Sir Alex Ferguson is assured legendary status in football and his achievements have been recognised by football fans worldwide – even those that prefer spending their days playing Football Manager than playing football.

Ferguson topped a poll carried out by Sports Interactive (makers Football Manager 2010) with 26 per cent of the vote.

Sir Alex is followed by the late, great Sir Bobby Robson (potentially a sympathy vote) with Liverpool manager Bill Shankly scored third spot and Brian Clough took fourth. Another Old Trafford legend, Sir Matt Busby, who despite Fergie’s efforts still holds the record as the longest serving Manchester United manager of all time, was voted into fifth place.

The top ten also included Sir Alf Ramsey, ‘Special One’ Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Bob Paisley with Jock Stein bringing up the rear.

The poll was taken by over 1,000 UK football fans (and is therefore should be titled ‘Greatest football managers in the UK’) – here’s the top 10 with their percentage of votes received:

Sir Alex Ferguson – 26%
Sir Bobby Robson – 14%
Bill Shankly – 9%
Brian Clough – 8%
Sir Matt Busby – 6%
Sir Alf Ramsey – 5%
Jose Mourihno – 4%
Arsene Wenger – 3%
Bob Paisley – 2%
Jock Stein – 1%

Football Manager 2010 is out in the stores on Friday 30th October and you can pre-order your copy right away.

Share your thoughts on who you think is the best football manager – past or present – in the comments below.

The latest Serie A season is now three games in and although it is of course too early to make any firm predictions, some clear markers have already been laid down.

Before the close of the window it was Juventus who took the lead as the big spenders in Italy, bringing in a number of players to strengthen the squad, not least of all the Brazilian Diego from Werder Bremen for £21.5 million. Diego has made a big splash in the Serie A pond already, and when added to the signings of Grosso, Cannavaro, Almiron and the much coveted Felipe Melo, Juventus have the look of a squad that could challenge Inter for the Scudetto – assuming they stay clear of injuries.

In the Blue and Black part of Milan, Mourinho has also been busy restructuring a team that is not only expected to win the league but also mount a genuine challenge for the Champions League crown. With the departure of Ibrahimovic to Barcelona and Eto moving in the opposite direction, Inter’s attack is a slightly different prospect this term, but with the addition of Wesley Sneijder from Real Madrid you would have to think it is no less potent.

Eto’s wonder strike for Inter at the weekend demonstrated that nicely and when coupled with the more defensive minded signings of Lucio and Thiago Motta, my money would be on Jose taking another league title this term.

So the question has to be asked what of the forgotten Milanese side? The once mighty AC Milan, owned by the ever controversial billionaire businessman and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Since Milan were docked points and missed out on the Champions League in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal the side has been a non factor both domestically and in Europe. Now the fans are getting restless. At the end of last season Carlo Ancelotti left the helm for pastures new, and the legendary ex Brazil and Milan left back Leonardo was promoted from his role with the club as a director to team Principle. Like Ciro Ferrara at Juventus, Leo has no previous managerial experience and his appointment raised more than a few eyebrows across the football world. In addition the loss of Kaka and failure to secure the services of Gourcuff, who signed a permanent contract with Bordeaux as opposed to returning to Milan from his loan spell, has left the side with fewer options than it had last term, and that was not exactly a very successful campaign by Milan standards.

Already Milan have suffered a crushing and frankly embarrassing derby defeat to Inter. Losing by four goals is not acceptable and anyone who saw the match would know that it could have been much worse. A draw at the weekend against Livorno only serves to compound the misery as Milan have only one win from four so far this season and are nestled in the ambiguity of mid table.

It is well documented that Milan failed to win a single game in pre season, and the additions of Oddo and last minute signing of Klaas Jan Huntelaar has failed to placate the Milan faithful who are all too acutely aware that the average age of their side is the very wrong side of thirty and desperately needs an injection of youth. So far Leonardo has done little to inspire confidence in his ability to grow into a top class coach, he is a nice guy and the players seem to like him, but that has not translated into results on the pitch and the sides fortunes show no signs of changing any time soon.

On paper Milan still has the quality to compete for a champion’s league spot this season, the competition in Serie A is not as fraught as in the EPL or La Liga and with the demise of Roma, with no disrespect to the Palermo’s and Florentina’s of this world, Milan should be a shoe in for third place. However there is no getting away from the fact that the team is not getting any younger. The Milanello training facility is fabled for its ability to extend a players top flight career, however age catches up to us all and I fear for Milan that the magic tonic has worn off. There is still time for the side to salvage this season, and realistically a third place finish and good showing in the domestic cup will have to do as there is no European football for Milan this time around.

There are rumours abound that Leonardo may be replaced if results do not turn quickly. I don’t think anyone would be surprised by this as I am in no doubt this Milan team has more to offer than it has shown so far this season. However this may only serve to paper over the cracks of what are more fundamental issues at Milan. The club needs to invest in the playing staff, but for political reasons the owner cannot be seen to be spending money on his play thing whilst the country he runs is struggling through a recession. It has been muted that it is for this reason Leo was handed the job as coach, given he would be less likely to rock the boat and be less demanding than a manager on more of a par with Ancelotti’s stature in the game.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar, hailed as the new Marco van Basten has yet to make the impact at Milan they had hoped for, but a goal scorer can make a tangible difference for a side, even one that isn’t firing on all cylinders so the sooner he and Pato can form an understanding the better for Milan. Ronaldinho has once again flattered to deceive. Following the departure of Kaka many had looked to the once imperial Brazilian with the most famous smile in football to lead Milan back to glory. It hasn’t happened for Ronnie or the team and alarm bells are ringing loud and clear.

Paulo Maldini’s retirement signalled the end of an era for Milan. If this new phase in the rich tapestry of the clubs history is to be a memorable one for the right reasons, some changes need to be made.. sooner rather later.

What a difference a week makes.

Seven days ago it was the red and black side of Milan who were flush with optimism, stunned at a reversal in fortunes that had seen their hopes shattered in pre-season and then steadily rebuilt in Siena.

They had witnessed the first tentative steps of the apparent rebirth of Ronaldinho, they had seen Alexandre Pato set himself up for what many to believe will be “his” season with two clinical goals, and they had seemingly allayed any fears that the ageing and aching limbs of Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta and Marek Jankulovski were a bridge that not even the confident and bullish Leonardo and the downright brash Silvio Berlusconi could cross.

