Big Phil interview

[Sheva. 5,373]

Saw this just now on the offical site (the shed) and decided to post it here -

Q: You took the Chelsea job after seven years in international football. How much had club football changed during that period?

BPS: It was different, for sure. Commercial interests now rule player signings. I had to adapt what else could I do? Of course I was aware of this new scenario when I was a national team coach, but there are still things that scare you. For example, you cant buy or sell a player because he has a contract with A, B or C, a kit supplier or something else. Situations like this means the planning, the project of building a squad, can go down the drain.

Q: What went wrong at Stamford Bridge? If you had your time again, would you do anything differently?

BPS: I know I was doing a good job. We had qualified for the next stage of the Champions League, in the Premier League we were third or fourth, but still fighting for the title. It was still the beginning: there was a lot to do in the project we had laid out. The plan included trying to fix things that were not right there. But I found a closed club, not ready for such changes. There was a group running things there for many years. For me to arrive alone, with only three or four people from my staff, and start to put these changes in motion...it was not easy. It was three or four of us against 30. [Q: What changes did you have planned?]. We agreed to use more players from the youth squads, so we could, with time, replace the older players. But I couldnt do that, and you know why? When I arrived, they told me there was plenty of quality there. But there wasnt. If there were talented players, where are they now? But the staff kept telling Abramovich that the Chelsea Academy was the worlds best. They signed players for absurd fees...this was deception! I was truly honest to say, "This is not good." Ive never been a guy to spread honey. I will always say what I think.

Q: You apparently had a falling out with Didier Drogba at Chelsea. Was it a personality clash or did he just not fit into your ideas?

BPS: No, it was not a clash. I simply took decisions. And a decision about Drogbas knee put me against him. The European culture goes like this: a player says he needs to undergo surgery, the doctors perform it. But the decision that he had to recover in Cannes all summer was absurd. To me, Cannes in the summer is for parties, the beach...everything except a recovery programme. It cant work so I didnt allow it. Drogba had played most of the previous season with pain, with injections in the knees. They would draw blood from his knees after games. So he needed to recover properly. Perhaps in four, five years, when his knees are still working, hell like my decision.

thoughts?

[Fulham Broadway 16,851]

My view on it is he was offered shed loads of cash, took the job, and pretended he was interested in what he was doing. Now he's getting paid by 442 to say so.

Bit like Capello....

[Kostas 1,468]

Cue fat brazilian fart posts..

[LDN Blue 7,903]

But I found a closed club, not ready for such changes. There was a group running things there for many years. For me to arrive alone, with only three or four people from my staff, and start to put these changes in motion...it was not easy. It was three or four of us against 30.

Very believable. Something we've all speculated on for years after his departure.

[Henrique 9,133]

One of the stupidiest thing I have ever seem in football was the name Felipe turned into Phil.

Big Phil my ass.

[termninja 5,290]

Dunno what to say. It could be Scolari, it could be our club, but my heart tells me it's Scolari.

[lionsden 4,689]

I know one thing for sure. We performed better under scolari than we did this season with ancelotti. if ancelotti should have been given more time to get things right, the same case can sure as hell be made for scolari who was never given any chance or support (1 full season atleast). unless we want to be hypocritical.

[Kostas 1,468]

unless we want to be hypocritical.

Get out of here

_{You're making too much sense}

[lionsden 4,689]

Get out of here

_{You're making too much sense}

This has to be the most intelligent and well thought out response I have read on this forum

[Henrique 9,133]

Scolari deserved to get the axe.

But if you say so, you must also stop bitching about Carlo being fired. I was happy when Scolari was fired and was even happier when Carlo got the axe.

The funny thing is that some people here ridicule Scolari and cried out loud when italian was fired after this pathetic perform as manager in this season.

[lionsden 4,689]

Scolari deserved to get the axe.

But if you say so, you must also stop bitching about Carlo being fired. I was happy when Scolari was fired and was even happier when Carlo got the axe.

The funny thing is that some people here ridicule Scolari and cried out loud when italian was fired after this pathetic perform as manager in this season.

My sentiment exactly to the 100th degree.

little off topic. people on here often equate Avram Grant to hot garbage/trash despite inspiring us to our very first champions league final which we were extremely unlucky not to have won. that defies every logic known to mankind

[eldo 868]

My sentiment exactly to the 100th degree.

little off topic. people on here often equate Avram Grant to hot garbage/trash despite inspiring us to our very first champions league final which we were extremely unlucky not to have won. that defies every logic known to mankind

Inspiring and Avram Grant shouldn't be written together. Ask West Ham fans about that.

[Term-X 7,891]

My sentiment exactly to the 100th degree.

little off topic. people on here often equate Avram Grant to hot garbage/trash despite inspiring us to our very first champions league final which we were extremely unlucky not to have won. that defies every logic known to mankind

Inspiring?

JT, Ballack & Didier were the chelsea managers when Mourinho was sacked, Grant merely put the cones out and used Jose's tactics.

[Henri 115]

My sentiment exactly to the 100th degree.

little off topic. people on here often equate Avram Grant to hot garbage/trash despite inspiring us to our very first champions league final which we were extremely unlucky not to have won. that defies every logic known to mankind

Yeah, and had he won it little Roman would have made a statue of him and he would still be our coach Got the holy grail

[- 25 - 167]

Inspiring?

JT, Ballack & Didier were the chelsea managers when Mourinho was sacked, Grant merely put the cones out and used Jose's tactics.

I'd put Lamps in with them but yeah, totally agree.

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

I just gained a little bit of respect for Scolari.

It seems at Chelsea it's more about doing as your told when you're manager, not the one ruling the roost.

Henrique...Felipe is translated into Philip in English so it's understandable. Henrique translates to Henry!

[Henrique 9,133]

I just gained a little bit of respect for Scolari.

It seems at Chelsea it's more about doing as your told when you're manager, not the one ruling the roost.

Henrique...Felipe is translated into Philip in English so it's understandable. Henrique translates to Henry!

Fair enough, I You call you Nós Odiamos Scouse. lol

[Rambo 1,729]

I know one thing for sure. We performed better under scolari than we did this season with ancelotti.

I'm going to have to disagree, some of the players were clearly unhappy with Scolari for whatever reason but this was not the case for Carlo. Maybe statistically you are correct, but I must say it was extremely tough to watch us play with no team spirit. It was not till Hiddink's arrival that seemed to revive everyone's confidence and mentality.