Imo, a return for Jose at this time would be a backward step and nothing more than a shorterm fix.

We are rapidly running out of credible, quality options, so yet another short term appointment would be bad.
We badly need the next manager to be able to put down some roots and stay for a decent period of time.

I've said it many times before, i'd go straight to Lampard as player manager.

Lampard as player manager? Really? Never gonna happen. Even Terry is probably more likely, and we know what Abramovich thinks of inexperience.. see RDM.

I think Mourinho is probably 90% likely, and i dont think hes a bad choice at all. Anyone worried hes only a short term option - well, i think he would stay for 3-4 years atleast. Think he would only want to leave to manage either Bayern(Pep there though) or Man Utd. Or possibly Portugal. SAF seems to be going on for a while yet...

Personally i would just let Mourinho have full control of squad/transfers etc and be done with it. Success will surely come. Hes a fantastic coach and his record is second to none. Only SAF and Pep are close to him. Couldnt get a better manager really. I also have a feeling he wants to win the CL with us, as he never managed it before.

I don't think we'll ever have a long-term manager as long as Abramovich owns the club. It's just not the way he does things.
The best we can hope for is a succession of managers, each adding their own ideas and taking the club foward. And to be fair, that policy hasn't served us badly up to now in terms of trophies.
Mourinho is charismatic, a great communicator, and can motivate teams like few other managers in the game today. If we can get him for another three years, we should jump at the chance. I don't think the fact that he was with us before makes any difference. He's a born winner, with a giant ego, and won't take the job unless he believes there is every chance of proving something.
Lampard ?..I think he would be completely out of his depth. I'm all for giving Terry and Lampard future roles at Chelsea, in fact with Mourinho as manager that might be a possibility. But bringing either of them straight in as manager..no, not in my opinion anyway.

Now we know what happens if you cross Roman, Jose cant turn him down now.

Jose for 2 or 3 years would be just about right. Bring on Lamps and Terry over that period to take over as managers and hopefully thats the next 6 years sorted out.

We have a fantastic young team, what manager wouldnt want to manage the team at this time?

With Shaw, Fellaini and Athletico Madrid open to talks about a Torres/ Falcao swap, that would be fantastic business over summer.

Bring back some of our star loan players like De Brune, Courtois, Lukaku, Essien even, and our side is looking pretty exceptional.

^ Essien won't be returning, his contract expires this summer.

Essien's contract expires in 2015.

Even so, i dont think hes in our plans anymore... Going out on loan to Madrid says it all, at his age as well. He clearly isnt wanted anymore.

Shame, i still think he could do a job for us, silly to just let a top player like him go for nothing even if injuries have reduced his effectiveness. Could

Ramires not even on the bench for brazil, how come? Luiz and Oscar look the best out of an average bunch of brazil players, IMO. Neymar looks quite handy though, if a little selfish

Yes, with Meireles going, you would have thought they might have given Essien another season. As well as a defensive midfielder he could have provided cover at RB, or even CB at a pinch. In his prime, I remember him playing in both those positions with success.

Official reason is that he's "struggling for fitness".
I don't think Brazil like showing their full hand in the build-up to tournaments, they always come up with a couple of surprises when the real action starts.
Having said that, they looked impressive against Italy, even without a couple of their stars.

Ah yeah, i knew he had a 5 year deal in 2008 but overlooked that it was extended by another 2 years in 2010. I think he'll move on though, unless Mourinho does end up returning and convinces him that he's part of his plans.

Damn, this international break is really dragging. Roll on our congested schedule of games.

I think the papers are starting to get their stories from us.....


The Star continues: "Mourinho is also believed to have a list of demands that include getting rid of chief executive Ron Gourlay and technical director Michael Emenalo.

"(And) he has a list of transfer targets, which he will want assurances over."

"He is not keen on taking charge at Stamford Bridge if the Blues do not qualify for the Champions League," reports the Star, meaning Chelsea fans will need Benitez to get the job done for the rest of the season if they are to ultimately get their dream appointment.

Think anyone wanting the job would rid of those two clowns

All sounds good to me, providing we qualify for the Champions League of course.
Joking aside, if Abramovich could really come to some close understanding with Mourinho (or any other decent manager for that matter) it would only benefit the club.
I've never understood why he appears to keep managers at arms length, preferring to communicate with his little group of insiders.

Technical director/director of football etc.. All those titles sound like shit you make up to give jobs to friends, which is exactly what he does. Don't understand why he can't see the negative impact it has on us. Guess the trophy's mask some of it, but he shouldn't be so naive.

He is a busy man with many fingers in many pies.

We have to get away from the old view of the owners being involved with day to day running of the clubs.

I dont mind us having people running the club for Roman but its got to be the right people.

At the moment we have nobody even remotely good enough to be running a boot sale never mind a top 4 premership club.

I would not mind the team of Peter Kenyoun and Avram Grant, Both are football people and both are use to operating at the higher end of the business.

If we do get Jose back (and i am not sure we will or if i want him back) the guy does need someone as a buffer between him and Roman, Much as we love Jose we must admit to be his boss must be a bloody pain in the arse. He needs handling with kid gloves (and then some)

They can be important roles for us. We dont have them here as much but in Europe they are pretty common.

We just have rarely given the job to the right person,

I dont think a CV containing Womens football in the states would get you a interview for most roles in any other club but Chelsea

Just a heads up for you peeps, your youngsters are playing Arsenal on Eurosport 2, and the HD version of the channel, at 2pm tomorrow, I just thought that I would let you know if anyone was interested.

Didn't know that. Appreciate the heads up mate.

No worries, hopefully it will be a good match!

I haven't really been following this. I see the semi-finals and final are all being played this weekend at Lake Como..nice place for an Easter break.
Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Sporting Lisbon make up the last four. So our youngsters are doing ok, a lot of big name European clubs were knocked out..Barcelona, Juventus etc.
Might take a look at that, if the wife doesn't have other plans.

Anybody watching the Next Generation Tournament ? We are making the same crazy tactical decisions as we sometimes make at senior level. Winning 3-1, we take off our two most influential players, now it's 3-3. My money would be on Arsenal in extra time.

It's a strange old game. Chelsea should of finished this off but chucked it away with poor substitutions.
It's like each team dominates for every 15 mins.
Loftus-Cheek looks a talent.
Shame the pitch is so bad. Both teams are probably used to playing on a carpet.