Their neighbours Inter, on the other hand, were a little more withdrawn from the optimism. They had seen a summer of pre-season strengthening take place with a string of useful and big-name signings, but the same old problems seemed to persist. They lost the Supercopa to Lazio despite the presence of Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito, and they opened their Serie A defence with a tepid 1-1 draw with newly-promoted Bari at San Siro.

But a week later José Mourinho’s constant demands for more creativity in his midfield have been met, his team have picked up their first win of the season in the most emphatic of styles, and any optimism held by their neighbours has been well and truly crushed. And then stamped on repeatedly until all trace has been officially removed.

For on Saturday night, Inter beat Milan in the first Derby della Madonnina of the season. And they didn’t just beat them, they obliterated them. They extinguished any delusions held by Leonardo, Berlusconi, or any Milanista with style, panache, and cold-blooded efficiency. Four unanswered goals, first in Inter colours for Milito and Motta, a fine debut for Wesley Sneijder, and the genuine feeling that, had they wished to, they could have hit double figures. Such was the dominance enjoyed by Mourinho’s men here.

For Milan, the repercussions go beyond this game. Captain Gattuso picked up a red card of childish idiocy, as well as an ankle injury that will keep him out of Italy’s World Cup qualifiers with Georgia & Bulgaria, Ronaldinho plunged new depths in search of some consistency, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar wasn’t given a start when Milan patently need him, Pato wore the look of the lone man charged with fighting back 40ft waves armed with a lolly stick, Pirlo wore the look of a man pining for the MLS, whilst Leonardo could be forgiven for wishing he was snuggled up in the BBC studio with Mark Lawrenson. Honestly.

Milan had actually started with relative zest, Mathieu Flamini- impressive in the first half, withdrawn predictably at the break- twice gave Maicon problems down the left, whilst Ronaldinho miskicked horribly on his left foot after Pato had pulled the ball back invitingly. But that was as good as it got. Inter, and Sneijder especially, were slick, confident and devastating. Within five minutes the Dutchman had stung the palm of Marco Storari with a 25 yard drive, and before half an hour they had opened up Milan with surgical precision, and murderous intent, a fabulous passing move allowing Milito to slide in his former Genoa mate Motta for a clinically swept finish beyond an exposed Storari. The Rossoneri fell silent, the Nerazzuri sensed blood.

Rightly so, six minutes later Maicon launched a ball over the top of the inside right channel for Eto’o, who got his body in between Gattuso and ball, waited for the contact, and gleefully accepted the penalty. Milito spotted the ball, Storari tried his tricks, the ball went flying into the roof of the net. 2-0 = Game Over.

Even more so minutes later as Gattuso, infuriated by both an ankle injury, plus the sluggishness of Clarence Seedorf in preparing to replace him, piled foolishly into Sneijder on halfway, and picked up a second yellow. He left the field berating the Milan bench for their carelessness, he really should be having a little look in the mirror this morning.

Seedorf, having taken ten minutes to get his shirt on, was sent back down the touchline to warm up, and in the meantime Inter made the game safe before the half-time whistle. Maicon had looked dubious in the early exchanges as Pato and Flamini both drifted onto the Brazilian, but with Milan’s heads in the clouds, the muscular full back was able to exchange passes with Milito and drive home number three beyond Storari. Leonardo bowed his head, Mourinho looked especially pleased with himself.

His plan at the interval was baffling, removing the energy and passion of Flamini, as well as the woeful Marco Borriello, introducing Massimo Ambrosini & Seedorf. It didn’t work, although Seedorf showed glimpses of hunger and quality. Inter could have extended their lead through Sneijder and Eto’o, who saw his header ruled out for offside, long before Dejan Stanković added the finishing touches to the scoreline with a sensational 25 yarder that dipped viciously into a dazed Storari’s top left hand corner.

By this time Ronaldinho had already departed to uniform jeers, replaced by Huntelaar for an eminently forgettable Serie A debut, whilst Inter had suffered their only negative experience of the day, Motta picking up a thigh strain to be replaced by Sulley Muntari.

After Stanković’s effortless contribution, the game petered out into something resembling a training match, Júlio César smothered two Huntelaar efforts, Eto’o tried and failed to make it three in three for himself, whilst Storari earned himself the tiniest of victories with a fine save from another Stanković screamer, but on a day like this for Milan, there can be no satisfaction. They look like everything people said they were, old, tired, lazy, in need of overhaul.

With less than 48 hours till the transfer deadline, Rossoneri fans have reason to be nervous for their side’s position in the top four this season. Kaká has gone, his replacement (Gourcuff) has gone, Ronaldinho cannot be trusted on a weekly basis, and Pato cannot do it all on his own- yet. Huntelaar will add goals, he always does, but whether it will be enough is debatable.

For Inter on the other hand, there can be very little but happiness today. Sneijder’s debut gives cause for genuine excitement (more so than whispers of a swap deal involving Muntari & Jermaine Jenas), whilst the performances of Milito, Eto’o, Maicon, Stanković and the ageless Javier Zanetti show that Mourinho has a side packed with top class talent.

Europe will surely be Inter’s primary concern this year, but judging by this Serie A will be their property again come May 2010. Their director Massimo Moratti taunted his City rivals afterwards by crowing how Milan were “a warm up for Barcelona (who Inter will meet in the Champions League next month)“. He was wrong, Milan were a warm up for no-one.

Italian football has been blighted by a series of exposing scandals in recent years; Calciopoli in 2006, the Plusvalenze scandal and the murder of a Lazio fan by police in 2007 all degrading the once esteemed reputation of Serie A.

The 2008/09 season, however, did much to restore people’s faith in Italian football, a campaign free of corruption and legal accusation allowing fans to focus solely on the football on display. Followers of Serie A will be hoping that the league can consolidate the rebuilding of its respectability in 2009/10 in what is set to be one of the most interesting seasons in recent years.

Serie A for dummies
The highest level of Italian football, Serie A is home to some of the world’s most prestigious clubs including Internazionale, Juventus and AC Milan, giants of European football. The cliché goes that Italian football is sluggish and dominated by defensively-minded ideology but the reality is very different, Serie A is a veritable showcase of some of the finest, most tactically astute football the world has to offer. Indeed, a goals-per-game ratio of 2.44 is just 0.02 behind that of the Premier League, the division widely considered to be the most exciting in the world. What was that about boredom?

