed to trim the wage bill and decided to let 5 experienced players go, to instead rely on the younger up and coming players. This did not matter as the season started just as we had ended the previous season, with nothing but goals galore and wins. However, after a few injuries to key players, it became clear that our depleted squad could not handle it, as ultimately a mid-season dip in form cost us significantly. Furthermore, Ray Wilkins was axed as Carlo's assistant as the board decided that he was no longer needed. This is not something that Carlo had wanted, Carlo was very happy working with Ray and this was not his decision. The departure of Ray and also injuries to key players all coincided with the poor run of games that ruined our season.
However, OK fair enough Carlo did make mistakes, and a lot of the time this season it did seem like he had no plan B when things didn't go as expected, but given that this is the same man that made history with us, I believe the manner in which he has been sacked is disgraceful. Although Carlo is partly to blame for the short comings this season, I think he should at least be given credit for turning the season around, because it was only few months ago that we were struggling to even get into the top 4 in a Champions League place, let alone challenging for the title, with Spuds and City both above us. Therefore, to finish the season in 2nd place is actually a good achievement. Yes, OK we didn't win any trophies, but it is not always about winning silverware, and it was Carlo who kept the team going and believing, otherwise we probably would have finished outside the top 4 and would have been stuck with Thursday night Europa League on channel 5.
It is my belief that the club should have kept Carlo and let him rebuild the team for next season. They should have kept him till the end of his contract in 2012, and given him the finances to restructure the squad in the summer. The fact is that the below par season has not only been down to management decisions but also the fact that the current squad of players is reaching the end of its natural cycle and needs a revamp. Some members of the squad need to move on and be replaced by fresh new talent. That is why I believe that Carlo should have been kept and been allowed to reshape the squad, as well as been given another chance with regards to Roman Abramovich's obsession - the Champions League. I mean yes Roman has pumped in billions into the club and we are all very grateful for that, but clearly whoever advises him does not know an awful lot about football. Money does not buy everything, and Roman should see that it is not his playground where he can instantly get what he wants. Long term success is built on solid foundations and constant changes in the manager every other year does not help the cause.
If the club really felt that Carlo was not the right man for the job, I sincerely hope that the next man in charge is there for the long term and not just one or two seasons. However, too be honest, after getting used to Roman's habit of sacking managers hastily, I won't be surprised if the next manager doesn't last long either. Furthermore, the manner in which the club decided to relieve Carlo of his duties is disgusting to say the least. After the final game of the season, where we lost to Everton, Carlo was sacked within an hour of the end of the match. If he was to be sacked, he should have been at least given the dignity of having a meeting with the board properly rather than simply being told that he no longer has a job straight after a match. A week earlier when West Ham had sacked Avram Grant in the same way, I thought that was disrespectful, but I did not for one second think that our club would treat Carlo in the same way as those pikeys. However, throughout the last few weeks, hats of to Carlo for being professional and gaining the respect of many people for the way he has handled the whole situation, because he probably knew that he was a dead man walking ever since our defeats to Man- United. What is clear is that second best simply is not good enough for Roman Abramovichpre-Abramovich days without the billions, just so that club is more 'ours' and without the same old bollocks of trophy obsession and instant success.
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| THANKS FOR THE DOUBLE CARLO AND GOOD LUCK! |
However, whether we think Carlo sacking is right or wrong we need to move on from here just continue to follow our team! The club need to get a adequate replacement for Carlo, which certainly won't be easy as there are not many better managers out there, and the club needs to instill some stability from now on with the right manager.
As Chelsea supporters we need to remember, players come and go, managers come and go but the club will remain no matter who is wearing the blue shirt and who is in charge, and we will always be there following our team through the good and bad!
CTID
KTBFFH
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