Davey Baby

Even if we add Essien to the mix and assume Rajkovic is successful in his application and qualifies as a HG, we would still be able to sign one HG and one non-HG, as well as as many U21s as we like. So come on people place your bets... You can make three signings: one homegrown, one non-homegrown, and one U21, who are they? Mine would be Modric (non-homegrown), Rodwell (U21) and a homegrown winger (Young would have been my choice but Walcott, Lennon and Johnson are up for grabs (or possibly not).

If you look at our U21s this season who are likely to get game-time (PVA, Josh, Romeu, Lukaku and Kakuta), there is a lot of quality there. Finally, it looks like we have a bright future in terms of our youngsters. A very bright future. To those five can be added Courtois (though Cech may well be our first choice for the next ten years) and Rajkovic and Bruma possibly. Sturridge and Bertrand played for England U21s this summer, and in the pack coming up just behind the U21s is Chalobah, who by all accounts is going to be a star. The jewel among them, from those I have seen, is Josh, who I cannot speak highly enough of. Every time he has taken the field he has been the best player by a mile. You'd have to be blind not to see his class. A player I would gladly pay to watch.

It would certainly solve a major issue. He is a brilliant player and Chelsea is his first choice. His best years are ahead of him. He will be motivated. He is adjusted to the Prem. I commend the club for targeting him. Ramires is a shoo-in for me, and not in the holding role. If we presume Modric would be guaranteed a starting berth in a midfield three, I'm not sure where that leaves Lampard. What would our best midfield three be if Modric came? As we've seen with Torres, there's no point signing someone if you're not sure how they fit into things. A midfield three of Lampard, Ramires and Modric looks good in terms of quality, but may lack balance. Hope we get him. Hope we have a plan if he does come. AVB dropping Lampard would be a major call, not least because they're the same age, and not least because Lampard delivers goals and assists, something Modric has so far failed to do.

I was going to say the same thing. Veron was an incredible player in Italy, less was known about Van Nistelrooy, but he cost a few bob and Utd had coveted him for some time, and on those purchases everyone (including me) thought they'd run away with it. Despite a bright start, Veron surprised everyone by looking like a pub player some of the time and Utd lost the title for the first time in years. Veron was a very extravagant signing at the time. A lot of money. A big name. It was a statement of intent. He was meant to take Utd to the next level (much like Sheva and Ballack were meant to do with us, and I dare say Torres). For that reason I'm not too bothered by Sneijder's potential arrival at Utd. Football is not an exact science, and for me, Sneijder is not an arrival I would welcome at my club, despite his undoubted talent. It's just a hunch feeling. He's proven himself, he's a global superstar, but that in itself doesn't guarantee success. Football is about chemistry, and you have to get it right. I would rather Modric, and in the long term, I would rather Josh to both, for Chelsea. Do not presume if Utd get Sneijder it's all over. It ain't. History teaches us so. I felt at the time Ballack and Sheva were misguided signings, and I'm afraid I felt the same about Torres. Torres of course still has time to turn it around and people can argue over Ballack but Sheva is indisputable. He was a failure. It was oh so predictable to my mind, as I presume it was to Jose. I presume you mean Cech and Terry. There is no doubt many of our players regressed and there were so many out of form that one couldn't put it down to coincidence. The manager was at fault. Lampard, Mikel, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Essien. I could go on. We saw with Hiddink the impact a manager can have and how he can make underperforming players suddenly turn it on. It would be great if AVB can have that impact and yes, there is a huge improvement that can be made from last season with the same personnel, even if two or three of those mentioned are reaching the twilight of their careers. However, to my mind, there are one or two that needed to go (no names Nicolas), and one or two that needed to come. Evolution rather than revolution, sure, but a little bit of ruthlessness would have benefited us in terms of departures, as would a player or two that can walk straight into the team, that would put the likes of Malouda under pressure. A player personally cherry-picked by the manager, a player the rest of the squad knows he fancies, that sets a bit of a benchmark in terms of the standard expected, and that keeps everyone on their toes. We have the best back 5 in the world (defence + goalkeeper), we are solid in midfield but not as intimidating as we once were, but we're just not that dynamic going forward, regardless of how well we play. We do not have game-breakers, and in the tightest games it's the smallest details. Malouda may well recapture form, Drogba may return to the player of old, as may Torres, and Kalou may find the consistency he has hitherto lacked. If I were a betting man I would offer seriously long odds against all of that happening, even if AVB turns out to be the messiah, and even if it did happen, for the money we pay I would expect a bit more in terms of flair, in terms of imagination, and in terms of sparkle. City have Tevez, Da Silva, Aguero. Thrills and spills aplenty. Subtlety. Beauty. We've coughed up a lot of dough over the years, and yet even if all our players are on song, I am not filled with excitement at the prospect of watching it. It's not a question of being happy if AVB's happy. We judge him on his judgement, and if he decrees we have no need for a player that can offer us a different dimension going forward, then we are entitled to feel disappointed, as we want a little flavour to our fare this season. That does not mean we don't support him, or believe in him, it just means we don't entirely trust his judgement on that one, just like I don't trust his judgement on our reserve keepers, who I don't think are up to it (god help us if Cech gets injured). However, I suspect AVB can see the same deficiencies we can, and is as eager to resolve them as we are, it just may be more difficult than it seems. Getting the right player is a fine art. It's not simply as simple as signing a Sneijder. Hopefully our experience with Torres has taught us that.