If Serie A were a footballer…
Paul Gascoigne. Troubled, misunderstood and beset by financial irregularities off the field; consistently beautiful to watch on it.

Last season in a Tweet
Mourinho arrives & Inter make it 4 consecutive titles. Juve & Milan 10 points off pace. Roma struggle. Torino, Reginna & Lecce all down.

Title contenders
Inter will again be favourites to claim the Scudetto, the Nerazzurri seeking their fifth title in as many years. Despite losing his maestro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Jose Mourinho has strengthened the squad by bringing in Samuel Eto’o, Aliaksandr Hleb, Lucio, Diego Milito and Thiago Motta at knock-down prices, all shrewd signings, and looks set to mount yet another strong challenge for the Serie A title with one of Europe’s strongest squads at his disposal.

Juventus, last season’s runners-up, should also be in the hunt for the title. Despite experimenting with an untested manager in the shape of alumnus Ciro Ferrera, the Biaconeri have recruited Werder Bremen’s Diego and Fiorentina’s Felipe Melo to give the side an added quality. The Turin outfit look set to embark upon the 2009/10 campaign in the best shape they have been in for years and will push Inter all the way.

AC Milan also have their sights set on the title and, like Juventus, have employed an ex-player as manager for the forthcoming season. Leonardo, who is well capable of deposing Mourinho’s as the king of dugout chic, has been installed in his first managerial post and will be hoping to improve on his team’s disappointing 3rd place finish last time around. The consistency of key players like Andrea Pirlo, Alexandre Pato and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will be central to determining the Rossoneri’s fortunes this season.

European hopefuls
Where the Premiership has it’s top four, Serie A has a distinct top three (Inter, Juve, Milan) who are usually pursued by a large group of clubs all hopeful of securing the fourth Champions League spot or a place in the Europa League. Last season it was Fiorentina who finished fourth, and they will again be in the mix for European qualification, but this season the race for European football is as much of a lottery as it has ever been.

After struggling to a disappointing 6th place last season, Roma will be keen to re-assert themselves as a Champions League force by climbing back into the top four, something of which they have so often been a part in recent years. Genoa, last season’s most improved side will also be looking to build on their 5th place finish and make the step up to the highest level of European football, as will Palermo and, particularly, Lazio, who struggled in the league last year despite winning the Coppa Italia.

Outside bet
Udinese are one of Serie A’s most improved teams of recent seasons and are always seemingly on the cusp of great things. A 7th place finish last season didn’t quite do justice to the level of football the Zebrette (little zebras) played and they’ll be looking to improve on that in the coming campaign. If Pasquale Marino’s side can improve their consistency of performance then there’s every chance they could challenge for a place in the top four and, perhaps, become a dark horse in the title race.

Relegation candidates
Bari, Parma and Livorno were all promoted from Serie B last season and all look set to struggle, Livorno perhaps being the most likely of the three to be sent straight back from whence they came. Bologna struggled last season and were only saved thanks to the superhuman efforts of Marco Di Vaio. Chievo and Catania also floundered in 2008/09 and will need to significantly improve if they’re to steer clear of another relegation scrap this season.

Joker in the pack
It has to be Sampdoria. One of the most inconsistent teams in Serie A, the Genoese side seem to be equally capable of getting relegated as they are of challenging at the top end of the table. Led by the brilliant, if mercurial, Antonio Cassano, Samp finished last season in 13th place, a disappointing return for a team who reached the top six in 2007/08. This term, as is often the case with the Blucerchiati, it is impossible to tell how they will fare.

Solid gold gaffer
Gian Piero Gasperini transformed the fortunes of Genoa last season and will be looking to build upon his side’s 5th placed finish and push on into the top four in 2009/10. After years languishing in the lower leagues and suffering from prolonged spells of mismanagement, Gasperini was appointed in 2006 and has masterminded Genoa’s return to the big time, establishing his team as one of the most consistent and attractive in Serie A.

Despite losing the substantial talents of Diego Milito and Thiago Motta (both of whom have joined Inter), Gasperini has intelligently replenished his squad with the likes of Hernan Crespo and Rodrigo Palacio as he attempts to keep Genoa challenging at the top end of the league.

The man with the golden boot
With last season’s top marksman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, having moved on to Barcelona, the race for the golden boot is as open as it ever has been this season. Ibrahimovic’s replacement at Inter, Samuel Eto’o, will be amongst the favourites to end the season with the most goals to his name, as will his potential strike partner, Diego Milito, but there are plenty of other names in the picture.

AC Milan’s Brazilian prodigy Alexandre Pato will be looking to improve on his haul of 18 goals from last season, and his new team mate, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, will be out to justify his substantial transfer fee. Other contenders include the evergreen attacking talents of Marco Di Vaio, who scored 24 goals for struggling Bologna last season, and Juve’s Alessandro Del Piero whose eye for goal has not diminished with age. You never know, if Antonio Cassano can improve his consistency and discipline, then he might even be in the running too. Stranger things have happened.

Three to watch

Hernan Crespo (Genoa) – After being frozen out at the San Siro under Mourinho, Crespo has moved to Genoa in an attempt to revive his career. Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini has a reputation for transforming the careers of ageing stars, and it would seem that the Argentinean has found a club where he will once again have a chance to show the world what a talented forward he really is as he attempts to fire Genoa into the top four. This might just be Crespo’s season.

Diego (Juventus) – The highest-profile arrival in Serie A this summer, Diego will be hoping to impress the Delle Alpi faithful with performances similar to those that made him one of the Bundesliga’s finest players during his spell with Werder Bremen. If the Brazilian can find his best form and strike up an effective midfield partnership with compatriot Felipe Melo, Juventus might well be able to look forward to enjoying a successful season.

Simon Kjaer (Palermo) – Despite having only turned professional in 2007, Danish centre-back Simon Kjaer has already made quite a name for himself on the continent. After one season playing in his native Denmark for FC Midtjylland, 20 year-old Kjaer signed for Palermo this time last year and made an instant impact, drawing praise for his performances from all sections of the Italian football media. If he can continue his good form this season then a move to a bigger club may well be on the horizon.

