1.42 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Chelsea problem: manager has to beg players

Chelsea's manager Andre Villas-Boas watches during their English Premier League soccer match against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in West Bromwich, central England, March 3, 2012. (REUTERS)

Published
By AFP

The Chelsea players may have seen the back of Andre Villas-Boas but his replacement as manager - albeit in a caretaker capacity - Roberto Di Matteo told them on Monday they owed it to the club fans and themselves to rescue their season.

The 41-year-old Swiss-born former Italian international - a former Chelsea player who scored for them in their 1997 FA Cup win - faces his first challenge in Tuesday's FA Cup fifth round replay against second tier side Birmingham.

"We have to focus on the next game, which is against Birmingham," he told the club's TV channel.

"We have to try to win the next game, which is how we are going to be from now until the end of the season - we are going to focus on game by game.

"Our duty now is to look forward and to try to get the results that we need in the league (they are three points adrift of Arsenal who occupy the final Champions League place), the Champions League (they trail Napoli 3-1 with their Last 16 second leg match at home next week) and in the FA Cup to have a good season."

However, Di Matteo - who enjoyed some success when he managed West Brom guiding them back to the Premier League only to be sacked last season when they hit a poor run of form - admitted that not all the measures introduced by Villas-Boas would be dispensed with.

"It has been a very difficult 24 hours for a lot of people at the football club," said Di Matteo, who added Eddie Newton, a former Chelsea team-mate and his assistant at MK Dons and West Brom, to the backroom staff on Monday.

"Andre has brought some very good, positive ideas and changes to this football club and we will benefit from his changes.

"I enjoyed very much working with him and we will remain friends for the rest of our lives, but I will have to move on for this club and try my best with the players we have here."

Di Matteo - who it is also reported is scarcely better liked by the older players than Villas-Boas was - is thought to be low on the list to become the eighth full-time manager of owner Roman Abramovich's increasingly turbulent reign at the club.

Former Liverpool and Inter Milan handler Rafael Benitez has said he would love the chance to manage them highlighting his experience in winning the Champions League, which would strike a chord with Abramovich as that is the trophy he has never captured.

Other names mentioned include former manager Jose Mourinho - who went on to win the Champions League with Inter Milan after leaving Chelsea under acrimonious circumstances - and outside bets former England coach Fabio Capello and the favourite to replace him in the national hotseat present Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.

Another former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said on Monday he would love the job but he is damaged goods after several high profile failures since leaving the England job in 2006. 

Ramires lifts blues with new contract

Crisis-ridden English Premier League big spenders Chelsea received a piece of welcome news on Monday as Brazilian international midfielder Ramires signed a new five-year contract which ties him to the club till 2017.

The 24-year-old - who joined Chelsea from Portuguese side Benfica after the 2010 World Cup finals for a reported 22million euros (ê29million) - made his 50th appearance for the club in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by West Brom which signalled the end of manager Andre Villas-Boas.

"I am very happy with my new contract," Ramires told the club's official website.

"I am very happy with the support I have playing for this club so I want to say thank you to Chelsea."

Chelsea's loss to West Brom leaves them three points adrift of the last Champions League spot held by Arsenal while they also face two crucial cup clashes.

They face Championship side Birmingham City away in a FA Cup fifth round replay on Tuesday and then next week try to overhaul a 3-1 deficit at home to Italian side Napoli in the Champions League Last 16 second leg match.