These are troubled times for Chelsea Football Club.
Since the departure of Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (and with the exception of a few bright moments under Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti), the club that was hoping to establish itself as one of the continent's elite sides has still a long way to go. When Russian businessman Roman Abramovich first bought the club, back in June, 2003, the new owner's intentions were clear from the outset. He wanted to go after the big names... the big prizes. He wanted the club to win the continent's premier trophy - the UEFA Champions League... and to look good while doing it.
Current manager Andre Villas-Boas (AVB) was tasked with the same goals when he assumed managerial charge at the start of the season. However, his results so far have been considerably less than impressive and certainly more inconsistent than even the most lenient owner of a football club looking to play with the big boys can afford to be.
Unfortunately, for AVB, the club is currently fifth in the Premier League, with 43 points from 24 games and a yawning 17 point gap between them and league leaders Manchester City. Worse still, they have been forced into a replay of a FA Cup tie against Birmingham after barely securing a draw in the first round at Stamford Bridge and, on Tuesday night, the Blues will travel to Naples, Italy, for a potentially season-defining Champions League game against an alarmingly youthful and exciting Napoli side.
The alarm bells are ringing for AVB. News of public and ill-tempered arguments with key players (in front of Abramovich, no less), reports of senior players countermanding his instructions and delivering their own half-time talks and an increasingly controversial club captain in John Terry are conspiring to make his position less than tenable. It doesn't help that the supporters are beginning to call for Mourinho's return... or at the least the short-term re-appointment of Guus Hiddink.
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To his credit, AVB has remained steadfastly confident in the permanency of his position, even if results, his body language and prior experience of the club owner's short patience say otherwise. Now, however, given recent results (the throwing away of a 3 goal lead against rivals Manchester United, a terribly lacklustre 0-2 defeat to Everton, the 1-1 draws with Birmingham and Swansea City), the game against Napoli could well decide if the young Portuguese will remain in the dugout by the time Bolton comes visiting on Feb. 25.
There has been a lot of speculation on who Abramovich could turn to, in the event that AVB fails to persuade the squad to play some good football in Italy. The most recent name to hit the list is Spaniard Rafa Benitez.
Here is a look at three big-name managers who could replace AVB:
Rafa Benitez
Currently With: Unemployed
Reason: Benitez, who is currently unemployed after a spell with Inter Milan, has prior knowledge of the Premier League (having coached Liverpool from 2004 to 2010), has experience in the Champions League (cue the famous comeback win against AC Milan in the 2004/05 finals), is well-versed in the more stylish continental game (from previous spells with Valencia and as a youth coach for Real Madrid) and, perhaps most interestingly, has often been accused of favouring results in Europe over domestic trophies.
Nevertheless, the 51-year-old Spaniard, despite having his share of detractors, actually has a surprisingly good track record at the bigger clubs. He has managed 7 clubs in his career so far, with Valencia, Liverpool and Inter Milan being the big ones. During that phase, he has twice been the league champion of Spain (and given the absolute dominance that traditional powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid wield, this is no mean feat), the UEFA Cup champion and the Champions League.
Verdict - Could this be Abramovich's Champions League messiah?
