Villas Boas (EX) Chelsea manager

[Shaggy]

Yep they did.

[Chazza]

Didn't Bascombe and Rafa have a falling out?

Seem to remember articles from him sticking the knife in after he left the Echo?

[Chris]

Bascombe is a muppet. Not really much point in sacking him with so little left of the season anyway, might aswell wait till the summer where more/better candidates would be available.

[Shaggy]

Blimey.

[Muddled]

Chelsea need Rafa Benitez's tactical genius to clean up mess created by Andre Villas-Boas

If the first emergency phone call from Roman Abramovich is to Rafa Benitez, a swift second should be made to his former number two at Liverpool, Pako Ayesteran.

Should Chelsea benefit from the Benitez who arrived alongside an expert backroom team at Anfield in 2004, they will find a remedy to the catastrophic mishaps they’ve suffered recently. If they’re thinking of appointing the one who left after an acrimonious few years in 2010, the divisions currently visible at Stamford Bridge will eventually broaden to the size of the Grand Canyon.

Benitez has spent too long away from football, and it is inconceivable one of the game’s deepest thinkers has not evaluated why so many lesser coaches have taken jobs while he’s been ignored. That Andre Villas-Boas was ever recruited before him at Stamford Bridge didn’t make a lot of sense based purely on experience and track record, so in many ways an error may soon be rectified.

The oversight certainly had nothing to do with coaching ability. If Chelsea appoint Benitez - and it is believed to be '75 per cent certain' they will - they are taking on a master strategist. There will be no more post-match inquests into tactical incompetence, while analysis of defensive ineptitude will disappear within weeks. Chelsea fans will be immediately reacquainted with the Jose Mourinho era, when the beauty of a hard-fought, highly efficient 1-0 win was more fully understood and appreciated.

For three years, Benitez transformed Liverpool. In 2005, he led what many considered a deeply flawed squad to Champions League triumph, allowing previously comic characters such as Igor Biscan and Djimi Traore to leave as ultimate winners.

In many ways, what he did a year later was more impressive. A new look squad collected 82 points and won the FA Cup, beating Mourinho’s most formidable Chelsea in the semi-final again.

It only started to go wrong after the third year – the 2007 Champions League final - when his right hand man, Ayesteran, followed other previous close confidants (who’d also triumphed with Benitez at Valencia) out the door. Ironically, one of the reasons they fell out is because Benitez thought Ayesteran wanted to go to Chelsea. If the pair could be reunited now, a partnership which has echoes of the Brian Clough-Peter Taylor partnership, would transform Chelsea into potential Premier League winners again.

Bereft of sound counsel, Benitez became more obsessed with politics than football in his latter years at Anfield. Although he fought Manchester United for the title in 2009, it was an erratic, unstable period.

A lot of that, it must be said, wasn’t his fault. The ownership of Tom Hicks and George Gillett took its toll on everyone at Liverpool. A fair proportion of it undoubtedly was down the Benitez, however, and for his next employers’ sake he must have come to realise the mistakes as he opened the doors of his Wirral home to the media in an effort to alter perceptions. At the very least, he must have often wondered how on earth he’d allowed circumstances to develop where he could lose his job to Roy Hodgson.

If he gets the call, Benitez is clever and pragmatic enough to know he will need to revert to his former self to succeed at Chelsea. He’ll need to work with senior players rather than alienate them like Villas-Boas has done. John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, in the short-term at least, will need to be allies if an arrangement is to become permanent.

Benitez has more chance of anyone of repairing Fernando Torres. Their relationship deteroriated at Anfield too in the final season, but there’ll be mutual benefit in forgetting that to revive each others’ career.

As a short-term fix, Benitez and Chelsea can work. Longer-term, for any manager to succeed at Stamford Bridge, there will come a point where the Terrys, Lampards and Drogbas will have to be subservient to the will of the manager.

Benitez would relish that battle too, and the political dynamic between the manager, dressing room and owner would be as enthralling – and ultimately possibly as debilitating - to watch in west London as it was on Merseyside.

Linkage: Telegraph

[Muddled]

If Chelsea appoint Benitez - and it is believed to be '75 per cent certain' they will - they are taking on a master strategist.

[Lee]

I'm also more sure that a lot of the people claiming he was the best thing since sliced bread had barely watched Porto played and their main ally was wiki. Not that I'm cynical or anything.

Can't believe such a thing would happen on this forum.

[RedReet]

Some of them are quite mild compared to what I can remember. I'm pretty sure that some people said us signing AVB= league title.

I'm also more sure that a lot of the people claiming he was the best thing since sliced bread had barely watched Porto played and their main ally was wiki. Not that I'm cynical or anything.

[Exiled_red]

Mehdi from London via text: "I am gutted about the news of Terry's injury, but I'm wondering if we sack AVB, I would like to see JT as player manager - would certainly do a better job!"

Please let this happen.

Although surely even Chelsea aren't stupid enough to do that

[PTP]

to be fair there was quite a few others that said similar - "it was a bit of a massive gamble" - "this could go tits up" etc

[cream]

PTP nailed it.

[Norbs]

CL know-how and ability to 'mend' Torres, primarily.

I've heard of building a team around a player but management too

Especially considering the player is hardly 'key' to their success

[PTP]

Ah ****ing hell.

A future great. Chelsea have got themselves a bargain. Get your money on Chrlsea to win the league.

If this happens, Chelsea will become exponentially more attractive to loads of top footballers - not that they're struggling to attract players anyway obviously. The only hope will be that Abramovich's boredom gets the better of him again and he starts interfering. Plus Villas Boas will bring a few class players form Porto. **** this.

This one came from nowhere and very good move for Chelsea. I can see him bringing at least 2 in Falcao, Hulk and Moutinho for next season.

I'll be gutted if this is true

Still better than him going to the Mancs, that was my nightmare

Great coup for Chelsea, be gutted if they sign Falcao or Moutinho, but be delighted if they sign that headless chicken Hulk. Surely he will bring a few with him?

he's only 33! he'll never make it

[sean_lfc]

Mehdi from London via text: "I am gutted about the news of Terry's injury, but I'm wondering if we sack AVB, I would like to see JT as player manager - would certainly do a better job!"

[Imy]

Basically the same reaction as the Chelsea fan I work with.

I'd feel sick and gutted if he ever went there. They don't deserve him.

It's be clever move on Roman's behalf, get the manager that got the most of Torres.

Rafa would tighten up their defence up and with their offensive players he'd be able to mastermind the ammunition for Torres.