Scolari needs some new forward thinking

IN THE interview after the Southend debacle, Phil Scolari wondered why we did not score one of the 15 chances we had — just a thought, but could it have been anything to do with leaving the highest scorer in the league on the bench?

Of course we shouldn’t need the Premier League’s top scorer to overcome a club over 50 places below us but we are so sorely lacking in all other departments that we need any advantage we have.

As the minutes ticked away and the tie was not secured, my eye kept wandering over to the dug-out. Initially it was to see if Scolari was conversing with Anelka as a pre-cursor to him coming on. Not only was it evident that this was not happening, but Phil cut rather a lonely figure — mostly standing alone neither shouting instructions nor discussing alternative tactics (or anything) with his number two and/or Wilkins.

Seven years is a long time to be out of club management and his time away is beginning to show.

Indeed if you look at the teams he has managed at club level, you begin to wonder if he had enough experience to manage a side like Chelsea. But it’s pointless looking back now as it is unlikely we will be replacing him soon. If there is no money for players, I imagine there is no money to pay off a manager and attract someone else.

Our only hope for this season is that Scolari will learn from his mistakes — although worryingly, he doesn’t seem to be doing this. Even more worrying is that he said his job isn’t just about results. I am hard pushed to think of a job that is more about results than that of a football team manager! What has been interesting is the deafening silence coming from the likes of Bruce Buck and Peter Kenyon who last season were constantly in our faces, trying to persuade us that everything was under control. Neither has come forward to back our management team.

I was sorry to see Wayne Bridge go — he was popular and one that rarely let us down when called upon. That Champions League winning goal at Highbury alone is enough to guarantee him a rapturous welcome whenever he returns to the Bridge; and €12m is not to be sniffed at.

Not that it exactly constitutes a war chest; it’s not going to buy us that striker that everyone except Scolari can see we need. Or those wingers that could give us that still maddeningly evasive “Plan B”.

Most Chelsea fans have never feared playing United as we have almost always come away with something. But most, like me, are fearing the worst this weekend. Usually despite what was going on, you could rely on the players to put on a united front and play for pride, but there is little evidence of that lately. Even Joe Cole who is usually one to be relied on to be the friendly face of Chelsea FC was visibly angry when substituted (again) on Sunday.

He could hardly be blamed; although this has not been a great season he constantly sees Deco given more playing time when available despite putting in dismal performances game in and game out.

Fergie will be rubbing his hands at facing us at such a time and with his wealth of riches up front we need some drastic action to prevent them running away with this game. Hopefully with Terry back in the side and paired with Carvalho we will make a decent fist of it.

What saddens me most is that it really seems to be the final break-up of that team that won us those back-to-back titles. A few have obviously already left but the skeleton of that side was still with us, and initially it seemed we could go on conquering and leaving records smashed in our wake.

I wonder if Abramovich keeps a sneaky eye on the Italian league and sees that not only is Mourinho top of the league by some six points but that he is yet to lose a home league game. I wonder whether he yearns for the time when not only were Chelsea the most successful team in the England, but the most talked about team in the world?

A time when he celebrated title wins with the team on the pitch and in the dressing room. A time when the fans sang his name, albeit after they had serenaded the Special One.

I wonder if he wishes he had done things differently. Sadly, we will never know, but I bet he does.

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