Thanks for clearing that up. PVA is an U21 player this term. It's official. It would be daft to keep both in the squad, so surely one is going on loan. Bertrand is a HG, of which we have six and possibly seven depending on the Rajkovic situation. We are allowed eight, so I don't think there's any need to dispense with Bertrand on that basis, unless the club are planning on a splurge on two or more English players in the next three weeks, which I can't see (would be happy to see Rodwell arrive, mind). I suppose it will come down to which player AVB feels is most ready to do a job for us. I haven't seen enough of either to have an opinion. The club clearly feel they're both good prospects.

Pace, creativity, flair. We desperately need it. I believe AVB knows this. At least I hope he does.

Could be wrong but I think PVA will be 21 when the squad is submitted on September 1st. Not sure if that would then make him a HG. Or has he gone out on loan and it's all incidental anyway?

Tottenham have made a new signing. Grabatelli. Edit: I'll get my coat.

Let him do cartwheels. If we do give them Anelka, we should insert a clause in the contract, that if they get a penalty against us, Nic has to take it.

Ignoring Rajkovic a moment, and with Zhirkov gone, we now have a free place available to buy a non-homegrown player, even if we include Essien in the squad this September. We also have a homegrown slot available. Essien's injury means we may be a bit light in midfield. We have Mikel, Lampard and Ramires. After that we have Romeu, Josh and Benayoun.

Oh for some pace and flair and some entertainment for our money.

A lot of people are getting all worked up over nothing. This kid was unavailable on a straightforward basis. He was one of Barca's best kids, of course he was unavailable. If they were willing to just sell him, that would suggest they didn't rate him, and seeing as they know their onions, that would suggest he's not that good. So we've signed him on what could effectively be a one year or two year loan, with a bit of profit thrown in, and the small possibility that he actually ends up staying with us. Where's the harm? There is none. Essien is out, Mikel is our only holding player and he is sh*t. Good job all round.

Anyone suggesting Anelka should start on the right should be issued with a ban. I would rather Hilario started on the right. Seriously, were you not watching last term?

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't Yuri in the last year of his contract? If that's the case, 13m quid is a hell of a lot of money for a player who has done precious little in England, who has suffered injuries, and whose stock has fallen. I know he's rated in Russia and I've no doubt he's a good player, but I'm also in no doubt that he won't be a loss to us and we'll be delighted with this deal. It just hasn't worked out for whatever reason and I'm in no doubt that it never will. Yuri's whole demeanour suggests it never will. He just seems timid and unsuited to the challenge. Is it possible that Roman has got one of his mates to fork out this amount to help us comply with financial fair play regulations, and then credited one of his Swiss bank accounts? What do you think? 13m is too much. It's way too much.

