Roman Finally Gets His Man (12/2/09) - The Football Blog at ChrisOnline.biz

Another week, another Premiership sacking as Portsmouth press the panic button. So when Chelsea do it, suddenly it’s front-page news... but why?!

‘Big Phil’ Scolari’s days at Chelsea had been numbered for some time, not least when Abramovic’s eyes, Frank Arnesen was spotted leisurely presiding over the recent home match against Stoke. He was there of course to check out Miroslav Stoch so said the commentators. No, Arnesen was there to see the once-dominant Chelsea side celebrate a 2-1 injury time win as if they had finally won the Champion’s Cup.

Phil Scolari is of course famous for being a father-like figure to his players, or so said Ronaldinho after Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph. This of course means being involved in every aspect and was presumably why he removed Petr Cech’s goalkeeping coach from his time at Rennes. Which may also explain Cech’s baffling loss of form. It might also shed some light on the fact why talisman, Didier Drogba didn’t like Scolari, regardless of his World Cups. He wouldn’t play to his

Head of Youth Development, Frank Arnesen

ego, which is fine as we all know how much Mourinho regarded him. It’s not so fine if the Ivorian makes up one half of the only two world-class strikers at the club.

There has been a lot of media bleating about how bad Scolari was treated but this is a results business and he will know that as well as anyone, having been responsible for providing the architecture for England’s international demise on two occasions. He had lost the dressing room for whatever reason and his only real success at club level was in Brazil.

And so the third Dutch coach to try his hand at the Premier League arrives in a blaze of glory, doing a favour for a friend apparently - a very rich friend at that. Gullit and Jol adapted well to the English scene and there is no reason why Hiddink cannot follow in their footsteps. Of course if he does, Abramovic most likely has taken heart from the situation of David Beckham at Milan. Sometimes it isn’t just about money and Hiddink won’t be worse off either way, taking bumper salaries from both his Chelsea favour and his Russian dayjob.

Whether Hiddink does well or not will mean he has to get the best out of a depleted squad where the only really world-class names of Drogba, Lampard, Terry, Cech, Carvalho and Essien are joined by the mediocre ranks of Bosingwa, Anelka, Kalou, Mikel, Ashley Cole and Alex. Add to that the misfiring and ageing Ballack and Deco and it’s clear Hiddink has a great deal of work to do. Time to reach for some Dutch courage, Guus!