Ray Wilkins leaves with immediate effect

[zolayes 14,489]

To not renew a contract is one thing, to tap someone on the shoulder 10 mins into the second half of a reserves game and tell him to sod off and put up a pathetic 2 line paragraph on the official site is another. Now it's clear it wasn't anything to do with an incident or a bust up or insubordination, otherwise Ray wouldn't be pursuing legal action. He was our captain at 18 ffs. This is a disgrace.

at first I was baffled by this ,,now like you I am becoming very annoyed with how it seems have to have been dealt with.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

"You have to compare me with (Sir Alex) Ferguson, it's a different position. Because Ferguson has total control of the team. I am just technical direction. Full stop."

- Carlo

[Kostas 1,468]

CHELSEA AND WILKINS AGREEMENT

Chelsea Football Club can confirm we have amicably resolved all outstanding matters regarding Ray Wilkins' departure from the club on November 11th, 2010.

Chelsea FC chief executive Ron Gourlay said: 'I am pleased to announce that we have come to a swift and amicable agreement with Ray Wilkins and all unresolved matters have now been settled.

'I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ray for his service to the club and wish him all the best for the future.'

No more bad blood between the board and Butch then, glad that we got this out of the way. The last thing we needed was bad publicity.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

No more bad blood between the board and Butch then, glad that we got this out of the way. The last thing we needed was bad publicity.

Cover up more like, they must've given him a good compensation fee or something. Good on Ray for not blasting us in public, he may not like the decision, but he's Chelsea through-and-through

[LDN Blue 7,903]

“It has obviously been a big wrench leaving such an illustrious club and one which has played such a huge role in my playing and coaching career.

I have great affection for the club, the staff, the players and its supporters and wish them all the very best for the remainder of the season and the future,

I would also like to thank the club and the LMA for ensuring that matters have been brought to a swift and harmonious conclusion."

[Swoopz 183]

Word on the street is that Ray was axed because he was suspected of getting a little too close to the wife of Ron Gourlay. Come on blues, keep it in your pants.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

No more bad blood between the board and Butch then, glad that we got this out of the way. The last thing we needed was bad publicity.

Too late for that. That comes with the territory when you unceremoniously sack a celebrated former England international and one of the most-liked faces in the game.

[Madmax 9,219]

ON HIS EXIT

"These things happen in football," he says. "Mr [Roman] Abramovich wanted to make a change, so he made a change. And when you've spent as much money as he has, then you're entitled to do so."

"I'm very saddened by it," he says of his own recent exit. "My whole family is. We've been Chelsea-ites for years and years. But I'm realistic enough that football doesn't surprise me any more. So we'll just have to get on, and if the next challenge comes round the corner, we'll just have to see what it is."

ON CHELSEA'S UCL CHANCES

"They've got power, pace and a burning desire to succeed in Europe," he says. "They're geared to go the whole way, specially with the draw they've just had. I feel with Manchester United at the moment they look as though they might concede goals, and I haven't see that for a long time. They seem to be quite open in the way they're playing. They're undefeated in the Premier League, but when I've seen them they've looked as if they could ship a goal, whereas Chelsea are rock-solid, especially when everybody's fit – and Alex will be back at that point. So they'll have [branislav] Ivanovic, Alex, John Terry, Ashley Cole and [Petr] Cech in goal, and if there's a finer back five playing, I haven't seen it.

"It's paramount in Europe, keeping that clean sheet. I love watching Tottenham play this year, and Arsenal, too, but they look as if they can concede a goal. Out of the four, it's only Chelsea I can see keeping a clean sheet if they really have to."

ON THE UNITED GAME TOMORROW

"It's come at a great time," he says. "We'll be in for a feast. It's a good game for Chelsea to have at the moment, coming off their performance at Tottenham last weekend, and they'll be buoyed by the prospect of Frank [Lampard] coming back. When you've got a guy whose scored 20 goals a season from midfield for the past six or seven years, it's a massive loss. Everybody has injury problems, but with Frank out they've lost goals from the middle of the field. When he's back to match tempo, he'll be a real threat again. They've had a lot of players unfit, and there have been some playing with injury. They've had a little bit of a bad period but the signs on Sunday were that they're coming through it.

"The last six or seven years haven't been too successful for Man United at Stamford Bridge, but they always seemed to nullify each other away from home. Chelsea had the ability to take the ball off Man United at Old Trafford, and vice versa. But I've got a little feeling that Chelsea might nick this one on Sunday."

ON HIS FUTURE PLANS

The next challenge, however, is always the important one. "Hopefully it's not too far away. I want to get in there. I'm a football person. When I ended up playing for Orient and Wycombe, I was still waking up every morning so grateful that I was a footballer. I don't think there's a better life. I've been blessed. So you expect to get kicked in the proverbials every now and then."

The Guardian