Chelsea's Managerial Merry-Go-Round: And Another One Di Matteo Bites the Dust

Photo: Six months ago. Today: .... sacked.

The only thing that shocked me about RDM’s abrupt dismissal is that it did in fact catch me by surprise. On many levels, and by many, I do mean all here - there was no way that Di Matteo was ever going to remain a permanent fixture at Stamford Bridge. Not that he’s not deserving of his time to shine, but it’s just not how the club is going to operate under Roman Abramovich. We all learned it as quickly as it took Roman to say Ranieri’s name.

And if I’m being honest, I had my own questions about the tactical nous that Di Matteo possessed for the long term success of the club. There’s a bit of guess work and a lot of luck certainly helped Chelsea achieve the heights that they did under the club legend. Maybe I didn’t want to get too attached to him in the role to avoid the shock of this morning’s chop. 

That being said, and despite my own hesitations, I was fully behind Di Matteo and think that a big f*ck off shiny European trophy with bonus FA Cup success should be more than enough to keep the man until the end of his contract. It wasn’t a ridiculous Pardew sized contract - but a short and sweet one to give a little stability to a club very clearly in transition. 

RDM is a man the club so desperately need to be at their forefront right now and they’ve blown it. Not just because he’s a club legend and keeps the supporters content, but he’s got a fantastic demeanor with the press. He oozes cool even when he’s rocking up in a tracksuit. A beacon of class at any given time. This man has had to navigate some serious drama from Terry to Clattenburg. He even managed to stay cool when news broke of Ashley Cole’s Tw*t-gate ... in the middle of his press conference!

The timing is all a bit desperate. Yes, the results recently have not been good. But the injuries and suspensions have been at the forefront of most of those results. Di Matteo has had to cobble together starting XI’s from a very limited squad. A squad full of youth and new faces. Any manager, no matter who they are, would struggle to maintain positive results. And at this point, Chelsea are all but out of the Champions League needing to win their own match and hope that Juventus somehow lose to a Donetsk team that will be surely be made up of some club stewards and grounds crew rather than anyone from their first team. The interim manager will not be able to do much about CL progression - and would have to focus on domestic glory instead.

It also appears that Roman Abramovich has singlehandedly revolutionised the role of caretaker manager. And with the success he has seen with these transient managers in place, it makes it even more predictable that he would twist rather than stick. With his most recent success being one Di Matteo. Two FA Cups, two Champions League final berths and of course the elusive trophy itself. Caretaking is where its at for Roman. Like two turntables and a microphone.

RDM: Making management look this cool

It’s been evident for ages that Pep Guardiola is Roman’s white whale. He’s the manager who he’s always wanted. A man who brought style and success to Barcelona. And although every sentimental bone in my body would rather see Robbie still there, Guardiola isn’t really Abramovich’s worst idea. His worst idea is about to descend upon SW6 like Sandy hit NYC....

It appears that not only has a club legend been unceremoniously stripped of his position a mere SIX MONTHS after winning the Champions League and FA Cup ... but arguably one of the least popular managers to grace the opposing bench could be the man left to take charge of Chelsea until Pep comes off MTV’s Road Rules. Rafa Benitez will never be welcomed by the support. Saying he's a bit unpopular with Chelsea supporters is like saying Joey Barton is a bit mischievous or Peter Herbert might not mind media attention. In fact, Rafa's presence, if it happens ahead of this weekend’s fixture with City could lead to a complete meltdown of social media from the over use of the phrase “that awkward moment”. 

No one could cut a more unpopular figure at the helm than Rafa Benitez. Forget Kean-Out campaign chickens on the pitch, the level of abuse towards the manager would be vitriolic. If the logic to bring in Rafa is that he gets the best out of Torres is used - forget it. This is the man who broke him by continually playing him through injury for him to never heal properly. He’s taken charge of European Champions in the past and drove them to mid table. The constant tinkering, the terrible purchases. This man signed Robbie Keane for £19M! and there is a transfer window looming ... 

Roberto Di Matteo will always be a Chelsea legend. As a player. As a manager. As a man. He brought class, dignity and could rock a D&G suit making Chelsea’s technical area the coolest around. His sacking was premature and cynical. But not unexpected. 

*********

On another note, Roman, I’d be happy to send over my CV and qualifications. I'll be sure to get Torres to perform.

jb x