Also, Here's a Present.

Okay, my friend just sent me this.

An AVB rap song that was made months ago (the guy who made it knew that the sacking was inevitable and waited until yesterday to publish it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRf_7e74baM&list=UUsR1SPQ54URoB5_elm34_Cg&index=1&feature=plpp_video

It's just amazing. Actually couldn't stop laughing.

Also this:

http://www.youtube.com/user/fitbathatba?feature=watch

And just his entire channel. It's all gold.

André Villas-Boas Has Been Sacked!

Well, that's it.

André Villas-Boas, our 34-year old, skinny-tie-wearing, touchline-squatting manager has been sacked by Chelsea chairman Roman Abramovitch after only 256 days, 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 16 seconds of being in charge (courtesy of http://www.hasandrevillasboasbeensackedyet.com/). And there's nobody who can say that it was a complete shock, considering Abramovitch's track record (this is the 8th manager he's gone through since he became chairman, 9 years ago), and the team's run of poor form throughout the season.

André Villas-Boas

The last straw for Abramovitch was Chelsea's 1-0 loss to West Brom on Saturday. Shortly before the game, AVB had issued a statement expressing how he would "never" resign from his position, and also stated: "Am I the right man for the job? Yes. I wouldn't have taken it if I didn't think that." He also revealed that he was unsure about whether he still had Abramovitch's backing after winning only 3 games out of the last 11, in all competitions. 

The official statement made by Chelsea FC reads: "André Villas-Boas has parted company with Chelsea. The board would like to record our gratitude for his work and express our disappointment that the relationship has ended so early.  Unfortunately the results and performances of the team have not been good enough and were showing no signs of improving at a key time in the season. The club is still competing in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup, as well as challenging for a top-four spot in the Premier League, and we aim to regain as competitive and possible on all fronts. With that in mind, we felt our only option was to make a change at the time." 

Now, here's the big question: was firing AVB a good idea?

Answer: it's complicated. While I didn't agree with many of his managerial decisions, I do think that Roman Abramovitch needs to get out of the habit of expecting instant results from his managers. AVB (like every manager) needs time to grow into his role. That being said, it seems that he had lost control over the dressing room, alienated many of the first team, and has made more than a few questionable decisions during key games. So while I may agree that AVB and Chelsea (similarly to Torres and Chelsea) were not a very good fit (and therefore maybe Abramovitch was correct in his decision), I do believe that the next manager who takes the reigns at Stamford Bridge should be alloted time to actually grow into their role. A major problem that I do have with AVB getting fired, however, is the fact that much of the team's poor form could mainly be attributed to the players themselves. The entire team (with the exception of a few key players (Mata and Sturridge)) has essentially been in a season-long slump. And while there are definitely certain players whose runs of poor form are more obvious than others, the fact of the matter is that the entire team has been underperforming. I mean, this is Chelsea. We shouldn't be challenging for a top-four spot, we should be right up there with Spurs, Man Utd, and Man City! However, when a team plays poorly, someone has to be blamed, and that someone is always the manager. 

Another big question: who will be the next Chelsea manager?

Answer: Not sure (wow, I'm doing really well with the definitive answers, eh?). It could be José Mourinho (you may remember him as the man who attempted to gouge out the eye of Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova); it could be Rafa Benítez (you may remember him as the man who brought Liverpool glory, and then almost single-handedly erased that glory), it could be Guus Hiddink (you may remember him as the man who was found guilty of tax fraud), or it could be Pep Guardiola (you may remember him as the man who was accused of doping charges (although the charges were later reversed upon appeal in 2007)). While each one does have a bit of controversy (who doesn't?), all four are, in truth, brilliant managers who have all brought fame to their respective teams. It's a magnificent credit to each of them that they've all managed to make names for themselves as some of the best managers in the world (or, in certain cases, some of the greatest managers in football history).

Here's a rundown on each of the potential candidates:

Rafa Benítez:

Currently unemployed, Rafa Benítez has managed 7 teams in his lifetime, with the most notable success being at Liverpool, where he won the Champions League in the 2004-2005 season, as well as the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and the UEFA Super Cup. However, in his last season at the club, he began to make a successive string of questionable decisions, which put him at odds with the board, the players, and the fans. He criticized his own players and sold Xabi Alonso, arguably his side's best player, to Real Madrid. That season, Liverpool finished in 7th and did not advance past the group stages in the Champions League, creating Liverpool's worst run in 22 years. In early June that year (2010), his contract was terminated "by mutual consent."Personally, I would much prefer to see any of the other candidates manage Chelsea than Benítez. His track record suggests that he does not know how to deal with tough situations and make complex decisions (and a Chelsea manager certainly needs to understand how to do these well), and he also seems to lose his head a bit when his team is in poor form (which is a terrible quality to have, especially for a Chelsea manager). Honestly, I'm not expecting Benítez to take the reigns at Chelsea, mainly because he hasn't already been appointed as manager. Since he is currently unemployed, one would think that, if Abramovitch knew he was going to fire AVB, he would have a plan to immediately instate Benítez as manager. However, since Di Matteo has become the interim manager, it seems extremely unlikely that Benítez will take charge at the end of the season.

