West Ham relegated, Avram Grant sacked...Chelsea finished 2nd behind champions Manchester United..Carlo Ancellotti sacked quicker than Grant.
The above statement will scare the hell out of you but yes, this is the harsh reality of teams which demand quick results. Result, 2nd is not good enough.
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| Ancelotti Out.. Whose Next Roman? |
With the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea's present has been put into the dark till they can find a replacement for him. But why was he sacked? Was this really needed when the team came back and finished 2nd after a disastrous mid season during which Chelsea threatened to finish outside the top four. Certainly there are things to ponder about..
Carlo Ancelotti was brought to Chelsea at a time when the team needed to build after having stop gap managers (or yeah long term managers who were made to look like stop gap ones) the tactics of who were temporary and didn't yield long term results. Roman Abramovich chose Carlo Ancelotti over others for his results in Europe which yielded two trophies at Milan. Roman's obsession with the Champions League was the most important criteria for Ancelotti landing at Stamford Bridge. And it was a dream season for the manager, first time in England winning the the Community Shield and the double(League+FA Cup) thus halting Manchester United's hatrick of league titles. There was no complaints in the first season except that Chelsea couldn't progress beyond the quarters of the Champions league where they lost to eventual champions Inter Milan. A successful first season promised greater glory for Ancelotti and Chelsea. But fate wouldn't let that happen. After a brilliant start to Ancelotti's 2nd season where Chelsea threatened to run away with the title a mid season dip cost them not only the premier league title but also the league cup, the Fa cup and most importantly the Champions League. Chelsea seemed to have been transported back to the dark age and a final day defeat to Everton was the final nail in the coffin for a man who was destined to resurrect Chelsea's success.
Did he deserve the way he was treated?
The sacking of Ancelotti set new standards of ruthlessness.However if observed this has been the way Chelsea has been going about their business since the takeover by Roman Abramovich and it was no different with Ancelotti. Raneiri, Mourinho, Grant, Scholari, Ancelotti and this list will grow on as long as Abramovich is up there. And the fuel which added to the sacking was Chelsea's dismal season, trophyless for the first time in the "Roman" era. This raises the question once again, does one poor season deserve a sacking. According to Roman, it is a big yes. He must have made his up mind the day Chelsea lost against Manchester United in the Champions League without a fight.. He has equated football success to 'fast food' which if undelivered is gonna drive you out of Stamford Bridge. And this is exactly what Ancelotti got, his marching orders immediately after the game at Goodison park , the result of the game certainly summing it all up.
I have still have not answered if Carlo Ancelotti deserved the way he treatment he was meted out. Popular opinion is against Abramovich's decision and I do agree with that. Failure in not able to add silverware in one season was not a good enough decision to sack him but the owner thought otherwise. Jose Mourinho would better understand what Carlo Ancelotti might be going through as he too suffered a similar fate back in 2007. Ancelloti was brought to the club to fulfill Abramovich's obsession with the Champions League and 2 years of poor showing is the sure reason for Ancelotti's exit. And without doubt he is not gonna be the last one.
A new man is soon gonna take charge at Stamford Bridge and he surely has to come with the knowing that failure to deliver success is going to point him to the door. There cannot be two ways about it till Chelsea has Abramovich at helm. Will this thought drive away the best managers from taking up a job at Chelsea or will they view this as a challenge which not if enhancing their resume will surely add to their personal satisfaction. It certainly is a cat and mouse game for the new manager. Hopefully he would remember to bring "success" along with him .. ;)
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