Thanks mate and I hope you're right about Torres. Think I was mistaken about PVA, think he qualifies as a homegrown rather than an U21. If that's correct, that means we currently have our full quota of non-homegrown players (17) plus our full quota of homegrown players (8), assuming Rajkovic gets a work permit and qualifies as homegrown. If he gets his work permit but doesn't qualify as homegrown, we have to omit a non-homegrown (Essien) to fit him in, meaning we can go out and purchase a homegrown player. If he doesn't get his work permit, we have room for one non-homegrown (assuming we omit Essien in September), and one homegrown. I fully expect Modric to arrive and take that non-homegrown place. In an ideal world we would sign a back-up keeper, a flying winger (who can play either side), the new Zola (whoever he may be), and the aforementioned Modric (who I rate highly). As you said, Young would have been a great signing for us. Homegrown, young, fast, versatile, no little ability, and plenty of chutzpah. Anyone that puts pressure on Malouda, Kalou and Anelka would be welcome, assuming they all stay with us.

By my understading, we currently have the maximum 17 non-homegrown players in the squad, plus a potential 7 homegrown players, assuming Rajkovic gets a work permit. Even if Rajkovic gets a work permit but only qualifies as a non-homegrown player, we can still fit him in the current squad, as Esien need not be registered in September. Assuming Essien isn't registered in September, and assuming Rajkovic fails to obtain a work permit, we have room to purchase one non-homegrown player, without the need to sell anyone. Modric please. Either way, we definitely have room for at least one more homegrown player, possibly rising to two depending on the Rajkovic situation. Players like Cahill, Dann, Rodwell, Parker and McCarthy have been mooted. No Joey Barton please! Here is my asessment of the squad as it stands today... Cech We are so fortunate to have him. While other clubs fret over their keepers, we have no such anxiety. Briliant at dominating his area, brilliant in the air, committed to the cause. Prone to the odd ricket but we'll forgive him. Couldn't ask for better. Hilario Inept. And I'm being kind. Carlo will find himself 3rd choice at Spuds this term, with the arrival of Friedel. Surely he could be tempted home? Turnbull (Homegrown) Haven't seen anything that encourages me. If Cech is out, we're screwed. I understand that no back-up keeper is ever going to oust Cech, but surely we could tempt someone better, just flash the cash. Ivanovic Love him. A proper old-fashioned defender. Hard as nails and takes no prisoners. Not entirely faultless at centre-back, prefer him at right-back. Maybe not the most dynamic going forward, but no slouch either, and importantly, can defend. Boswinga Call me old-fashioned, but I like my defenders to defend. Boswinga can be class on the ball but he can be too casual at the back. Never been convinced. Get the feeling he's only here for the money. Ferreira Hope to never see him in a Chelsea shirt again. Nothing personal just not good enough. A complete liability as far as I'm concerned. Was decent on first arrival but never more than that. Has deteriorated starkly. Opponents fancy their chances against him and for good reason. Lacks confidence, lacks authority, lacks presence, lacks pace. People will disagree but I'm afraid sentiment is clouding their judgement. JT (HG) Not a lot to say. Our only outfield player to excel himself last term. The best central defender on these shores by a mile. Quite predictably, didn't make the PFA team of the year last term. Luiz Not the world's best centre-back. Who cares? Chelsea has always been a home for entertainers. AVB may have other ideas but he would make my team every time, particularly as he has the impeccable Terry alongside him. We were crying out for a player who could capture the imagination. We got him. Likes a tackle which makes me like him even more. Alex Quality back-up but may want to go and good luck to him. Will miss his thunderbolts. IF AVB doesn't fancy Luiz at CB, and wants to kep Ivanovic at RB, don't be surprised if he bids for Dann or Cahill, as he may rate them slightly higher than Alex. Rajkovic (Possibly HG?) Will he get a work permit, and if so, will he qualify as homegrown? Cole (HG) Not a lot to be said. Smokes. Womanizes. Runs up and down that flank all day long. I like the fact he has so much to prove all the time, as we have been the beneficiaries. His best years are possibly behind him. Bertrand (HG) Will be vying with PVA for the understudy slot, assuming Zhirkov goes. PVA (U21) Has looked good whenever I've seen him. Mikel Can't stand him. Not the player I most want to go (that would be Anelka) but would shed no tears if he left. Not at the races. Doesn't understand the holding role, doesn't have a creative bone in his body, has no attacking nous, and shoulders no responsibility. Will be interesting to see if AVB can coax a performance out of him or whether he is beyond hope. People cite his pass completion rate. Please, do me a favour. My old nan's a better passer than him. I've seen him have great games. Twice. And both times I assume he was on drugs. Essien Massive loss. When opponents lined up against Michael in the tunnel, they visibly shrunk. Romeu (U21) Welcome to Chelsea. Lamps (HG) Have a sneaky feeling he may have a great season. Another one who always has something to prove, god knows why, as at club level he's been a phenomenon. Hopefully he still has a lot to offer. Ramires A legend in the making. Benayoun May prove to be an astute purchase but unlikely to ever be capable of excelling for extended periods of time, meaning he will dip in and out of the side. Skilful, creative, disciplined and tenacious. Josh (U21) Should have played more last season, particularly when we were underperforming. I can see that he lacks the physical presence required in midfield at this level, but everything about him says class. No doubt in my mind we have found a gem. Interesting to see if he goes out on loan or whether AVB feels he's ready to do a job for us. Much might depend on our pursuit of Modric. If we want to play a passing game that's easy on the eye, look no further. Malouda Oh for a flying winger that takes oponents on at will and gets to the byline. We're just not that great to watch. An injection of flair please. Having said that, when he's confident and on top of his game, Malouda is a top player. Sadly when he's sh*t he's sh*t. Zhirkov By all accounts a good player but there's something wrong upstairs. Doesn't have the mentality. Does not transmit confidence. Feeble. Kakuta (U21) There's a spot going on the wing if you want it .. Sturridge (HG) Been very impressed. Our only attacker who gives us energy, pace and penetration. Anelka had no right playing on the right last term as he is abolutely useless/disinterested in that position, whereas Sturridge makes things happen and shows willing even though (like Anelka) it's not his favoured position. Would rather see him in the side than Kalou. Kalou Scores his fair share of goals but he don't half wind me up. Drogba Hope AVB gets inside his mind and turns him back into a centre-forward rather than the playmaker he thinks he's become. Needs to get nasty again. Needs to want to see his name on the score-sheet. Needs to stop caring what people think of him. What a player we potentially have. Torres Love it if he returned to the player of old but I just can't see it. The word "Shevchenko" springs to mind. Anelka Bottles big games, thinks he's better than he is, hides when the going gets tough. Not my cup of tea. Thanks for reading.

