Managers’ chief: Chelsea ‘embarrassment’ to EPL

Chelsea has become a “serious embarrassment” to the Premier League after firing Andre Villas-Boas just eight months in his reign, the head of England’s League Managers’ Association said Monday.

Dumping the inexperienced 34-year-old Villas-Boas on Sunday left owner Roman Abramovich searching for his eighth manager since buying Chelsea nine years ago.

The instability and uncertainty surrounding Chelsea this season has seen the club win just three times in 12 league games and slip to fifth, out of the Champions League places.

“What’s for sure is the club, despite unlimited wealth, haven’t yet worked out how to build a successful football club,” LMA chief executive Richard Bevan told the BBC. “Looking for what is an eighth manager in nine years is a serious embarrassment to the owner, the club, the fans and the league.”

Bevan claimed the frequent managerial changes at Stamford Bridge did not help Villas-Boas develop a relationship with his squad.

“Players need to know that the manager’s strategy and his job is not in question, there’s a clear remit,” he said. “You get success if you get time, and stability will come from that. Otherwise it’s very difficult for a manager like Andre to impose his philosophy and build a team … after only eight months you can’t build that sort of success.

“The club’s still competing in the latter stages of the Champions League, the FA Cup and fighting for a top-four position. If you want success you must look at the longer term.”