Ray Wilkins

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

According to the Sun..

Wilkins has the job...

RAY WILKINS joins Chelsea today as shock replacement for Steve Clarke. Boss Phil Scolari was left reeling by coach Clarke's exit to West Ham on Monday and has moved quickly to snap up another former Blues player.

Wilkins, 52, had six years with Chelsea back in the 1970s and also spent time at Stamford Bridge as a coach under Gianluca Vialli from 1998 to 2000.

But it is his overall experience that persuaded Scolari to take him on board.

Wilkins won 84 caps for England and enjoyed successful spells with Manchester United and AC Milan.

He has also bossed QPR and Fulham and worked alongside Peter Taylor with England Under-21s.

Wilkins also has great knowledge of the English and European game from time working as a pundit on television.

He will link up with Chelsea in the build-up to Sunday's mammoth encounter with United.

Edited September 18, 2008 by Elliott

[chelseapaul 0]

Welcome back to the fold Butch.

[Fulham Broadway 16,838]

This is a good move by the club, if The Scum can be believed. He has an excellent football brain, is Chelsea, (only went to Salford because the club were borassic), and can eventually see him as No 1 if it all works out.

Thursday trivia:Met the ''crab'', and sorted him and his brother Grahams tax affairs out.

[EskWeston 696]

Would be a good appointment i think. He knows what he is talking about and has a good knowledge of the club all the way down to youth level. Was around during the cobham cup tournament as well.

[Elliott 7]

No official word on it yet, but seems like a good appointment if it happens.

[Fulham Broadway 16,838]

Gathering momentum now;

Ray Wilkins is set to make a dramatic and emotional return to Chelsea as a replacement for Steve Clarke – just in time to face his old club Manchester United. The Chelsea great is in talks with the club over a role as assistant manager to Luiz Felipe Scolari and an announcement could be made as early as today.

Wilkins, who joined the club as a schoolboy and became their youngest ever captain when given the armband aged 18 in 1975, is seen as the perfect man to replace Clarke given his popularity with fans and his long-time links with the club.

Not only did he make 198 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 34 goals, but he was also coach under Gianluca Vialli before departing along with the Italian in 2000.

Since then he has been an assistant to Dennis Wise at Millwall and worked alongside Peter Taylor with England Under 21s.

But he has also maintained his links with the Blues even playing regularly in the Chelsea Old Boys team. Now the former England midfielder, who was 52 last week, is set to return to his spiritual home and will be seen a crucial part of Scolari's backroom team.

Mail on Sunday

[DavidEU 2,023]

SSN reporting it to. Saying we'll announce it this afternoon.

[Milan 17,853]

Confirmed by the official CFC website.

Welcome back !

[Aesthetic Relic 301]

I'm well chuffed with this appointment.

Like Clarke, he knows the club inside out and will be seen as a positive move by the fans. Excellent football brain, unlike some other people at the club

[Fulham Broadway 16,838]

I'm well chuffed with this appointment.

Like Clarke, he knows the club inside out and will be seen as a positive move by the fans. Excellent football brain, unlike some other people at the club

Lol Talking of which there was some Israeli rag after the Bordeaux win that had the headline ''Chelsea win Despite not Having Grant'' I kid you not.

Yup Clarke can fuck off to the pikeys now. ..

[EskWeston 696]

An excellant appointment by Chelsea on every level i feel. Will be good to see him sitting there with Scolari on the bench against Man you. I think Ray will do a top job with us

[BlueLion. 21,491]

And I had a photo with Ray on Tuesday night as well

[warnie_666 1,081]

Chelsea have confirmed that Ray Wilkins has joined the club's coaching staff.

Blues boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has moved quickly to bring the 52-year-old in as assistant first-team coach to replace Steve Clarke, who departed for West Ham earlier this week.

It is the second time that Wilkins has become part of the coaching staff at the club he began his footballing career with some 35 years ago.

In 1999 he became assistant to then Blues chief Gianluca Vialli but he followed the Italian to Watford when he left the club in 2001.

Wilkins started his playing career at Stamford Bridge and played nearly 200 games for the club before he was sold to Manchester United.

The former England midfielder was always held in high esteem by the Chelsea faithful and his appointment will be a popular one

Skysports.

I am happy to see Ray Wilkins back at the bridge a Skysports expert on English game would be of alot of help to LPS and the team.

[True_Blue 469]

Well it was expected that we bring in another Legend

Welcome Ray

[Ollie 4,400]

Thats quality, always makes me happy when we bring old blues back. He came back to help us out in the Vialli days when graham rix was absent and its good to see him back again. Another ex-blue that trully loves the club. Wouldve been good id dennis had come tho and left newcastle. What he is still there for is beyond a joke.

[Matterz 67]

Its awesome to have him back, will make a good impact. Its great that the club is always keeping a Blue legend around so that we can always remeber where we came from and knows the spirit of Chelsea.

[TrueChelseaBlue 105]

Brilliant appointment by the club, remember, you heard it from me first

[Fulham Broadway 16,838]

Reckons the League is tops; (Mail on Sunday)

Wilkins' first task is to prepare his new players for a clash against United on Sunday and, having earned a reputation for one-on-one psychology during his previous spell at Stamford Bridge, he will looking to have a quiet word with some of the key contenders.

'If it's just a few words in the right direction and it helps, then that's what we're hoping to achieve,' he said.

Wilkins' first piece of advice to his new troops, however, was to insist the Premier League should be their priority this season.

'It's vitally important you win your own league,' he said. 'It's a good time to play United. They have played six games and only won only one of those, while we've been outstanding.'