Gutted if true. I was hopeful that Essien could get a good rest and pre-season under his belt and come back as good as he once was. He was a great player, lacked a bit of finesse but made up for it in strength, athleticism, attitude, power, energy etc. He was possibly the most highly-rated midfielder in the world not long ago, a player that would walk into any team, a player that could do a job in almost every position. He was quite literally scary, the sort of player opponents fear, his mere presence giving us a psychological edge before the game's even begun. Will he ever reach those heights? Almost definitely not, if this news is true. Even worse, it will probably mean more game-time for Mikel, a player who may become an asset but whom I doubt will ever be considered a great. Personally, I was hoping he would be shipped out. My patience has waned with him. Thank god we have Ramires. He may not strike fear into opponents like Essien did, but boy what a player. A Chelsea legend in the making. One of the first names on the teamsheet for me. All our rivals in England and Europe will be delighted with this news. A bitter blow for us (and him). A player like Modric (here's hoping) would flourish alongside the brute strength of Essien, in the same way Zola flourished alongside the brute strength of Hughes. We may need to buy an "enforcer" ..

Personally, I'm not too bothered if Drogba leaves, great player that he's been. I would be bothered if any of Cech, Ramires, Terry, Essien, Luiz, Ivanovic or Josh left. I suspect a bit of a clean sweep is due, as when Jose arrived. Obviously Drogba serves far more purpose than Anelka though.