How do you think your team will fare in the 09/10 Serie A season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

With the recent appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Chelsea manager and the recent announcement that Andriy Shevchenko will be coming back to the Bridge now that his one-year loan deal with AC Milan has expired, there are questions being asked of what Ancelotti / Chelsea will do with the 32-year-old striker.

While Shevchenko and many Chelsea fans are not optimistic about his future at the Bridge, Sheva still has great potential to finish his career in style and justify the money that was spent on him. The article discusses the following points:

1. Why Shevchnko did not live up to his potential at Chelsea
2. How Chelsea could have made better use of the Ukrainian international
3. Why Shevchenko deserves one more season as a Chelsea starter under Ancelotti.

The time was fall of 1997 and the place was one that has become extremely familiar to Chelsea fans recently – the 98,000 capacity stadium in Barcelona – Camp Nou. The Spanish champions were taking on the 5 time Ukrainian Champions Dinamo Kiev in the Champions League group stage. After losing 3-0 to Dinamo in their hometown, Barcelona, led by Van Gaal, was looking to bounce back from their shocking defeat.

However, Barcelona had their hopes demolished by half-time after a hat trick from a phenomenal young Ukrainian – his name was Andrei Shevchenko. Would any blue-blooded Chelsea fan seriously say that they would not have wanted that Shevchenko to have played on the starting squad against Barcelona in this year’s semi-final?

Ever since Andrei Shevchenko joined Chelsea for a record transfer fee of 30 million pounds in the summer of 2006, it appeared inevitable that with such a star studded team; Chelsea would reign supreme over England and Europe. After nearly three years have passed, various pundits, analysts, and Chelsea mangers from Jose Mourinho to Felipe Scolari have leveled severe criticism about my hometown hero’s lackluster performance. However, those former Chelsea managers never used Sheva properly as they did not understand him.

First of all, in order to understand how Shevchenko operates, you must first understand Valeriy Lobanovsky, the old Dinamo Kiev manager whose unique philosophy made him the star that he eventually became. Shevchenko has stated on many occasions that he owes all of his success to his deceased old manager and he went as far as leaving his Champions League medal on his grave.

In a nutshell, Lobanovsky (a plumber by trade) was a pioneer in football theory when he became the first Soviet Manager in the 1960’s to request a computer to be used by his football club. The theory he developed was dubbed “scientific football” in which certain numerical values were assigned to each “action” in the game such as tackles, passes, and shots. (Foer 159, “How Soccer Explains the World”) and the computer would calculate each player’s “intensively” (tackles and goal shots), “activity” (tackles and passes), “error rate” (unsuccessful actions), and “effectively” (tackles, goals, assists, passes).

Lobanovsky considered the football team to be a collective (not unlike the Borg) and judged how each individual contributed to the team’s overall performance without specific positions for players. While this led to a focus on defense, it created highly disciplined teams and largely kept egos in place. He saw pace and cohesion as the keys to victory. Not only were his teams much fitter than opposing sides, the players also seemed to have a near-telepathic understanding of each other. A result perhaps of one of his favourite drills: blindfolded five-a-side matches.

When Lobanovsky took over the struggling Dinamo again in the fall of 1996, he implemented the system once again and stated that the team is a collective and not centered on individuals. Hence, the victory over the individual focused Barcelona a year later was not only due to Shevchenko’s brilliance, but each player doing their part in making the defense, the midfield, and the strikers effective.

After Shevchenko joined AC Milan in ‘99, the team, under Carlo Ancelotti (2001-2009) eventually adapted somewhat to Shevchenko’s collectively oriented style by having the team work together in an almost Christmas tree formation to get the maximum number of goals to Shevchenko and his partner up front Inzaghi. The Balon d’Or and the CL goal scoring records set by Shevchenko overlooked the fact that AC Milan, similar to Dinamo Kiev in the 1990’s was a well oiled machine that worked tirelessly on all parts of the pitch to make the team succeed. Shevchenko was simply performing his role to his best ability.

Since Roman Abramovich acquired Chelsea in 2003, his eyes were set on the brilliant striker. However, the owner of Milan, Silvio Berlusconi, who became Shevchenko’s Godfather, did everything possible to hold on to his “son” until Roman finally made the offer Silvio could not refuse – the record breaking £30.8 million pound transfer in May of 2006. At this point Roman was becoming very impatient with Mourinho’s Chelsea coming up short of winning the Champions League and decided to “help out” Jose by acquiring Ballack , Kalou and Shevchenko against the manager’s wishes. As a result, Shevchenko was in a bad situation from the start as the Chelsea midfield became destabilized while the manager was not happy to have him.

To elaborate, from 2004 to 2006 the Chelsea midfield had been very cohesive with the combination of Lampard and the Iceland international Eiour Godjohnsen, who was one of the most versatile players around as he had performed as a central-midfielder; as a right or left winger; as a holding-defensive midfielder or as a striker. He was replaced by the slower and older Ballack who just did not seem to give the necessary effort. Hence, the midfield feeding mechanism to the strikers such as Drogba, Shevchenko and Kalou had become weak. In addition, Shevchenko, in spite of being tired after Ukraine’s World Cup performance and having to go from a very mild Mediterranean climate in Milan to the cold and humid climate of England compounded the problem.

Despite all of this, Shevchenko scored in his Chelsea debut in the Community Shield in the 2-1 loss to Liverpool, and quickly delivered again in his first Premier League goal against Middlesborough. After this, Shevchenko’s exhaustion caught up with him and he fell into a bit of a drought. The back-to-back trophy-winning Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho blamed all of Chelsea’s problems on Shevchenko and benched him as a result. He went as far as saying that Shevchenko considered himself above the other players and was expecting preferential treatment. However, Jose was wrong to have Shevchenko take the blame as an individual for the collective lackluster performance of the team.

The breakdown of the locker room atmosphere at Chelsea has been well chronicled in Claude Makalele’s recent biography Tout Simplementu. “For two years at Chelsea we lived as a group of friends, dining together, getting drunk together, going to training together and winning matches together,” wrote the French international. The team resembled Lobonovsky’s vision of a collective. But then all of a sudden Mourinho broke the solidarity by treating certain players that he was instrumental in acquiring such as Drogba as stars.

The catalyst for this may have been Roman encouraging the team to play a more open and offensive oriented game, which Jose flatly refused to do. He began treating players that he perceived as being close to the Roman such as Shevchenko and Terry with contempt. Makelele was stunned that the “Special One” had forgotten to value the contribution of players and began taking credit for all success and blaming individual players for any failures. “He no longer believed that players were responsible for success but only his methods did.” In short, Jose’s ego was clouding his judgment.

