He was only here for a short while, but for me the damage he did to the club was almost catastrophic, and I'm glad we parted company when we did.

First of all one of the most respected assistant managers in the EPL, who had a big hand in us winning the title two successive years running, was fed up with putting the cones out and left for pastures new. I don't know what went on behind the scenes but I don't think Clarke was given credit to perform certain duties or shown any respect he deserved by Scolari.

He alienated argueable the best forward in the world, telling us he couldn't play with Anelka. (just check our last two results against big 4 clubs Scolari, then check your own record. You couldn't have got it more wrong Phil).

He sold - NO - gave away! our back up keeper, who was probably tired of the trainging methods used to turn Cech from worlds No1 to something that resembles a jellyfish on a washing line. Cech lost alot of confidence under Scolari's management and his zonal marking, and we're still seeing the effects to this day. Perhaps he would be on his toes if Carlo was still breathing down his neck.

AND - we are now looking at the semi-final of the CL without a recognised left back at the club, a whole lot of right-back's, one of which he paid 18m for, but not a left back in sight, after he sold Bridgey, albeit it for an over inflated price.

So all in all, I'm glad Guus came in when he did, cause we'd be cooked without him.

Bluenut

He was only here for a short while, but for me the damage he did to the club was almost catastrophic, and I'm glad we parted company when we did.

First of all one of the most respected assistant managers in the EPL, who had a big hand in us winning the title two successive years running, was fed up with putting the cones out and left for pastures new. I don't know what went on behind the scenes but I don't think Clarke was given credit to perform certain duties or shown any respect he deserved by Scolari.

He alienated argueable the best forward in the world, telling us he couldn't play with Anelka. (just check our last two results against big 4 clubs Scolari, then check your own record. You couldn't have got it more wrong Phil).

He sold - NO - gave away! our back up keeper, who was probably tired of the trainging methods used to turn Cech from worlds No1 to something that resembles a jellyfish on a washing line. Cech lost alot of confidence under Scolari's management and his zonal marking, and we're still seeing the effects to this day. Perhaps he would be on his toes if Carlo was still breathing down his neck.

AND - we are now looking at the semi-final of the CL without a recognised left back at the club, a whole lot of right-back's, one of which he paid 18m for, but not a left back in sight, after he sold Bridgey, albeit it for an over inflated price.

So all in all, I'm glad Guus came in when he did, cause we'd be cooked without him.

Bluenut

Oh and there's a liitle matter of a 4 year unbeaten home record he helpd to piss up the wall,l not even Grant managed that, World cup winner or not.

Agree with most of that, though to be fair we dont really know who let Carlo and Bridgey go.

Just goes to show what a great job Guus has done to rebuild the sqauds confidence in such a short space of time

p.s. Carlo must feel a bit stupid now going to them only to sit on their bench to a far inferior keeper

great post Bluenut - agree with all of it.

Bluenut - I agree totally with all of that with relation to Scolari, but he's gone now. You gotta let it go mate.

kev

p.s. Carlo must feel a bit stupid now going to them only to sit on their bench to a far inferior keeper

..and must be on less of a wage with it.

Totally agree with your post Bluenut. While he doesn't deserve 'hate' thrown his way, he did pretty much f**k it all up after starting so well.

My thought is, with a new manager due, will Chelsea go through all of it again. At Christmas deciding the new man isn't getting anywhere and we then have to look out for another manager.

In the recent years, we have only had two managers with a plan B, Jose and Guus! If either of these are not with us next season, I hope the same 'Scolari mistake' isn't made again with someone else.

I think it's too easy to blame all of that on the manager. He didn't want Clarkie, most managers bring their own backroom staff with them into a job so what was he supposed to do with a coach that he didn't know or trust? I agree I'd like Clarke to still be here but the manager doesn't have to use someone just because of club ties.

Bridge, I think most of us at the time thought it was the right thing to do, okay we could do with him against Barca but that's just bad luck. And I doubt if it was Scolari's decision.

Carlo, don't know why he chose to leave but agree we could do with him at the moment (although I think he's a long way past his best), might have been partly because of Scolari.

Zonal marking, was crap and totally Scolari's choice - a bad mistake.

Alientating Drogba, Drogba had been asking for a slap from someone for ages (I wish Terry had done it), so to get a bit of a knock down from Scolari was justified in my book - he didn't want to play for the team, the club or the manager but only one party was prepared to stand up to him.

Cech, don't know if it was Scolari or *unt or a mixture of both but re-building his confidence is something that even Guus hasn't been able to do yet!

The home record, well Scolari wasn't anywhere near the right man for the job. He had no idea how to manage a top premiership team and it cost us dearly - more the lost points than the lost record.

But in spite of everything he was kinda cute!

In the recent years, we have only had two managers with a plan B, Jose and Guus! If either of these are not with us next season, I hope the same 'Scolari mistake' isn't made again with someone else.

I'm with you, Mod. We can't afford yet another c*ckup. Kenyon (or whoever it is who find our managers) have to really do their homework this time. They need to know exactly what kind of manager they'll get and what he (or she) can do.