I am certainly in agreement with that. For a side with our aspirations, we have pretty poor options on the flanks. They basically amount to Zhirkov, Malouda and Kalou, with the possible addition of Sturridge, who apparently played well for the U21s coming in from a right position. I am assuming Kakuta is not ready. I do not want to see Anelka "occupying" the right hand side of our attack ever again. In fact, I do not want to see Anelka play for Chelsea ever again. As for Ramires, what a special player he is, destined to become a Chelsea legend. We do not want to see him occupying the right, as he did occassionally last season. Even Duff in his present incarnation, on the right for Fulham, in the latter stages of his career and having suffered numerous injuries, is a better option than anything we can put on the right. How did it come to this? Utd already have Nani and Valencia (not the best not the worst) and they have just added Young to the mix, who is a good player, and now Liverpool are supposedly buying Downing. I'm surprised we are not in for these players. They are English for a start, thus help us fill our quota, and they are proven. Some will scoff at the suggestion of Downing, but I've seen him at the Bridge a few times and always been impressed. Pace and control on the flank is something we lack. Dalglish and Fergie aren't stupid, they know what they are doing. Sure, it would be great to have a world-class winger, but we don't, let's at least inject some genuine width, pace, and attacking menace. If we are relying on Malouda and Kalou I fear for us. Malouda can be great but he can also be woeful, and Kalou doesn't have the requisite control and awareness, even if he does often serve a purpose. Frankly, neither player offers any kind of thrill. I want to see a wide player at Chelsea who can beat a man at pace and go for the jugular, not pussyfoot about and flatter to decieve. We're crying out for a winger, and they seem to be in short supply, so if the best among them aren't available or are beyond our reach, let's at least acquire someone who fits the brief. Currently, Ashley Cole is the only Chelsea player who gets to the byline.

Well folks, it's definitely happening and like all of you, I'm very happy about it. Yes, Guus would have been great, a great manager with a great relationship with Roman, but age counted against him, and in taking a punt on a 33 year old, we have breathed new life into the club and I dare say into the players and fans. Exciting times ahead, a venture into the unknown, albeit an unknown with a remarkable season behind him. No-one has mentioned he is younger than Roman, and that is significant. At last the owner has the authority over his manager that age brings. Hopefully that helps the relationship.There is no doubt in my mind that the biggest drawback of AVB being so young is that he may lack the maturity, experience and wisdom required to deal with the owner. Players, pressure and press is one thing, Roman quite another. Hopefully Roman has the mindset of nurturing and supporting him rather than undermining him. AVB has worked at Chelsea before and that's a big plus, as he knows the owner and players, and thinks he can do the job. Hopefully Roman has learned a few lessons too these last six years. When Jose joined us, he watched every game from the previous season on DVD, then decided who he wanted to ship out and who he wanted to bring in. I hope AVB is afforded the same freedom. Without that, we would be undermining him already. A manager needs to have his own men in, and if he doesn't fancy someone, no matter how big a name, he should be allowed to release him. Jose got rid of loads of big names and brought in his foot soldiers from Porto as well as archetypal Mourinho signings. The sort of players that could do the job he wanted them to do. I hope we show faith in AVB from the start and allow him to do it his way. He has shown he deserves the chance. Again, Roman's experience with our previous managers may prove beneficial in this regard, as we learn more from our failures than we do our successes (so the theory goes). AVB brings personality back to the Chelsea hotseat. For me, Carlo lacked it, and that accounted (in part) for his downfall at Chelsea. AVB strikes me as very much his own man, with an innate belief in himself and his methods. I suspect he will be able to command the players and press. He isn't anyone's fall guy. He won't be intimidated. That's the impression I get. Also, he wants to leave his mark. He is a young buck on the up, with it all to prove. In his own words, he wants to build something. Hopefully Chelsea is his dream job and we give him the opportunity to fulfill himself. He is hungry and that's what we want. Winning things is all well and good but we also want to develop a relationship with our manager, we want to support him while he builds, while he learns, we want to go on that journey with him. It's a far better feeling than just hiring and firing every six months, even if we prove successful with that policy. We want to create a bond with our manager, it makes the taste that much sweeter. We want someone we can follow, we can call our own, someone who cements their reputation with us, nowhere else. Hiddink (no matter how good) would only ever have been a short stop and we may have lost the opportunity to hire AVB as someone else would have snapped him up. We've got him now. He's our man. Let's give him time. Let's look at the big picture. It would do our credibility as a club so much good. Here would be my advice to AVB regarding our players... We need width. That is the priority. We need flair. We need creativity in midfield. Anelka can go. Modric would be a great signing (though he may impede Josh's progress). We should sign someone that gives Malouda and Kalou the fear. We are too predictable going forward, we have no-one who gives us that extra spark. We have no-one that strikes fear into opponents. Drogba's best days are behind him. We have lots of great solid players, now we need to give our attack an extra dimension. A classy winger, please. Are there any out there...? A back-up keeper would be nice. If you're listening AVB, you have a great captain in JT and a great midfielder in Ramires. Get Essien ticking and you're quids in. Good luck.