In response, Roman, who was obviously good friends with Shevchenko due to a common language and perhaps not wanting to see his investment wasted, forced Jose to play Sheva. Andrei proved to be invaluable in the FA Cup when he scored the goal of the year on January 19th, 2007 against Tottenham by curling the ball into the Spurs net from an impossible angle. He would prove equally useful in the Champions League by scoring key equalizers against Valencia in the Group Stage and Porto in the Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, an untimely injury and the subsequent hernia operation would keep him out at the end of the season when Chelsea needed him most.

All in all, despite all of the problems, Shevchenko ended up having an adequate season with 14 goals, well short of his 24 goals for Milan in the award winning year of 2004 but by no means was a terrible performance as Jose implied. Shevchenko gave the following explanation: “The real problem is that I cannot find any continuity. I was doing well this season, scoring seven goals in my last 10 matches, but then I suffered a back injury. Before I am judged I would like to enjoy a decent run in the side now that I have adapted to English football. Italian football is about tactics and logic, whereas England is different, it is all about speed and instinct.”

During the summer, Shevchenko did everything he could to get back in shape and work on his speed after surgery, even going as far as training with an Olympic sprinter to bring himself up to form. Roman even brought in Avram Grant as Director of Football to help Andrei, which was interpreted by Jose’s as undermining his authority. However, the training would prove to be useful as Andrei scored the equalizing goal to prevent a humiliating loss to Rosenborg BK in the Champions League Group Game. Apparently, Jose could not stand Grant and Roman being right and left “by mutual consent” as a result. It appeared that now under Grant as head coach Shevchenko would finally shine. Unfortunately, Shevchenko only scored 5 goals in the Premier League that season and Grant appeared to have given up on him when he transferred in former gunner Nicholas Anelka to essentially take Shevchenko’s spot as backup striker, leaving Shevchenko on the bench once again.

When Scolari took over the Chelsea reigns in the summer of 2008, he promised to give Shevchenko a “fresh start” but later contradicted himself by playing Deco in his place in the season opener against Portsmouth. Shevchenko was sent on loan to Milan and has begun regained his form. His goal against England in the World Cup qualifier illustrated his resurgence.

The newly appointed Chelsea manager and Sheva’s old AC Milan manager, Carlo Ancelotti, stated that Chelsea’s mistake was that they did not use Shevchenko properly by persistently using the one-striker system with Drogba upfront rather than being more flexible and adjusting the midfield to feed the ball to two strikers (Drogba and Sheva) upfront like Milan did. In addition, Shevchenko never prospered because he never felt welcome in London – mostly because of Jose’s arrogance. The unjustified blame game under Mourinho certainly took its toll on him and likely hurt his subsequent performance.

All in all, with Drogba facing a possible 5 match ban from the Champions League, the Boys in Blue are in dire need of a second striker besides Anelka. In my humble opinion, Shevchenko could fill this role provided that the team is willing to accept him and the midfield is willing to adjust to accommodate the two striker strategy.

Why spend another 30 million pounds on Tevez or David Villa when Chelsea already has Sheva under contract and the real problem is in the midfield? Just like a roofer would not spend money on buying a customized golden drill bit when the drill battery is dead and the power cord is broken, Chelsea must fix the truly broken part of its team (midfield) rather than spending enormous sums fixing something that is working reasonably well (offense).

Despite his age of 32 (top players like Zidane, Beckham, Pele, Maldini played well into their 30’s), Shevchenko still has the skills and now has something to prove to Chelsea fans. Under Ancelotti, who understands Sheva and how to make a team play a common strategy rather than a group of individuals, Sheva may once again become the top striker we know him to be.

Sources: How Soccer Explains the World by Franklin Foer

Additional research and reporting by Mark Gallinsky.

On episode nine of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by FourFourTwo’s man in Madrid, Tim Stannard, to talk about Spanish football and La Liga.

The show will be looking specifically at Valencia and their financial woes, Tim rips into Chelsea and their negative tactics at the Nou Camp and of course there’s just the small matter of El Clasico to deal with too.

Among the points of discussion raised with Tim Stannard were:

• The UEFA Champions League semi-final ties
• Sevilla,Valencia and Villarreal, the race for third place
• Barcelona’s quest for the treble
• Transfer speculation aplenty
• El Clasico and the title race
• Plus more on top of that!

Show Details
Date: Friday 1st May 2009
Host: Stephen Darwin
Co-Host: Tim Stannard

You can listen to the show below:
Download link (mp3, 29mb, 32 mins)

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Remember to leave your feedback on the show in the comments section underneath this post or alternatively e-mail the show at: podcast@soccerlens.com. If you want to make your views heard on the podcast, make sure you email us at the above email address.

Looking back over the years, during the ownership of Roman Abramovich many Chelsea fans can be proud of what their club has achieved, and rightly they should be. However there has been one issue that has disrupted their game more than any other; not the outrageous wages or telephone-number transfer budgets but the man leading the way, the manager.

When the Russian billionaire took over Claudio Ranieri was in charge. He was popular with the fans and guided Chelsea to second in the Premiership however this wasn’t enough. Out he went and in came the much anticipated Special One.

Jose Mourinho entered Stamford Bridge with a swagger and arrogance that seemed perfectly suited to the new rich boys of English football. The Portuguese master won the League Cup and the League he went onto retain the title, won the Community Shield, he then won the FA Cup, set a new record for unbeaten league matches at home and took the club to various knockout stages of the Champions League.

Abramovich wanted more, and his differences with Mourinho didn’t help matters. Soon after conceding the title to rivals Manchester United and a not-so-exciting start to the season, the Special One decided to leave and walked away from Chelsea by mutual consent.

This left Grant to take over, who lost the League Cup final and went on to be knocked out of the FA Cup by Barnsley then lost in the Champions League final on penalties. Abramovich decided this wasn’t up to his high standards so he too had to go. In came Big Phil Scolari, the man that masterminded Brazil’s most recent World Cup title. He was brought in during the summer to high, high expectations but was sacked by February due to poor results.

That brings us to Guus Hiddink.