What we need is:

1. A manager who can stay for awhile. We need to get stability and have someone stay for atleast 5 years (hopefully more).

2. A manager who knows how to lead a club (not a national team) to success.

3. A manager who not only is there during games, but also organize everything around the team (training, transfers, staff etc.) and does it well.

4. A manager who has a plan B and maybe even a plan C. A crap first half needs to become a great 2nd half.

5. A manager who has authority. Hiddink has it and José has it and they are probably the ones who has had most success with Chelsea recently.

6. A manager who has the respect and trust of Roman. Though I guess that's something they'll have to work on unless they already know eachother.

7. A manager who isn't afraid to do the unexpected. Try different stuff if necessary. Play 4-3-3 in one game and then perhaps 4-4-2 in the next.

8. A manager who isn't afraid to give youngsters a chance. We have some interesting players (though perhaps not a future superstar) that might do well.

I guess there's more but I can't think of anything else at the moment.

Edited April 20, 200916 yr by The Moos

Bluenut - I agree totally with all of that with relation to Scolari, but he's gone now. You gotta let it go mate.

kev

It may have been a post on Scolari's misgivings, but on the flip side it shows what a fantastic job Hiddink has done to gel the team in such a short space of time. But no back up keeper, and no back up left back could still come back to haunt us. Let's just hope Guus has something up his sleeve for Barca away.

Scoalri f*cked up but so did Chelsea. They were behind letting Clarke go, it wasnt just Scolari's decision.

£12m for bridge - yes please! That was a nice little fee. Yes we are without a left back against barcelona but it was said Messi finds it hard playing against a right footed left back so would Bridge have played anyway or would it have been Ivanovic?

Dont forget beginning of the season, everyone was talking Chelsea were on a role. Completely smashed Portsmouth apart and thats before they sold people and Redknapp went!

Deco scored that goal against James which was crazy and they were talking about the best signing. He went on to play well but form dropped big time!

Anelka is top scorer of Premier League - not sure if he scored under Hiddink but he deffo liked playing with Scolari as played more.

Now Im not supporting Scolari, but I just dont think its all Scolari.

I agree with above though, we need a manager that is in for the long running - we need to build up the team. Let the likes of Sinclair and Mancienne go on loan and earn their way into the team rather than keep buying. We need to develop some youngsters. Di Santo also looks like he will be good in the future

Agree with that on the most part. I was thinking about this the other day, and it scares me how massively incompetent Scolari was.

Do you reckon we'd have won the league if Hiddink had been here since Day 1?

Do you reckon we'd have won the league if Hiddink had been here since Day 1?

Its an interesting question. If they win the game in hand we are 7 points behind Man Utd - i have to say it would be close.

There is no way we would have got just one point from 5 games against Utd, Scouse and Arse.

And i suspect we wouldve picked up more than 4 points in our home games against Spurs, Hull , West Ham Newcastle.

But its all ifs and buts though. Easy to say now but i think we would have been very very close to Utd and certainly above Scouse. Scolari had one way of playing and no plan b, Hiddink is the opposite.

I really hope we can keep him.

As others have said it was the way our home record went and then the home form dropped that hurts so much about his reign.

Credit it the powers that be at Chelsea (for once) they called it so right. I suspect if he were still here we would be fighting Everton and Villa for 4th place and thats what they thought as well. The thought of us going to Anfield and winning so confortably under Scorlari is laughable. Champions League semi , FA Cup Final , nothing but pipe dreams in January. Hiddink has saved our season.

And some.

I'm with you, Mod. We can't afford yet another c*ckup. Kenyon (or whoever it is who find our managers) have to really do their homework this time. They need to know exactly what kind of manager they'll get and what he (or she) can do.

What we need is:

1. A manager who can stay for awhile. We need to get stability and have someone stay for atleast 5 years (hopefully more).

2. A manager who knows how to lead a club (not a national team) to success.

3. A manager who not only is there during games, but also organize everything around the team (training, transfers, staff etc.) and does it well.

4. A manager who has a plan B and maybe even a plan C. A crap first half needs to become a great 2nd half.

5. A manager who has authority. Hiddink has it and José has it and they are probably the ones who has had most success with Chelsea recently.

6. A manager who has the respect and trust of Roman. Though I guess that's something they'll have to work on unless they already know eachother.

7. A manager who isn't afraid to do the unexpected. Try different stuff if necessary. Play 4-3-3 in one game and then perhaps 4-4-2 in the next.

8. A manager who isn't afraid to give youngsters a chance. We have some interesting players (though perhaps not a future superstar) that might do well.

I guess there's more but I can't think of anything else at the moment.

And Hiddink has all of that, especially number 4 - 4-4 anyone?

Agree with that on the most part. I was thinking about this the other day, and it scares me how massively incompetent Scolari was.

Do you reckon we'd have won the league if Hiddink had been here since Day 1?

Looking at our form, we'd definitely be right up there in first or at the most a point behind. But then again, we'd only be a point behind had we not lost to Spuds.