Very sad to see fellow Chelsea fans threatening each other and calling each other a prick and so on, then pointing the finger of blame at each other. Not good. Regarding Hiddink, let's hope it's him, because there's no-one else out there that excites me. He has everything going for him, apart from age, but the Chelsea job requires a certain level of experience and maturity, not just in dealing with the pressure, players and press, but also dealing with the owner. For this reason the Portuguese fella is too young for my liking, though he's obviously a talent. Hughes is a decent manager, there's no doubt about that, but good enough for Chelsea? I doubt it. Hiddink just knew where to put players on the pitch, he was very tactically astute, he made minor adjustments during games that always worked, and he knew how to motivate players with very big egos. His time with us was almost faultless. Yes you can say it was a short stop, and that worked in his favour, but no-one could have done a better job. No-one could have endeared themselves to the fans quite as much in such a short space of time, and no-one could have been a better fit. He just fits Chelsea. It just seemed right. Unlike Carlo he will stand up for Chelsea when we're getting it in the neck from all sides, he will stand up against injustices, which as we all know are frequent at Chelsea, but unlike Jose it will be without all the kerfuffle. Players had regressed last season and I fully expect them to find their feet once more if Hiddink returns. He knows how to get the best out of players. He knows how to get them all working for the cause. He knows which team to pick. He has big game experience. Under Carlo our workrate had waned, there's no doubt about it. Compared to Liverpool under Dalglish, or Utd under Fergie, we were just not putting in a shift. Our spirit had gone. That will change under Hiddink, who has a history of galvanising players. He made Malouda look a player. He made Mikel look a player (almost). He got the best out of Drogba. Ivanovic came to the fore under him. He quickly understood that Ballack and Mikel couldn't play together in the same midfield, as that made us too slow and immobile. Hiddink just got it. He came into English football, came into a disenchanted changing room, and just got it. He gave his players the right directions. He started changing what they were asked to do. And it worked. Those wanting Hughes should take note. He's not in that league. Maybe one day, maybe not. But we need it now. We need a manager who knows how to turn Torres around. Who knows his best team. Who knows how to win. Who else is there? Benitez? No thanks. Redknapp? No thanks. We're in trouble if we can't secure Hiddink, that's my view. It's imperative we pull out the stops to get him. Furthermore, Hiddink was here for the debacle against Barca. He was here. He suffered as much as we did. That only strengthened the bond between him and us, himself and the club. That only strengthened the resolve. He wants it as much as we do. He wants payback. He wants what's right for Chelsea. He was in it with us. We were there, together. A night like that stays in the mind, it doesn't just go. I believe it cemented Chelsea in his soul. It was a trauma we all shared. It was only a short top but it was part of our history. Look at the players' reaction that night. Look at Ballack, look at Drogba, how much they cared. That had gone under Carlo. Last season we were going through the motions, we had lost that edge, that competitive streak. It was as if we had reconciled failure. That won't happen under Hiddink. He will let them know failure is unacceptable, as all good managers should. Furthermore, there's a certain rebuilding required. Certain players need to be shipped out, new faces introduced, youngsters promoted. I would gladly see Guus oversee that. I would trust him, whereas I wouldn't trust others. In Guus we trust. Bring him back.

