Sacking.... ?

This week itself, two managers lost their job in the top flight of one of the world's most toughest football league, the Barclays Premier League (BPL). Luis Felipe Scolari got sacked from Chelsea, and Tony Adams from Portsmouth. However, the significant thing about their sacking is, the former lost his job after 7 months, while the latter lost his after just 15 games in charge - ironically, Adams started his job against Liverpool (losing 1-0), and lost his job after being defeated by the same team (3-2). As for his case, it's easily understood about the sacking, as Portsmouth once again find themselves in a relegation dogfight. But what about Scolari?

Scolari's sacking is different. Chelsea are now in a battle to win the BPL title, but are in fourth place, 2 behind suprise package and 3rd place Aston Villa, 5 behind 2nd place Liverpool, and 7 behind reigning champions Manchester United. Having not scored in the last two games, and the latest set-back being a draw against Hull City at home, the Chelsea board decided that they can't take it anymore. Adding to the fact that the Blues has not beaten any of the "Big Four"; in fact, they only managed to mustar a point out of a possible 15 (matches against Big Four, only point taken from draw against United). Plus recently suffering a back-to-back defeat to Liverpool, it's no wonder Scolari lost his job. However, couldn't he be given more time to adapt to the BPL?

Yes I have to admit, Chelsea hasn't been a great force since Jose Mourinho left; even Avran Grant did a better job. But that's because he was assistant to Mourinho. Thanks to that, he has a bit of Premiership experience. Though he was sacked at the end of last season, he still managed to help Chelsea towards a possible double BPL and Champions League title. For the BPL, his team gave United a run for their money, and chased for the title till the end of the season before somehow losing it. As for the Champions League, he managed to guide the Blues all the way to the final, only to be outsmart once again by United, penalty shootouts this time.

But Scolari doesn't. He hasn't been given enough time to show Chelsea what he can do. This season has not ended yet; Chelsea might still have a chance to nick the title, and they are still in the running for the FA Cup, which they will be up against Watford in round 5, and the Champions League, where they will face Juventus. So they do still have a chance to win something, even though it's might not be the BPL. And what did Chelsea do? Sack him.

I recall Rafael Benitez when he first came into the Premiership in 2004. Liverpool weren't doing that well in the BPL at all, yet they managed to win the Champions League title in one of the best finals ever seen in history in European football. A season later Liverpool won the FA Cup, and five years on, they look poist to win their 1st ever BPL title since 1990.

So whose to say Scolari can't do the same? He has a good reputation worldwide, winning titles from clubs in countries like Kuwait and Japan, to clubs from Brazil. He even won an international title, and one of the biggest of all, the World Cup. He also led Portugal to the finals of EURO 2004, and World Cup 2006, where they were runner up and 2nd runner up respectively.

But only after seven months in charge of Chelsea, he is gone. How fast. Names being linked to his job are the likes of Hiddink, Rijkard, and also Grant. And I thought that Mourinho and Capello's departure of Chelsea and Real Madrid were bad. They were sacked or left the club despite winning titles with the respective clubs. Well, this is worse.

Conclusion: Chelsea's standards are just too high. Dropping to fourth place, and they are fretting over it like it's the world's biggest issue where not even the economic crisis matters, that it's spoiling Chelsea's image. It's like fourth place is a stinky place to be, that it's a place not worthy of a club like Chelsea, up to the point that they are willing to let Scolari go. I feel that it's not fair for him to be fired like this. He should be given more time. Not everyone can be like Jose.

Perhaps Chelsea should have thought twice about sacking him.