Seven Month Itch

If you had to name a football club in crisis right now then you would have to have a pretty narrow-minded view of the game to pluck for Chelsea. However, that is exactly how much of the tabloids have chosen to label the Stamford Bridge side's current plight. Luton Town may be attempting to recover a minus thirty point starting point, Rotherham may have had to find a temporary home in another town at which to claw back their own seventeen point penalty, but that's nothing. Chelsea, poor Chelsea are in the last sixteen of the FA Cup and Champions League and fourth in the Premier League. The question remains... has anyone contacted the UN?

The problem with the Premier League is that as a result of the hyperbolic tone of those who regularly report on it, it now has an over inflated sense of it's own importance. This is after all 'the best league in the world' and so if you have set yourself up as one of the main challengers for that title, then you need to be effectively challenging. The old saying that 'its a marathon not a sprint' has no place in modern football, Chelsea are seven points behind the league leaders with three months still to play, surely that's to be expected in a manger's first season. Alas, tabloid coverage and one crudely made supporters banner suggests otherwise and owner Roman Abramovich follows suit with the Etch-a-Sketch approach to managerial appointments. "I tire of him, send him to the lions and bring me someone new."

You cannot but help feel sorry for 'Big' Phil Scolari, deemed not big enough to be allowed any sort of transitional period at his new club. Think of all the money wasted on English language crash courses. A home draw with Hull City is seemingly beneath the expectations of Chelsea fans with no allowance given for the key fact that this is the most competitive Premier League season in a decade. Patience is no longer a virtue when it comes to football management, fans have increasingly unrealistic demands for instant results, and this phenomenon is not confined to the Premier League. When my club Doncaster appointed Sean O'Driscoll in September 2006, he was on the receiving end of audible O'Driscoll Out chants before the month was out.

The moral of this tale? If you want job security in the coming years, stay away from football management and instead open up an English Language School in the London area and introduce yourself to football agents.