Sky says Ancelotti has left Chelsea

[London Villan]

Is there a better available target out there?

[Monty]

Is there a better available target out there?

Time will tell if he is available. I still think he's off to Rome.

[Concrete John]

Well, he may have won Serie A, Champions League, Premier League, the FA Cup, you name it, but David Moyes he ain't. :-)

I wouldn't knock his record at all, but sometimes even the best managers are not 'right' for certain jobs at certain times. 

It's easy to say he 'knows the Premier league', but two years managing a top 4 side is a lot different to taking a club like Villa and trying to get us into that elite.   

Is he a track suit manager or does he largely stay away from the training?  I think we need someone who works with the players day to day to get them improved. 

Is his transfer record littered with discovering gems or does he use the buying power of big clubs - we need more the mega scout type right now.

None of the above is to say he's anything other than a top manager, but we present a pretty specific challenge right now and he may simply not be what we need.     

[London Villan]

Most managers have to take over clubs when they are at a really low ebb or a shambles... surely we must be quite and attractive offer.

Three key signings, of the level Ancelotti would be used to, could see us challenging the top four next season... maybe!

[Eigentor]

None of the above is to say he's anything other than a top manager, but we present a pretty specific challenge right now and he may simply not be what we need.     

Apart from Chelsea's loss of form this season, he is clearly very good at getting the best out of the players at his disposal. That was evident in his first season at Chelsea and at Milan (eg he is credited as the person who transformed Pirlo from a decent attacking midfielder to one of the best central midfielders in the world). His transfer record is difficult to evaluate, as managers in Italy don't have as much power over transfers as in England. I'm not sure why we need a "tracksuit manager". If we have excellent coaches working to improve the players, I have no problem with Ancelotti sitting in the office playing freecell on his computer.

[Dante Lavelli]

Well, he may have won Serie A, Champions League, Premier League, the FA Cup, you name it, but David Moyes he ain't. :-)

I wouldn't knock his record at all, but sometimes even the best managers are not 'right' for certain jobs at certain times. 

It's easy to say he 'knows the Premier league', but two years managing a top 4 side is a lot different to taking a club like Villa and trying to get us into that elite.   

Is he a track suit manager or does he largely stay away from the training?  I think we need someone who works with the players day to day to get them improved. 

Is his transfer record littered with discovering gems or does he use the buying power of big clubs - we need more the mega scout type right now.

None of the above is to say he's anything other than a top manager, but we present a pretty specific challenge right now and he may simply not be what we need.     

There are some good questions there John.  Is there anyone who has followed Ancelloti's career now what sort of guy he is? 

I agree that the sort of guy we need is a tracksuit manager who will spend time coaching and improving the players and we cannot afford to buy the finished articles.  This would in my opinion be a pretty full time commitment. 

On that basis I think we also need another guy that works in the background doing the scouting and dealing with some of the administration.  Houllier is a possible candidate for this role although a lower profile guy might be better.

[KidPoker]

He was on £5m a year.

[London Villan]

He was on £5m a year.

Which is more or less covered by jumping 4 places yesterday... come on Randy!

[Villa'Zawg]

Ancelloti's football philosophy - It's like making cheese

“My father was a farmer. I milked the cows and cut the trees and bushes,” he said.

“The most important produce was milk, which produced parmesan cheese. And the big lesson I learnt was to wait, to be patient.

“Because he who wants to produce parmesan today, has to wait for at least one year before everything is ready for him to make cheese.

“You plant today and harvest one year or two years later. This is my philosophy with football.”

“It’s my style, my way of life,”

“You can’t be anxious for the result. If you’ve done the proper things, it will come.”


I like that.

[KidPoker]

He also has fantastic eyebrows. Get him and Ray Wilkins in and we will be absolutely flying.

And God knows Ancelotti can attract good players. What a coup this would be. There were people saying yesterday he cannot work for a PL team after leaving Chelsea for 12 months, it was in his contract apparently.

[Mark H]

Oh we must at least have a go to get him surely - and he fits Randy remit of being out of work so not breaking a contract !

[London Villan]

I'm not sure clauses like that are legal...

[Dave]

I'm not sure clauses like that are legal...

Why not?

He had a year left on his Chelsea contract, they fired him and paid up the contract. He's basically still on their payroll without having a job to do.

I'd be very surprised if he were allowed to manage in the Premier League before the end of the contract he signed with Chelsea.

[London Villan]

They are a restriction of trade, against the European human rights laws and all that jazz...

[Dave]

They are a restriction of trade, against the European human rights laws and all that jazz...

No they're not. No more so that putting in a contract that you're not allowed to work for another club while you're employed there. While they're paying his wages they stop him from working for a potential competitor. It's a no-brainer.

Incidentally, Mourinho had the exact same clause when he left Chelsea. So it's definitely legal.