Scolari — or Big Phil as he is known — is clearly a
good manager. He is a World Cup winner with Brazil and his
accomplishments over time have landed him one of football’s plum
jobs.
And on his debut as a Premier League boss tomorrow
against my Portsmouth team, he will be walking into a dressing room
with standing room only for all the world-class players on the
payroll.
It is almost impossible for him to fail. No manager has
a magic wand that can turn water into wine, or vice-versa. Last
season, Chelsea were a late goal and a couple of inches away from
being the Premier League champions and Champions League winners.
And their boss Avram Grant got the sack.
If Scolari had come to England three weeks ago and
taken over at Hull, everyone would be saying he will do a fantastic
job just keeping them in the Premier League. And it isn’t because
he is a fantastic manager. It would be the same if he took over at
West Brom.
Take Paul Jewell, for example. He did great stuff at
Bradford and Wigan. Yet he goes to Derby and what happens? He
couldn’t win a game — because the players weren’t up to it. Don’t
misunderstand me, I have enormous respect for Scolari. He is taking
on one of the biggest clubs in Europe where the pressure is
intense. He has talent and worked hard to get himself to the
position where Chelsea went after him, so he must have earned
it.
But the top four teams in the Premier League have the
best players. That is why I think it will be between Chelsea and
Manchester United again for the title. But, yet again, Arsenal and
Liverpool will be strong. Sure, all us managers can coach and can
cock it up. But the simple equation in football has not changed
since my first day as a professional.
The best teams with the best players generally win. The
simplicity of football is its beauty. For me, it is not a question
of if Chelsea win a trophy this season but how many. Big Phil has
bought well in Jose Bosingwa. He is a lightning-quick right-back
and I looked at him myself a couple of years back. And he cost
£16million.
Deco is a fabulous player, my favourite type. He will
be a superb asset, dropping off behind a striker like Didier Drogba
with the two wide players I expect Scolari to employ. What was his
price? £8m? They are also trying to sign Robinho and Kaka is
another name linked with the club. It’s not only what Chelsea can
spend but just how much they can afford not to save, too. If my
nephew Frank Lampard had been at any other club, he would have left
for Inter Milan this summer.
Other clubs would have been ordered to sell to recoup
money to balance the books. As it is, Frank was handed a new
five-year deal at Chelsea on Wednesday but only they could have
afforded to write off £8m and keep him for the final year of his
contract in the full realisation that he could easily walk away for
nothing on a free transfer next May. It is awesome, unrivalled
financial power.
The ammunition is waiting there for Big Phil from
tomorrow. In addition he has John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Petr
Cech, Michael Essien and the captain of bloody Germany, Michael
Ballack. It is a dressing room full of experienced, international,
class players with a winning mentality. And with very hurt pride
after going so close last season.
Scolari knows Bosingwa and Deco from Portugal. And only
a foolish manager buys players he has worked with already if he is
not sure they are made of the right stuff. I am in the same
position with Peter Crouch. I know what a great lad and a great
player he is. An honest worker and a fine striker. In your love
life they say never go back but managers rarely let their hearts
rule their heads.
I don’t know Scolari at all. The only time we have met
was briefly at half-time during a Champions League match between
Chelsea and Liverpool last season. It was just a polite ‘Hello’ and
a few words. No insight into his character or personality, although
Frank tells me he is extremely popular with the players
already.
We may collide in the tunnel before the game on Sunday
but that is not the time to roll out the red carpet and welcome him
to England and the Premier League. Perhaps afterwards we shall have
a drink but each manager is different. Not all of them like to sit
down and have a glass of wine and reveal their trade secrets . . .
we shall just have to wait and see.
I have been a Premier League manager for 13 years. In
my first season as boss at West Ham our new man was Joey Beauchamp.
He cost us £800,000 from Oxford and broke down in tears on his way
to training on his first day because he was homesick. He wasn’t my
signing but how the league has moved on since then.
I remember way back when I was Bournemouth manager, our
first game of the season was at home to Chelsea in the old Division
Two. I think we drew and the old Chelsea chairman Ken Bates was so
p****d off at their performance he stomped down and sat in the
dugout for the second half.
When asked if I would like that from my chairman I said
‘Not likely’. The next thing I know, I received a letter from fiery
old Ken asking me ‘What the bleedin’ ’ell it had to do with me!’.
We became pals after that. But I certainly wouldn’t fancy Roman
Abramovich and his pals sidling up to me during a game, that’s for
sure.
HARRY REDKNAPP was talking to ANDREW
DILLON