EskWeston

You have to Credit CFC, for once they have been able to do all this while keeping it absolutely quiet so no-one has a clue what is going on. No words from the Hughes and Rijkaard camps. Things have been said about Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti and Mancini none of which indicate they are likely to take the job though!

Since his first season when he looked excellant he has really slumped and looked very very ordinary!!! But at the end of this season he has started to look very good again. This is something that happens often with young players, they go through a tough spell. Hopefully we will see an improvement from now on.

Just finished a decent loan spell which is something for him to build on. Give him another season and see what happens..

Yes it was a mistake to get rid of Jose, but all can be made right by getting this appointment right! Rijkaard, Hughes and Scolari all odds moving down! Ancelotti and Mancini drifting away. Of course there are plausable reasons for the delay and why we can hope for an annoucement today! First working day of the new month could mean that whoever it is we may have had to wait until their contract expired or the termination of their contract ook effect in Rijkaards case. Hughes has just aparently come back from a holiday which again is a possible reason. Also Man City have just announced Svens sacking which makes him free!!!! Cleared nothing up really there!!!

Roumers today that Portsmouth want to sign young Ben this summer. I think it is too early for him for us to let him go, but i wonder if we can organise a loan to a Prem Club for next season?

You won't hear anything from Chelsea until the man is announced. Which to be fair to them is the right way to do it for many reasons. Doesn't make it any less frustrating for us though. I really don't think we can afford to wait much longer though....

The Spurs thing is really dragging on, with the player seemingly wanting to come to us. This is another reason why our manager needs to be decided upon ASAP so we don't let players like this slip through our fingers!

Well the weekend has made absolutely nothing clearer. Roumers are that there will be an announcement made today! Other sources claiming that there will be nothing until after the Euros. Ten Cate claiming that there are 2 possible candidates both of whom will bring their own staff which means discussions have taken place which rules out Scolari and a few others.... Rijkaard has stayed favorite over the weekend. Really have no idea what is going to happen still though.

I can't see how we can afford to wait that long, only potential managers to wait for are Hiddink - who has already said no and Scolari. After the Euros the new manager would have about a week till pre season and no time to make the signings. Would be a very very bad option to wait till after the Euros...

I wonder what the chances are of the new man being announced this weekend sometime. You really wouldn't think they would wait much longer with a lot of preparation to be done for the next season inncluding purchasing new players!!! Rijkaard now the favorite with the bookies and Ancelotti second favorite. Hughes and Scolari have dropped right off. I think no matter who it is, everyone will be suprised.

Rijkaard seems to be comming back as one of the favorites now from out of no-where!!! The bookies and the media really are just as clueless about this as we are!!

Giovani dos Santos is ready to end his Barcelona career and the attacker has revealed that his agent has spoken with Chelsea. The Mexico international is valued at £12.5 million after having only played a single season in the top flight. The former Academy player does not feel wanted at Camp Nou and has expressed his admiration for The Premier League. The 19-year-old has previously been linked to Tottenham and Manchester City. When asked if he will play in England, Giovani told the Mexican press: “Everything seems to indicate yes. “Obviously it is always tempting to go and play for important teams and most of all in England who have, to me, the best league in the world where everybody wants to play.” The attacker confessed that Chelsea had held talks with his agent regarding a summer transfer. “Yes, they spoke with my representative and they have always been following me, watching my way and they are interested in my services; I would like to play there, they are a great team.” The youngster was part of the team who were booed by the Camp Nou fans in their last home game of the season, and he does not want to play for a club where he does not feel liked. He added: “There are plenty of circumstances, things that as a player make you realise you need to feel a winner, an important player, valued, to improve. "There are events that you cannot forget, like the fans’ treatment, nobody wants to be where they are not wanted.” Source: Setanta Sports

What a load of old tosh!!!

Lol, very funny, never seen that before!!

It would certainly be a popular choice and one that could really work for us. When you think how much the club seem to be concerned with our image too it would work in our favour that we have a British manager who supported the club managing the team. The lack of noise comming from either Hughes or Rijkaard to anyone to do with them is interesting and could be telling! How do you know i am not qualified Na, looked into it but wouldn't have had the time to follow it through all the way. Going to get back into Sunday league footie next season though, if i can find a team to join!

I won't argue on Rijkaard, i would be happy to see us appoint him, but it's looking less likely every day. None of Mancini, Scolari, Hiddink or Ancelotti exactly inspire me to think they can bring what we are looking for. Right now any manager is a gamble, and it might just be worth trying to build something long term and with the club at heart. Hughes is a good manager no doubt, who knows what he could do with our squad?

He may have been knocked out of those cups, but he didn't exactly do it with our squad did he? With the resources he has he has done better than expected with that club. How do you become ready for a top job unless you get given a top job. It would certainly be a risk, but so would anyone that we appoint, it is clear there is not one outstanding candiate available.

Rijkaard would be an excellant apointment. But lets not go overboard......

Don't hate him for what he did in the game, but what he has come out and said is stupid and will not do him any favours. We havn't heard a peep from him since he got his marching orders in Moscow and then he comes out and says this. Like the way he says, "When I won them the FA Cup last season!!! I think this is the wrong thing for him to come out and say.

Well we are comming to somewhat of a dead end. The fans want Hughes, the media are claiming Mancini and there are no new names on the scene. It seems that someone has been decided on so lets get on with it and find out who it is once and for all.....

It would certainly be interesting to see what will happen if Hughes is appointed. How would he keep? What sort of players would he go for? It is looking more and more like the right choice to make at this moment in time...

Clarke is on a fishing holiday aparently so hasn't been able to have his meeting with the club yet! But it could also mean that Hughes is the choice, although even if Hughes IS the new manager doesn't mean Clarke will stay.

Well every Chelsea forum you look on it is Hughes leading the votes, very very popular choice now and one that i don't think hardly anyone would disagree with. Even on the CTV phone in last night it was all for Hughes. So if the club are looking at fan opinion then Hughes is a very realy option. The thing is with Hughes though given the fact he has never managed at this very very high level you would have to give him a seasons grace to get to grips and really settle and build his team.

It is strange how there is absolutely nothing on Hughes in the papers, other than he is one of the candidates but he is still the second favorite! Hughes is by far an away the fans favorite for the job. If we do appoint Hughes it means we are prepared to go for something more long term. The one question i would have with Hughes is the ability to bring attacking football, his Blackburn side have improved vastly in the last couple of years, but i am still not sure.

A couple of the papers are mentioning Rijkaard again this morning!! The more i run over the candidates the more i only fancy Rijkaard or Hughes for various reasons.