Two news stories here, but kind of related as they are both premierlasgue managers.
Scolari sacked as Chelsea manager
Chelsea have sensationally sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The club's website revealed the dramatic move had been made "to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for".
World Cup winner Scolari had only been in the job since June 2008, when he became Chelsea's third boss in a year.
Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League but remain in the Champions League and FA Cup, with Ray Wilkins in charge until a successor is appointed.
"Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club with immediate effect," read the statement.
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The Chelsea board would like to place on record our gratitude for his time as manager."
Scolari signed a lucrative three-year deal when he joined Chelsea and the London club could face a hefty compensation pay-out to their former manager.
Scolari's spokesman Acaz Felleger said it was Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich who had run out of patience with the Brazilian coach.
"It seems that Abramovich made the decision," Felleger told Lance newspaper's website.
"Scolari was not in a comfortable situation despite having the support of the squad and Peter Kenyon."
Felleger added that Scolari had paid the price for not being given the backing to refresh the aging Chelsea squad.
"The Chelsea squad are old. Felipe tried to rejuvenate it, but unsuccessfully. He asked (the board) to sign Deco and Robinho, but they only brought Deco."
Watch Scolari's last BBC interview
Scolari indicated he would give his version of events in the near future.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to have worked for Chelsea and in English football," Scolari said.
"It was a very valuable experience. I am sorry that my time with everyone could not last longer. I wish Chelsea luck in the three competitions they are participating in.
"I want to take the opportunity to inform that I will keep living in London. I will respond to the media soon."
Scolari's former team travel to Watford in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.
The tie at Vicarage Road is the start of a vital 11 days for Chelsea, with a crucial Premier League clash with third-placed Aston Villa on 21 February, followed by the visit of Juventus to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League four days later.
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Chelsea's official statement indicated that the club were eager to get a new man in charge for that run of games.
"Felipe has brought many positives to the club since he joined and we all feel a sense of sadness that our relationship has ended so soon," read the statement.
"Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season.
"In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now.
"The search for a new manager has already started and we hope to have someone in place as soon as possible."
Scolari won the World Cup as manager of his home country, Brazil, in 2002. He arrived at Chelsea following a six-year spell in charge of Portugal, who he led to the final of Euro 2004 and the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.
The 60-year-old made an impressive start but results deteriorated and of his 36 games in charge, 20 were won, five lost and 11 drawn.
Chelsea, who were unbeaten in the league at home for 86 matches until Liverpool's 1-0 win in October 2008, have lost two home league matches and drawn on five occasions this season, and were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Burnley on penalties.
Their record against the so-called big four this season is poor - they drew 1-1 at home with Manchester United and lost 3-0 away, were beaten 2-1 at home by Arsenal, and home and away by Liverpool.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who has been at the helm at Old Trafford since 1986, said he felt a large degree of sympathy for Scolari.
"It is a sign of the times," Ferguson told MUTV.
"There is absolutely no patience in the world now. There was great expectation at Chelsea that they were going to do well this year - and it is only this last month they have had a bad spell.
"The judgment really is only on the last month."
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has now overseen the departure of four managers since his arrival in 2003.
Timing of sacking makes sense - Venables
Claudio Ranieri was sacked in 2004, Jose Mourinho in September 2007 and Grant in May 2008.
A banner unfurled during Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Hull at Stamford Bridge on Saturday called for the return of former Blues favourites Gianfranco Zola, currently in charge at West Ham, and Roberto Di Matteo, the MK Dons boss.
Chelsea were booed off the field at the final whistle and sections of the crowd could be heard chanting "you don't know what you're doing" at Scolari.
Several names have already joined Zola and Di Matteo in being linked with the vacancy, including Russia boss Guus Hiddink and former Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard.
AND
Adams 'surprised' at Pompey axe
Tony Adams has admitted he was surprised to have been sacked as manager of Portsmouth.
Adams, 42, left the club after winning just two of 16 Premier League games since taking over on 28 October.
He told BBC Radio Solent: "I am a little bit surprised but results haven't been good.
"I haven't had a lot of time and I certainly haven't had the financial backing. We've had a few injuries as well and that's tough to take."
He added: "I'm still up for the challenge so I've got mixed feelings."
Adams' final game in charge was Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by Liverpool, and he admitted he could not have asked for any more from his players or fans.
"The guys worked their socks off at the weekend and I've really got to thank the fans," he said.
"I thought they were magnificent for the whole game and were really supportive of me and the team.
"That gave me some inspiration and encouragement ready for the challenge ahead."
Adams conceded his record as manager had not helped his cause for keeping the job.
"I don't think the results have been good, it must be said," he admitted.
"We have been making a lot of mistakes. We are in the results industry and the owner and chairman will point to that. I'm not going to bang on about excuses.
"I think I could have turned it around but it was not to be."
Striker David Nugent, who struggled to make his mark after his £6m move from Preston in July 2007, has recently found his form under the ex-Arsenal man, with three goals in his last four outings.
He said that he believed the club should have given Adams more time at Fratton Park.
"He gave me a chance and I was happy for him to stay. I thought he deserved a few more games but it's the chairman's decision and we'll see who comes in next," said Nugent.
"He called me aside and said I'd done well for him in the past few games, scoring a couple of goals. He wished us well for the future and just walked out; that was it really.
"There's 11 teams who could go down. We have to get a bit of stability at the club, get a few wins and get out of there. I don't have a clue about management but we need someone who can come in and is up for the scrap.
"The players are up for it so we just need someone who can come in and get a few wins."
League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan has offered his support to Adams, while also calling on clubs to give managers more time to make their mark.
"After speaking with Tony this morning, he was very disappointed, particularly for the fans, and very frustrated at only being given 16 games and three months," Bevan said.
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"That isn't in my opinion long enough to build relations with the team and the club and all the stakeholders down there.
"Earlier in the season, Paul Ince had 17 games at Blackburn and it is a worrying trend.
"The average tenure at the moment for a manager is 15-16 months, which is the lowest it has ever been.
"At the same time you recognise the pressures the club chairmen are under, particularly in the Premier League, in terms of the financial impact of not keeping your league status.
"But you have to look at clubs like Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, Everton and David Moyes and Aston Villa and Martin O'Neill.
"These are guys who are given time to build those relations with the club and build a team. For example, I don't think Sir Alex won anything in his first four years at Manchester United.
"If you are prepared to do that, the statistics tell you that you will be more successful."
Bevan is also convinced Adams will return to management sooner rather than later.
He said: "Tony is immensely professional and determined and will continue to learn his trade
"I am sure he will be back in football management in the not too distant future."
Here's what I think.
Scolari was a great manager, but Chelsea are simply not the best team in the premiership. The problem is that they chop and change managers when things are bad and the players never get to settle both with manager and often each other. They also kiss the paycheck and not the badge. Scolari is one of the best managers in the premiership, bar sir Alex Ferguson and maybe Arsene Wenger. If he can't make chelsea win then no-one can.
Tony Adams deserved to be sacked, I know Harry redknapp was a big act to follow, but Redknapp left a team with top class players and a club that worked well enough to manage maybe a top six finish this season. Since Adams took over it has gone from good to crap for them as they lose a few of the best players and only win 2 games under him. He was just not a good manager.