Guus Hiddink:

As a previous caretaker manager of Chelsea (after Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked in February 2009), he managed the team (while also managing the Russian national team) for the remainder of the season in 2009. Under his tenure, he only lost once (to Tottenham) in all competitions, took Chelsea to the semifinal of the Champions League (where they drew twice to Barcelona but were eliminated on away goals), and won the FA Cup in his final game as Chelsea manager. When he was originally asked to become the interim manager for Chelsea, it was always known that he would leave after the end of the season, yet after the FA Cup victory, fans were chanting "sign him up," and many Chelsea players, including Michael Ballack, Petr Cech, and John Terry, asked him to stay on as manager. He told them that his duty first lay with the Russian national team. Due to the players' admiration for Hiddink, they gave him a parting gift of an engraved watch and a Chelsea jersey signed by the entire team. To this day, he has expressed that winning the FA Cup with Chelsea, although a relatively minor competition, has been one of his greatest achievements. Honestly, I would love to see Guus back – many of the squad that he once coached is still there, and he knows how to manage them. He currently manages big-spending Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala, and has about a year left on his contract. 

Pep Guardiola:

The 41-year old Barcelona manager has arguably been the most successful Barcelona manager ever, with an average win ratio of 72.37%. Last year, he was awarded the FIFA Ballon D'Or in the Best Coach category, and has successively won the La Liga Coach of the Year award for 2009, 2010, and 2011. He has also won numerous other awards and honours that I'm not going to list here (because there are way too many). He is out of contract at Barcelona this summer, and it's unlikely that he'll be staying on as manager next season. If he's looking for another world-class team of which to take control, Chelsea might be a good option for him. 

José Mourinho:

Having managed Chelsea previously from 2004-2007, "The Special One" would be the perfect choice for the new Blues manager. He posted an incredible 70.81% win record at Chelsea, with 131 wins, 36 draws, and only 18 losses during his tenure. Having brought prolific success to almost every club he has ever managed (including Porto, Chelsea, Inter, and Real Madrid), he has won the FIFA Ballon D'Or for Best Coach in 2010, as well as numerous other awards (too many to list). He won the Premier League twice with Chelsea, as well as the FA Cup, the Community Shield, and the League Cup. He went on a 150-game unbeaten streak at home (38 with Porto, 60 with Chelsea, 38 with Inter, and 14 with Real Madrid) before it finally ended in April 2011). His contract was terminated in 2007 due to prolonged altercations with Abramovitch. He has remained in contact with quite a few of the players at Chelsea, and has since patched up his stormy relationship with Abramovitch. He is a shrewd buyer in the transfer market, and frequently plays mind games with other managers. However, like most managers, he is not without his controversy. He has been known to make a number of outspoken comments, occasionally attempt to gouge out an eye, and, most famously, ask two of his own players to get themselves red cards during the penultimate group stage match of the Champions League, thus forcing them to miss the next match (which did not matter anyway, because Madrid would have come first in the group regardless), and allow them to enter the Round of 16 with their yellow card total reset to zero. While UEFA charged Mourinho and the players with "improper conduct," I actually thought that his strategy was brilliant. Maybe not the most ethical, but in all truth it made complete sense. Mourinho has stated that he is likely to return to the Premier League in the summer, and his options are Spurs (which is very possible, since Harry Redknapp is likely to be off coaching England), Man Utd (which I think is unlikely, considering my theory that Fergie is going to manage until he dies), or Chelsea (which I would absolutely love).

P.S. Here are two videos of Mourinho's brilliant (and I don't mean that sarcastically) plan to get his own players red cards. It's so slick, it's just amazing:

Mourinho instructing his players. He talks to Xabi Alonso as well as Jerzy Dudek (reserve keeper), who then tells Iker Casillas, who then pulls Sergio Ramos into a hug and tells him the plan. 

The execution of the plan. Result: a red card for Xabi Alonso and a red card for Sergio Ramos. 

Chelsea's assistant manager, Roberto Di Matteo, has been appointed as the interim manager until the end of the season. His first match is the FA Cup replay against Birmingham on Tuesday. Hopefully our form will pick up and we'll advance to the next round. 

Cheers, 

~Matt