It has been announced today by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck that there is no chance of Hiddink staying at Stamford Bridge past the end of this season. The Dutchman has a contract with Russia and has always stated his intention to honour that after the completion of this campaign.

Many are questioning why Hiddink would not want to take up the mantle of leading one of the most powerful teams in the world. However just a quick glance back at the impeccable standard expected from the London club’s management structure would surely give a clear indication as to why Hiddink isn’t jumping over the moon at the offer.

It could be argued that considering the vast amount of money being spent on the team every year that success should rightly be demanded. However Sir Alex Ferguson, didn’t win anything in his first few years as Manchester United manager and is now the most successful boss in English football. People scoffed at Arsene Wenger when he brought in unknown youngster after unknown youngster, yet they grew into a team dubbed the unbeatables. It’s taken Rafa Benitez several years to mount a serious title challenge. Consistent success demands time, time that managers haven’t been given at Stamford Bridge.

Whoever ends up in charge of Chelsea next season has got to do something pretty special, not only win everything, but stay on the merry go round that is the world of the Chelsea manager. It’s probably not going to be Hiddink but whoever takes over can expect a lucrative contract, a heavy severance payment clause and unrealistic expectations by Roman Abramovich.

At least the next Chelsea manager can be assured of one thing – if they don’t do well, the best part of the job might be the day they get fired.

It doesn’t matter where Jose Mourinho goes these days, there always seems to be someone lurking in the dark (most likely a journalist) that’s ready and willing to jump out and make a story out of the Special One.

Consider for a minute the encounters in the past between Sir Alex Ferguson and Mourinho when he was at Chelsea. The verbal mind games between the two managers were epic battles for survival that neither wanted to lose.

So when Inter drew United in the knockout stage of the Champions League, most figured the handshake and chat between the two could potentially be the biggest story of the enounter. Mourinho’s exit stage left after the first-leg without even acknowledging Ferguson added even more fuel to the fire.

Forget the match at Old Trafford — everyone wanted to see Fergie spit flames and tell the Inter manager off after the second-leg! At least that’s what fans were hoping for.

But when the two met after the match and shared a laugh, everyone seemed to scramble for some story, any story to get Jose on the front page of their daily paper. And lo and behold, The Guardian (and every other British paper) gave us the gem we’d been looking for courtesy of Jose Mourinho and his golden fist of fury:

Greater Manchester police are investigating an allegation of common assault against Jose Mourinho following last night’s Champions League tie between Manchester United and Internazionale at Old Trafford. It has been alleged that the Inter manager punched a supporter close to the Inter team bus as he left the stadium following his side’s 2-0 defeat. The fan, who has not been named, later went into Stretford police station, close to Old Trafford, to report the alleged attack. (The Guardian)

The big question

Jose Mourinho knows how to punch?! I knew he was a fairly good slapper, but I’ve never taken him for a middleweight boxer.  The story has since been refuted by Inter and most likely will quietly go away, and to be honest, I’m not sure I’d be quick to believe a Manchester United fan who walked into his local police station claiming he was just hit by the Special One. I’d imagine it was just another fan trying to get the Mourinho in hot water once again.

So if the story is fake, why in the world would the national media run with something like this? That’s a really good question. If there’s one good thing that can come from this story, it’s the chance to look further into a burning question that’s been boiling up inside of me for some time: Why do we love to hate Jose Mourinho?

His track record

If you look at back at his track record with fans and managers alike he’s found a way to alienate almost every single group he’s ever encountered. Rafa Benitez, Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson could attest to that; and you can definitely add Juve’s Claudio Ranieri to that list since he moved to Seria A.

Supporters? They can’t stand him when they’re playing against him. Liverpool supporters were incensed when he put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture during the 2005 Carling Cup match after an equaliser. Countless other groups have also wanted to rip his head off and put it on a stake for all the see for various other things he’s done. But I promise you if you had the chance to corner any supporter and ask him if he’d take Jose as his manager, you’d most likely get, ‘in a heartbeart,’ as your response.

Mourinho is probably the most polarising manager we’ve seen in some time. He’s the type of person we love to hate because he’s everything we want in our manager, but at the same time, has all the traits we loathe in the opposition. His perfectly coiffed hair and his impeccable clothing give us the perfect target to bash his looks.

And how about his unfiltered mouth? There have been plenty of occasions where we’ve been blown away by his comments about opposing players or managers. The comments leave us with our mouth agape wondering if he really made that comment.

Learn to love the man

He has an ability for giving managers mental fits with his mind games — but for some reason the mind games, the quotes and his perfect clothing leave us wanting more. In the end I think we love it so much because it gives us another reason to hate the Special that much more. The fact of the matter is, is that we need villians like Jose in the game of football. They make the game worth watching and waiting for in a society where money seems to rule with an iron fist.

So who cares if the guy ticks people off on occasion;  in the end we all know that he’s doing it for us and for the good of the game.  So learn to love and hate Jose at that same time. You’ll be glad you did.

Studs Up – Chris Toy

"The not-so-Special One: Why we love to hate Jose Mourinho" was originally published at Soccerlens.com - Football News.]]> http://soccerlens.com/the-not-so-special-one-why-we-love-to-hate-jose-mourinho/23698/feed/ 0 http://soccerlens.com/inter-milan-vs-manchester-united-presenting-the-players/22486/ http://soccerlens.com/inter-milan-vs-manchester-united-presenting-the-players/22486/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:42:42 +0000 Marco Pantanella http://soccerlens.com/?p=22486
Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Inter Milan vs. Manchester United. Enjoy! . . . . . . . . . . . JULIO CESAR Our impression is that the Seleçao keeper will have a lot of work on his hands (no pun intended), especially at Old Trafford. It will be his big [...]]]>

Fresh from the great minds of Gazzetta dello Sport, here is a look at ALL THE PLAYERS from UEFA Champion’s League Inter Milan vs. Manchester United.

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	JULIO CESAR
	Our impression is that the Seleçao keeper will have a lot of work on his hands (no pun intended), especially at Old Trafford. It will be his big opportunity for consecration at the highest European level, to show that he does not possess any more weaknesses (defending free-kicks included).

EDWIN VAN DER SAR

After his unlucky experience at Juve, the Dutch giant managed to bounce back many times. His biggest accomplishment perhaps is the penalty save on Nicolas Anelka last May, which allowed Manchester Utd to claim the biggest European trophy again. This season he has just claimed the record for longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League for a keeper, and is just a few hundred minutes shy of claiming the world record. At 38 years of age, good old Edwin is still in fine form.

