The breaking news of today. Villas-Boas has been sacked after 8 months in charge, following a run of just 3 wins in 12 and dropping to 5th position in the league, ending with a 1-0 defeat at West Brom yesterday. And I'm not unhappy.
When he was appointed back in June last year, Abramovic's choice to choose the 33 year old was promising. To go for a relatively young and inexperienced manager seemed like a change in approach, an approach to plan for the future and sustain a project. This is something I have been longing for as a Chelsea fan, we just need a consistent manager to be given time. And to be honest, I thought any high calibre manager would have brought great success to the club, with four or five years to build and make the side his own. That still goes for the likes of Ancelotti or Hiddink (though perhaps less so for Avram Grant or Di Matteo). But we've continued to chop and change, here we are again again. Again.
But sadly, I'm really not that sad to see the back of AVB. Up until one or two months ago, I would have urged for us to keep him and give him that time. Since then though, I've seen the most lacklustre performances, no spirit, and simply utterly boring matches with dreadful results. And while I commend the faith in youngsters like Sturridge or new players like Luiz and Torres, I just don't see any justification at all in leaving out Frank Lampard over the likes of Ramires, Meireles and Mikel, all of whom are average at best and certainly incomparable to Frank. I'm up for change but it's got to be for the better. Besides, Lamps is fucking quality, I'd choose him any day in any side.
So, considering the poor form and poor motivation I've seen on and off the pitch, the axe might have been the only thing to turn it around, at least for the short term. Hopefully we go into the weekend's FA Cup tie with Birmingham holding a fresh mindset and show the desire that is expected at a top club, or at any club for that matter. Who we look for come the end of the season I don't know, but he has to be for the long haul, and I mean long. And he can't be omitting Lampard from the starting XI.
