Luiz Felipe Scolari’s reign at Stamford Bridge has come to abrupt end. Scolari enjoyed the full confidence and support of the management, players and fans of the London club, but recent events has proved that the big man has not been able to fit into the big shoes left by the ‘Special One’ Mourinho; who transformed the London club into a silverware winning side. He is currently making waves in the Italian serie ‘A’ league with Inter-Milan FC.
Scolari came with a lot of confidence and hope promising to return the club to winning ways after the sack of Mourinho’s successor; Avram Grant. This however has not been the case since Scolari took over at Stamford Bridge; he has shown his lack of ‘experience’ in club football management. His string of losses and scandalous draws most especially at home ground has broken the hearts of millions of fans world wide who week in week out throng out to support their darling Chelsea Football club.
During his short spell as head coach of Chelsea FC, the once dreaded London club became so vulnerable that the weakest of teams could now hold their own again Chelsea. The string of losses and scandalous draws at Stamford Bridge; the home of Chelsea football club did not help matters either.
In the current season, Chelsea has become the weeping team of the other clubs that make up the legendary ‘Big 4’ recently losing scandalously to Liverpool, Arsenal and the ‘almighty’ Manchester United.
Scolari possesses an intimidating international record; having achieved the highest glory achievable by any football coach, by winning the world cup with his native Brazil in 2002. He also did very well as head coach of Portugal, turning them into a world power in international football.
The lesson for Luiz Felipe Scolari however is that success at the world scene or country level does not automatically translate totally to success at club level; where the stars are groomed and nurtured. The world scene is just an avenue to showcase the stars that has been made at the club level. The club challenges are however more enormous, tasking and challenging as you have to deal with day to day training, discipline and welfare of your players and crew. At club level a lot of matches are played sometimes twice in a week, strategies are mapped out and reviewed with every match and you do not have the luxury of time to experiment as it is the case at country level.
Scolari lost his job after about 7 months in charge in which period he played a total of 25 premier league games as head coach of the Blues. He has only won 4 premier league matches in the last 12 matches. This is the first time Chelsea has not been able to collect 50 points from their first 25 games since Roman Abrahimovich acquired the London club. Their main ‘Achilles heel’ however has been their inability to garner enough points at home and their loss of their invincibility at home, losing their once taunted ‘unbeaten run’ at their home ground to Liverpool football club.
Among the top 5 premiership clubs, Chelsea has dropped the most points at home having dropped a total of 16 points at home. Chelsea is no longer dreaded and if things were allowed to continue the way it was going they could stand the risk of not qualifying for the 2009/2010 Champions’ league, and at worst not even winning any trophies or silverware for this current season.
The life of a football coach comprises of two major events; HIRE and FIRE. When you do well, you stay when you fail to deliver; you are shown the way out. Scolari is a great coach, but I believe he still has a lot to learn about football at club level. That goes to buttress the saying that “there is no end to learning” and in the world of NOKIA, is this beautiful thought provoking phrase “No One Knows It All”.
I wish Luiz Felipe Scolari the best in his future endeavours.
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