	MAICON
	He already is the strongest right-back in the world at the moment, so now he will looking to demonstrate it to the current world champions. Power, ball control, character, pace: the ex-AS Monaco wing-back has no weaknesses. With that said, when you have to contain players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Giggs, Rooney and Tevez, running forward to attack is permitted, yes, but with prudence.

GARY NEVILLE

The injury-nightmare which kept him away from football for over a year is over, and Neville has been reborn since then. After many already considered him dead & buried, the 33 year-old Mancunian captain took back the armband and his starting spot, and although he may not have as much pace and agility as Rafael da Silva, experience and defensive ability make well up for it. He’ll be very useful to Ferguson, especially at Old Trafford (he’s missing the San Siro fixture).

IVAN CORDOBA

When you’re dealing with a horde of uncontrollable Red Devils, pace is one of the biggest requirements for a defender. At 32 years of age the Colombian center-back has still got loads of it, including an innate jumping ability to reach even the highest aerial balls. When the likes of Berbatov, Vidic, and other towering-header specialists come roaming forward on set pieces, Córdoba will need to prove the springs in his legs are very far from being rusty.

WES BROWN

With Nemanja Vidic suspended in the first leg, it was very likely Sir Alex would bring Brown back to the starting eleven at San Siro. Unfortunately, Wes is injured and will also miss the trip to Italy. With that said, the Mancunian center-back has improved considerably since last year, and this despite just recovering from a long injury himself. One has to wonder on his condition for the return match however, and if it will be at 100%: for a match like this one anything but full fitness is bound to create the entire defensive line-up considerable problems.

WALTER SAMUEL

Power, character, positioning ability: the best version of Walter Samuel will be absolutely fundamental in order to thwart Berbatov’s scoring, alongside making the Manchester striker “feel the physique” of Inter’s backline. Anticipation will be one of his main weapons, especially against speed-demons like Cristiano Ronaldo. Even though he will skip the first leg for injury, his recent fine form is nothing but good news for Mourinho.

RIO FERDINAND

A main column of Man Utd and the English national team, Rio couples with Vidic to make one of the most impenetrable Premiership backlines of recent years. Domestically, the World and European champions accumulated a streak of 13 consecutive matches without conceding a goal, and although everyone is talking about Van der Sar’s record the Dutch keeper owes a lot to the pair of defenders in front of him, particularly Rio. The precision and timing of his tackles are his main strength, alongside the concentration required to clear the danger when the situation warrants it.

CRISTIAN CHIVU

Assuming he will be placed on the left side of the Inter defense, the Romanian defender will have the very simple task of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo at bay. Piece of cake right? With that said, when his sometimes-too-fragile physique (as evidenced by his recent injuries) cuts him some slack, Chivu shows high qualities of technique, class, and experience, stuff which so far as earned him a lot of José’s good graces. At 100%, even Ronaldo will have some trouble getting by him.

PATRICE EVRA

Much like the rest of his defensive teammates, the French wing-back has also been struggling with injury problems this year. His condition will have to be re-evaluated. In perfect health however, he is among Europe’s best in his role: a real dynamo of pace & agility, capable of running up & down the field many times during a game and providing an never-ending supply of overlaps and crosses. His defensive abilities have also considerably improved.

	JAVIER ZANETTI
	Could Inter’s captain miss out on such an important encounter? There is just no way José Mourinho will do without the charisma and tactical versatility of the experienced Argie: when there is defending to do or support the playmakers in midfield, Zanetti’s always ready. In addition, it’s a safe bet he will try one of those classic runs forward which drive the San Siro wild.

MICHAEL CARRICK

When in the Summer of 2006 Ferguson gave ₤17m to Tottenham, some football “experts” were laughing their ass off. Two years and a half later the laughs have considerably subsided, as Michael Carrick has become the pillar of this Red Devils team. He’s got vision, shooting, and a sometimes deadly ability to move through defenses like butter… the only thing he’s missing is a little bit of pace, but hey: no one’s asking him to be Ronaldo are they?

ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO

An irreplaceable piece of the Inter chessboard, he’s the main reference of José’s midfield. He does everything: cover the D-line, start his team’s counters, move forward, and hit when it hurts on dead-ball situations. His compass is always working and he never gets lost on the field: Inter will need his presence like crazy at Old Trafford, especially since defensive midfielders with good feet are a rare commodity these days.

PAUL SCHOLES

He’s the eternal ginger Mancunian warrior, one that Ferguson can always count on at the right moment. His semi-final cannonball effort sank Barcelona and sent Man Utd through to the final last year. With the absence of Owen Hargreaves and the not-quite-ripe aura surrounding Anderson, it’s very likely Scholesy will be once again called into action. And it’s something Nerazzurri fans don’t remember too fondly, especially those who were around for the 1999 encounter at San Siro.

SULLEY MUNTARI

He’s already tried the taste of English Prem football with Pompey, and it’s something Red Devil fans don’t remember too fondly: his FA Cup goal in the quarter-finals prevented Manchester from hitting the treble last season. He’s got power, shooting, and ball control skills, with one big caveat: temper. This is Muntari’s time to grow up, and he knows it. What better way to demonstrate it than a European encounter with the World champions?

RYAN GIGGS

The Welsh magician will not be hanging up his boots at the end of the season. Fresh with a contract extension from Manchester, the Red Devils living legend will be something to behold at San Siro. Although it may indeed be the last time Ryan Giggs sets foot in Italy as a player, so our suggestion is to pay close attention to what he does on the field. We certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see magic.

DEJAN STANKOVIC

If anything can be said about the Serbian midfielder it’s that this is Stankovic rebirth-year: José had asked him he was only interested in meeting the great player from the Lazio days, and apparently that was motivation enough for a transformation. Recently providing the match-winning goal against AC Milan in the derby, Stankovic may be repeating himself in European context: long-range shooting and killer header are his main skills, and he sure will be drawing upon them against the Red Devils.

WAYNE ROONEY
Back just in time from his injury problems, Roo’s contribution to Man Utd’s tactical balance is incalculable. His main occupation is to score goals, but Rooney can do many other things as well and Sir Alex knows it. Don’t be surprised if you see him score a goal and then run all the way back to his corner flag to defend on the next play.

