Di Matteo's future in Chelsea?

[Arjen Robben 55]

Now, I think we can all agree on the fact that Di Matteo has been good to Chelsea since he replaced Villas-Boas and that he is the perfect man for you, from what I have seen of him so far. The big question, though, is - do you think Abrahamovich will keep him after the season is over or is he going to look for "bigger" names?

I personally hope that Abrahamovich keeps Di Matteo (and that Di Matteo wants to stay of course) because I see a different Chelsea today that a couple of months back. A very interesting Chelsea. When AVB was coaching, people complained about the "oldies" like "Oh my god they suck we need to sell them" or "We need younger players to build this team from the ground", but Di Matteo has, for really good reasons, kept these "oldies" active and made them a vital part of today's Chelsea. I respect him for doing the unexpected.

Okay, to prevent this OP to get too long - simple question; What do you think will happen with Di Matteo in the future? Will he stay or leave?

Sorry if this has already been discussed or if I posted it in the wrong forum.

[chrismada9 1,948]

I'm sure Alex (BlueLion) will move this thread to its right place in the forums!

To be honest, I agree with Avram Grant... Di Matteo deserves another year in the job because we've seen clearly what the effect it has had on the team, by putting him in charge in such a short period of time! The most important thing about it, is that Di Matteo cares about the club... he cares about it so much that he will do all he can to get the players together and form a group that can turn the season around for them, and it's worked! For a reason I totally understand, appointing a new manager would be a silly idea because it would mean, a completely different setup, and we'll be back to square one again! Appointing AVB was a big gamble, and it was one of those gambles that didn't work. AVB's spell as manager just proves that you can't just bring in someone anonymous and expect a wonderful season, and yes I know he used to work for the club before, but at the end of the day, it's all about what you've been able to achieve over a period of years. AVB won a Europa League, and the Spanish League with Porto, but that doesn't mean he will instantly do the magic at another club. It takes time to recognise the other leagues and how their types of game differ from other leagues. In Spain/Portugal, it's all about quick attacking and sometimes lovely football. In England, there's more of a physical side to things. AVB was far too inexperienced to do such a job... Di Matteo on the other hand, knows what English football is like because he has played there with us at club level. He has passion and love for the club too, which is an added bonus. You can't just bring in someone world class and expect immediate success, especially when you don't know much about the English game... unless you're Jose Mourinho!

I prefer my managers to be determined to win things with Chelsea because they love the club inside out, not just because they want to buff up their CV!

[Arjen Robben 55]

I'm sure Alex (BlueLion) will move this thread to its right place in the forums!

To be honest, I agree with Avram Grant... Di Matteo deserves another year in the job because we've seen clearly what the effect it has had on the team, by putting him in charge in such a short period of time! The most important thing about it, is that Di Matteo cares about the club... he cares about it so much that he will do all he can to get the players together and form a group that can turn the season around for them, and it's worked! For a reason I totally understand, appointing a new manager would be a silly idea because it would mean, a completely different setup, and we'll be back to square one again! Appointing AVB was a big gamble, and it was one of those gambles that didn't work. AVB's spell as manager just proves that you can't just bring in someone anonymous and expect a wonderful season, and yes I know he used to work for the club before, but at the end of the day, it's all about what you've been able to achieve over a period of years. AVB won a Europa League, and the Spanish League with Porto, but that doesn't mean he will instantly do the magic at another club. It takes time to recognise the other leagues and how their types of game differ from other leagues. In Spain/Portugal, it's all about quick attacking and sometimes lovely football. In England, there's more of a physical side to things. AVB was far too inexperienced to do such a job... Di Matteo on the other hand, knows what English football is like because he has played there with us at club level. He has passion and love for the club too, which is an added bonus. You can't just bring in someone world class and expect immediate success, especially when you don't know much about the English game... unless you're Jose Mourinho!

I prefer my managers to be determined to win things with Chelsea because they love the club inside out, not just because they want to buff up their CV!

I can't agree more, hands down

[TomCFC 356]

AVB won a Europa League, and the Spanish League with Porto

That is impressive!

[capriccioso 2,545]

I mostly agree with CJ, except I don't think what happened to the club under Villas-Boas was a reflection of the mans tactical skills. He's just not the best at talking to his players, I think for him to be a success at a big club he'll need to have a player-manager intermediary that both parties can communicate through, someone like a Ray Wilkins.