Jose said the Chelsea job came too early for Villas-Boas... maybe he was right
Posted Tuesday, February 21, 2012 by The Sun
ALEX FERGUSON and Roberto Mancini are sitting very comfortably up in Manchester.
Yet it is a totally different situation down in London.
For the first time I can remember, there is uncertainty surrounding the managers of the capital's three biggest clubs.
Although the situations are totally different, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal are not exactly the most settled of places right now.
Over the next few months, I have no doubts there will be some people coming and going.
Andre Villas-Boas, Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger are in the spotlight yet it is clear the Chelsea manager is the one fighting for his life.
AVB always knew Chelsea was a pressure job and now people are saying he is one game away from the sack at Stamford Bridge.
Maybe that is over the top but a heavy loss away to Napoli tonight will not be of much help.
Chelsea have had some great managers in the Premier League. Phil Scolari was not a good choice but the others — Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti — were all hard done by.
AVB's career is currently in Blues owner Roman Abramovich's hands and, if he is dismissed, you wonder where the young Portuguese manager will go.
Mourinho has said the job came a couple of years too early for AVB, 34, and maybe he is right.
I do feel a degree of sympathy for him, though, as he is clearly a good coach.
AVB has not helped himself by some of the things he has said, such as the claim that he didn't need the backing of the players. That was a silly thing to say.
But I would like him to get a chance — although whether Abramovich gives him the time he needs remains to be seen.
Abramovich will not publicly back AVB although he has never done it with another manager. The fact the Russian has spent so much time at the training ground is a concern.
Spurs fans are also frustrated and angry. They have waited years for their team to be a Premier League force and now they may lose Redknapp.
They are only seven points behind the leaders and are just two players away from being a real force.
I love the fact that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy refused to let Luka Modric go to Chelsea and now Tottenham could finish above them.
The fans really love Redknapp at White Hart Lane so there are many reasons why he should stay.
You have to wonder whether England have a good chance of winning Euro 2012 and, at this stage, I would say no.
But the prospect of managing a team at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 is one that I cannot see Redknapp turning down, so I'm pretty certain Spurs will be looking for a new boss at the end of the season.
At Arsenal, it still seems weird hearing that Wenger is needing assurances that his job is safe.
I always felt he was untouchable, much like Fergie at United.
It is a worrying situation for Arsenal and their fans and there is currently a lot of pressure on both Wenger and his team.
Last week's displays against AC Milan in the Champions League and then Sunderland in the FA Cup were hugely disappointing so, yes, it's a difficult situation.
But when you consider what Wenger has achieved since arriving at the club in 1996, he has earned the right to get through this rocky period.
I still feel the blame should be levelled at the board rather than Wenger in terms of the amount spent on players.
There is talk about whether Gunners skipper Robin van Persie, 28, will sign a new contract which is unsettling.
And it is also really disappointing to hear people have a pop at Theo Walcott, 22.
He is a good, young England player with a big future.
It is a massive match for Arsenal against Spurs at the Emirates on Sunday and I hope my old club gets through this tough period.
Because during the title run-in, I don't want to see too much punishment in the capital.
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