ADRIANO

Is Adriano’s rebirth complete? Much has been flowing asking that question in recent months, but the player knows his work can only be complete with European confirmation. It certainly won’t be easy against one of the best European defences of the year: sheer power (Adriano’s main specialty) won’t be enough to break down Rio & friends, but power isn’t all that the Inter striker can provide. This will be Adriano’s time to demonstrate that his technique hasn’t lost an iota of ability, and that all the good progress so far has been building up to this.

DIMITAR BERBATOV

He was one of Ferguson’s main targets this Summer, and one can easily understand why: good heading ability, excellent ball control & shooting, Berbatov has become the main reference point in United’s forward line. Not only that, but this guy is also one hell of a passer: would you believe it he’s currently leading the assist rankings in the Premiership? If Inter can manage to block him, a good part of Manchester’s maneuvering ability will be seriously hampered.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

The term “perfect opportunity” has never taken its full meaning until today. If there is one thing Ibrahimovic has always been criticized for it’s pulling a Houdini during big important matches, so what better chance than facing the European champions for the tall Swedish striker to prove he will not disappear? Everyone knows (including himself and Sir Alex) that Zlatan can change the course of a match entirely by himself. Now is his chance.

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Ballon d’or, FIFA World Player of the Year, a 42-goals season, club trophies here & there (including a Prem title and a UEFA Champions League): year 2008 was, to say the least, a pretty good one for Cristiano Ronaldo. Now Manchester United’s most recognized figure worldwide (and this despite the insisting courtship coming down from Madrid), C-Ron will have the delectable task of leading his team past the San Siro hurdle. The only thing we can say to whoever gets the job of marking him: “Good night, and good luck”.

	NICOLAS BURDISSO
	After a few off-the-mark performances, Burdisso’s picked things up rather nicely after José’s arrival to the point of earning his new manager’s trust & respect. On dead balls his heading ability is very dangerous, and he’s a good substitute to Inter’s usual starters in the center-back position. Provided he does not lose his concentration during moments of high pressure.

JOHN O’SHEA
He may not be the most refined player technically, but John O’Shea can surely be considered as Sir Alex’s ace-up-the-sleeve. He can cover all playing positions from defense to midfield, and his versatility has come in handy on more than one occasion this year. Especially given all the injury problems the team’s had to face.

	PATRICK VIEIRA
	Old age seems to be catching up with the ex-Arsenal midfielder, as in recent years Patrick has not been able to play more than 20 or so games per season. When he’s fit however he can still be decisive, with an extensive baggage of experience & character on his side. Not only that, but the past encounters with Man Utd during his Arsenal years may yet prove to be useful.

JI-SUNG PARK
When the matches get delicate (especially the away encounters) Ferguson pulls his Korean ace out of the top hat. Very disciplined tactically, Ji-Sung Park does not lack in the character department either. He’s not a very “trendy” player for sure (in the sense he is not one of those you expect to feature in starting eleven lists), but so far has always responded present the going gets tough.

	JULIO CRUZ
	The tall Argie is the first alternative to the Zlatan/Adriano duo, and (like many times in the past) has always proved reliable when called into action. With match-winning goals especially. With plenty of UCL experience under his belt, his killer blow is definitely something for United defenders to beware against.

CARLOS TEVEZ
With four world class-level forwards in the team (we’re putting Ronaldo in that same category) and only three spots available, even a guy like Tevez may find himself on the subs bench. But Carlitos is anything but a second-liner, and when on the field he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on: he fights, he battles, he creates, a little “red devil” in his own right.

Marco Pantanella is the Author & Editor of the mCalcio blog

Tony Adams might not have been the best man for the Portsmouth job and probably did deserve to get the boot to be honest, but his dismissal did get me thinking. There have been quite a few managers axed over recent years that probably didn’t deserve it based so I’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of managers who have been, in my humble opinion anyway, unfairly dismissed by their employers.

Jose Mourinho – Chelsea, 2004-2007

This really was a shocker. He might have spent more money at his time in Chelsea than Paris Hilton on a shopping spree but Mourinho did not fail to deliver. In his three season’s at Stamford Bridge the self proclaimed ’special one’ won five trophies, including all of the main three domestic competitions. Chelsea decided to sack him, probably due to a strained relationship with owner Roman Abramovic. His style of play might not have been the most attractive the Premier League has ever seen but there is no doubting the effectiveness of it. Mourinho is also one of the very few managers to have got the better of Manchester United more often than not, which is no mean feat. Mourinho now looks set to win his first Serie A with Inter Milan, without him Chelsea are fourth in the league and seem to have lost the title already.

Sam Allardyce – Newcastle United, 2007-2008

Big things were expected of Big Sam when he moved to Tyneside but alas it wasn’t to be. He achieved great things at Bolton, steering them not once but twice towards UEFA cup qualification. Some people thought he could create a similar kind of dynasty at Newcastle though but after Mike Ashley took over as owner his position became a bit wobbly to say the least. He was sacked in January of his first season in charge and replaced by Kevin Keegan, a move some cynics have suggested which was made to give Ashley instant popularity amongst the Toon faithful.

Chris Coleman – Fulham, 2003-2007

This really was a mental bit of business from Mr Al fayed. Since taking charge in 2003 Coleman repeatedly saw his best players sold and given very little money to replace them. Despite this he kept his Fulham side competing in the Premier League and they often finished well clear of danger. He was then replaced by Lawrie Sanchez who quickly started to buy a load of Northern Irish players and nearly got the cottagers relegated. Roy Hodgson is now in charge at Craven Cottage and he’s doing a decent job so it didn’t end to badly for Fulham in the end but it could have been a whole lot worse if they had dropped into the Championship.

Avram Grant – Chelsea, 2007-2008

Chelsea again? Yep, Mr Abramovic just loves to sack people and Grant makes the list. When he took over at Chelsea they were way off the pace in the Premier League yet he managed to guide them to second at the end of the season and they only lost out on the very last day after being held at home by Bolton while Manchester United beat Wigan to win by just two points. To top it all he took the club to their first ever Champions League final and was with in a whisker of getting his hands on the trophy only to see John Terry and Nicolas Anelka miss from the spot to hand Manchester United the title after winning on penalties. Grant was replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari – who has also been sacked by Abramovic now.

by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about football betting for betfair.