Inspiring player = inspiring manager?

In January I wrote that Abramovich had to stick by Andre Villas Boas (You can’t teach an old Drog new tricks, 24 Jan). I was wrong. It’s not often you will hear a journalist admit that, but there it is. My reasoning at the time was that, as a Chelsea fan, I couldn’t bear to see another change of manager. I wanted to believe Abramovich was ready to turn over a new leaf and invest time and resource in ‘The Project’. Alas, the project was doomed. I had argued that, for it to work, the old guard of Drogba and Lampard would have to leave, allowing room for the new guard to properly express themselves within the new philosophy. That wasn’t an easy thing to admit, given the legendary status that both players have among Chelsea fans. Anyway, many of the players were not ready to accept the new tactics or the project. That has become more obvious with every game they play for interim boss, Roberto Di Matteo. Recent matches, in particular the comeback against Napoli, have marked a welcome return to the strong, powerful Chelsea side of the Mourinho era. Classic Chelsea.


I had the fortune to interview Di Matteo, one-to-one, during his time at MK Dons. At the time, I was thrilled to meet a Chelsea icon. Just over 10 years earlier, when Di Matteo scored his record-breaking goal after 42 seconds, I was  14-years-old, wearing a Ruud Gullit-inspired wig (long dreadlocks) and just settling into my first seat at a Wembley cup final. So he was a hero in my eyes. But when I sat down with him in a back room at stadiummk and quizzed him about his approach to management, it was an eye-opening experience and, in my eyes, as a manager at least, his stock fell. He appeared tired, moody, absent, dry. I tried to cajole him into life, asking positive questions about the job. Nothing. The only time he showed any sign of being human not robot, was when he spilled his tea all over the table as he rose to leave – apologising profusely. Of all the people I’ve interviewed over the years, be it celebrity, politician or sportsman, none have epitomised the saying: “like getting blood from a stone”, like Di Matteo. It was impossible to extract any colour or emotion.


Now, the cynics among you might think that anyone would be miserable managing in Milton Keynes, in League One. Or perhaps he just hadn’t got much sleep that night. Maybe I’m being unfair. But I’ve spoken to others who worked with Di Matteo and I’m not alone in my observations. When asked, in private, what the Italian is like, those who know him have raised their eyebrows with a look of despair. It turns out he is not the most enjoyable man to work with. When Chelsea announced his appointment as interim manager, some were surprised the decision was not met with resounding approval from the fans. But a lot of fans were already familiar with his personality, perhaps from tv interviews while he was West Brom manager.


In a recent interview, Gullit threw some light on the issue. He said Di Matteo was a ‘very serious man’ who rarely smiled, and spoke of his obsessive approach to the game. Of course, these can be good traits for a manager and Gullit recognised this. Di Matteo’s approach is also typical among the stereotypical Italian managers known as disciplinarians. However, despite his strong start at Chelsea, it is clear that someone with more charisma and personality is needed to take over in the summer. Unless he wins a cup double…then ask me again.