The HTML is still warm on the press statement released by Chelsea FC this afternoon after they dismissed manager Luiz Felipe Scolari with immediate effect after which they pointed to the recent string of results and performances being 'deteriorating at a key time in the season'.
In addition Chelsea said 'In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now', and perhaps there is some validity to that claim after they drafted in Avram Grant to replace Jose Mourinho last season. However this is wholly different to the situation with Grant, who took the club's title battle with Manchester United down to the wire. Grant also took Chelsea to the Champions League final in Moscow where they held the Old Trafford club for 120 minutes before having their fate decided by penalties and a banana-footed John Terry. Despite this, Avram was given his marching orders and Roman Abramovich brought in Scolari.
As with Grant before him, disappointment and sympathy will be felt for Scolari in this situation but will there be any sadness felt for Chelsea? Not a chance. If the Emirates stadium is one of the reasons why football has gone to the dogs then Chelsea Football Club is the epitomy of the shambles that football is in in the 21st century. In an age where Sky, Setanta and Soccer AM rule the roost, the money men reign supreme and since Abramovich's buyout of the club in 2003, Stamford Bridge has seen an influx of the hangers on, the fickle and City-trading yuppies. Desperate to improve the atmosphere, the Russian oligarch's yes men gave out free flags at the start of the season to every seat at the Bridge and encouraged the 'fans' to wave the flags. A similar exercise was used against Liverpool in their Champions League semi final second leg. Whilst those assembled on the Kop of a Saturday afternoon are prompted by Gerry Marsden's dulcet tones booming out of the speakers at Anfield, Chelsea were prompted by a pitch side 'MC' who even counted the supporters in for their waving ahead of the semi final. "1...2...3...WAVE!" he bellowed. Quite simply, it was pathetic and small-time; akin to the antics of a lower league club experiencing their fifteen minutes in the spotlight. This is what Chelsea are - spoilt little rich kids who are pretending to be bigger than they really are. One day they will come unstuck as Leeds United did and invariably the same death knell Manchester City are predicted to endure in the not too distant future.
But onto Scolari's dismissal. Was it due to internal politics between the board and the dugout? No. Was it due to the team's performances as the club statement read? No. Was it that the manager was not good enough to manage in the Premiership? No. It was all because of this:
Scolari was dismissed because of fan power. The theatre-goers at Stamford Bridge were not content that Chelsea were not running away with the game and registering a 3-0 scoreline before half time so they booed and held up a makeshift banners. Perhaps they should consider that it took two season for Liverpool supporters to resort to such actions against Gérard Houllier during a barren spell on all fronts that showed no signs of improvement. Houllier was given his marching orders at the end of that season because the general consensus was that he had taken the club as far as he could and that it was time for a change. Sadly, Chelsea will never understand the concept of loyalty or persistence with a manager because as soon as things get even slightly difficult they offload said manager. Having one of the world's richest men at the helm does not guarantee your club the character traits of a normal, working class club. No doubt the supporters that where around in 1982 when the club was in severe dire straits will no doubt be wishing for a return to those days as they witness the latest act in the pantomime that is Chelsea FC.
