Love him or hate him, Sir Alex Ferguson is the envy of the football world in many respects. Knighted for his services to the game, Sir Alex holds an astonishing record of managing Manchester United for 24 years, winning 12 league titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles in the process.
It is a legacy that every manager dreams of creating, and the new boss at Chelsea, Andre Villa-Boas, is no different. But since Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich purchased the London based club, the Blues have been placed on a ruthless path to success.
The revolving door
Comparisons have been drawn between the new boss at Stamford Bridge, and his former mentor, the self proclaimed ‘Special One,’ Jose Mourinho.
The two men worked closely together at Chelsea and Inter Milan before Villa-Boas went to make a name for himself at two Portuguese clubs, firstly Academica and more recently Portuguese giants, Porto. Mourinho also staked his claim to fame at Porto, famously winning the UEFA Champions League over Monaco in Germany with the club.
If the comparisons with Mourinho continue however, Villa-Boas will find himself without a job after only a couple of seasons. The ‘Special One’ is considered one of the best managers in the world, but even he was sent through the revolving door at Stamford Bridge.
Predecessors
Following Mourinho out through the revolving door has been Avram Grant – who was one John Terry spot kick away from winning the UEFA Champions League in Moscow. Next was Luis Felipe Scolari, given just half a season before being sacked, with Dutch master, Guus Hiddink, stepping in for the remainder of the campaign. Most recently was the tenure of Carlo Ancelotti, who did the domestic double in his first season, before being sacked for a trophyless second term.
Fans could be forgiven for not being quite capable of comprehending the brutal sackings that have taken place in London, as the club’s number one shot-stopper, Petr Cech, also cannot understand it.
“It is hard to explain why it is the way it is at Chelsea sometimes. But now we have a young manager, who can hopefully stay for 25 years like Ferguson at Manchester United,” said Cech. “It would be great to have that continuity here,” Cech added.
The real number one
In some respects, what Cech meant when he said; “it is hard to explain why it is the way it is at Chelsea sometimes,” – is that it’s hard to explain the decisions of owner Abramovich from time to time.
The Russian oligarch is the real number one at Stamford Bridge, as it is on his whim that funds will or will not be available for the manager. It is on his orders that a player will be acquired, as Mourinho learnt when Andriy Shevchenko was thrust upon him.
Villa-Boas recently told the press that Chelsea will not be involved in rushed purchases, and that he desires a more methodical approach to the transfer market. But Chelsea only operate with one methodology in the transfer market – the Abramovich methodology.
Ashley Cole echoed Petr Cech’s comments that it is time Chelsea had a manager for the long-haul – their own Sir Alex Ferguson. The fans also seem fed up with the constant arrivals and departures of managers at their club every other season.
But the facts speak for themselves. The managerial job at Stamford Bridge is a short term one. The manager does not have the decisive call on transfers at the Blues, the owner does. If Villa-Boas is to stay for an extended period then as critical as results are, his relationship with Abramovich will almost be as equally as important.
Can Andre Villa-Boas be a success and build a dynasty at Chelsea?
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