You only stick by a manager if you have the right guy in charge. It's a myth that stability breeds success. You can be stable and get relegated. It's all about the man at the helm, and Carlo wasn't good enough, hence the decision to sack him was justified. He won less points per game than Scolari, less points per game than Ranieri's last campaign with us. That should put things in perspective. Sure, the double was a great achievement, the football was surprisingly good, and we scored goals for fun. However our points tally and the fact we often blew the chance to capitalise on our rivals' constant slip-ups suggests he was competing in a far less competitive league than previous seasons. I felt we should have put the title to bed long before the final game of the season, but we kept fluffing our lines. To his credit, we got it right at the end, with impressive wins, and at least in so doing he proved he was no Ranieri (i.e. a manager incapable of closing a deal). That double bought him time this season, and rightly so, it would have been crass to fire him mid-season, but make no mistake, Carlo was found out during our three month slump, as he lacked any idea as to what to do. We could stick with him, sure, as Milan did, and we could watch him oversee our decline. The club decided to act, for all our good. I have seen great managers at Chelsea. Carlo wasn't one of them. I have seen crap managers. He certainly wasn't one of them either. Can we do better? Definitely. Props to the club for realising this. Carlo inherited a squad bang in form from Hiddink. Malouda, Mikel, Drogba, Lampard, Ivanovic. The list is endless. Hiddink turned that team around. Carlo benefited from that, no question, though that doesn't diminish his achievement last term. This season however Mikel and Malouda regressed rather than progressed, our players lost form, at the same time, and I hold the manager responsible. The only outfield player who excelled was Terry, our captain and a player even my two year old nephew could motivate. The warning signs were there, and if you can't see them, let's just be thankful the club could. We were only going one way, and that was down. It took a £70m injection of players in January to motivate the squad sufficiently to achieve a top four spot. Alas our manager couldn't provide that motivation on his own. World-class players were playing atrociously. We were being beaten by the likes of Wolves. No matter what anyone says, our team on paper should have been better than that. He had Sturridge every day in training and couldn't see our slump might have benefited from giving him a game, despite the fact Drogba and Anelka were playing appallingly. Drogba needed someone to get inside his head, to get him nasty again, to get him in the box on the end of crosses, to get him being Mr Bad Guy. All his ruthlessness evaporated this season and Carlo did nothing to change it. Drogba spent more time trying to befriend his opponents than trying to destroy them. Bad management. Jose swatted him like a fly, as did Fergie this season. The biggest games of the season. We didn't turn up. Chelsea. A team that fights to the death, a team built on spirit. Embarrassing. I don't care for Carlo's reputation, I care for the evidence before me, and it was damning. The players knew his job was on the line. Could he galvanise them? Could he make them fight for him? Could he do what great managers do, and make them find that extra 2%? No. There wasn't sufficient fire in our performance, there wasn't sufficient desire, he wasn't sufficiently demanding. He had to go. Next year I believe our rivals will be stronger. I believe we would only have got weaker under Carlo. There is sufficient evidence to support this point of view. I'm all for stability, but only if I have confidence in the manager. I was gutted when Hoddle left, when Gullit left, when Vialli left, but the rules of engagement were different. These days we expect to challenge for the main prizes, to compete with the very best, and for that we need the best man we can get. Carlo never fully convinced. Not during games, not between games. As he has shown countless time before (not just Istanbul) he does not know what to do when the tide turns, as we discovered to our cost this season. He waits for something to change rather than affecting the change himself. I will always be grateful for what he achieved. The club have made the right call on this one.

Hi fellow blues. First time poster, and long-time Chelsea-goer. I am happy he has gone. He is a good "manager" but not good enough for us, IMO. He surprised me last term and props to him for that, good football, lots of goals, the double. I think he/we were lucky. A strong competitor would have denied us the title. I have lots of reasons for saying this but I won't go into them now. He never fully convinced me. We have had great managers at the club (Jose, Hiddink), he does not bear comparison with them IMO. Better than Ranieri, sure, in the top bracket? No. Too many players out of form at the same time. His responsibility. Drogba trying to be best friends with his opponents, instead of being a horrible bully. He did not get inside Drogba's head and make him ruthless about tearing opponents to shreds. Management by numbers. Substitutions, often uninspiring, often on 60 minutes. Cannot read a game and make the tactical/personnel changes. Sturridge. He didn't get a chance, even when Anelka and Drogba were misfiring for months. I'm convinced it cost us points. Let's put a myth to bed. Roman may hire and fire but he's not as drastic as you think... Ranieri had to go. Jose we know. Avram good riddance. Scolari no-brainer. Hiddink no choice. Carlo not good enough. Would love to see Hiddink back, a class act, a great fit for Chelsea, a great manager. Thanks. edit: sorry chaps i forgot my main gripe... We did not turn up for the big games this season. Never even showed up. Utd in the champs league just like Inter last season. Toothless. Weren't at the races at Old Trafford in the league. Something was wrong. The players knew he was under threat, they were not fighting to save his job. No passion no workrate. The game was up. Whatever the reasons he had to go IMO. It was clear to me there was a major problem. Thanks.