I might be wrong, but I believe there is quite a close correlation between statements of support and sackings.

I take it you are not familiar with the phrase "the dreaded vote of confidence"?

I think a bigger factor is that the bigger clubs can no longer cherry pick the players (obv that's down to the tv deal). We've had WBA turn down £20m+ offers and Everton turning down £40m bids for a youngster. So not only can they spend they can keep.

Not sure if serious.

That's a great example of misusing statistics

Last time Chelsea did a VOC was for the Tinkerman,

Only lasted 3 years afterwards.

We need this more than we need a new manager. The transfer committee has been a total abomination. How could they even have look a managerial candidate in the eye and be like yea, we brought in Dejan Lovren for 20m, Adam Lallana for 25m, Lazar Markovic for 20m last season and now he's playing in Turkey, etc.. etc... but we are gonna keep making those buys while you have no say and just manage that crap on the field?

Article in the Guardian today says Klopp would have no issue with the transfer committee structure since he delegated player recruitment at Dortmund

I didn't know that

reminds me of the old adage

"A camel is a horse designed by committee"

"Know" seems a bit much. Especially given the following....

I agree. Even if you generally subscribe to the idea that the intrinsic value of "top" managers is overrated (and I think I do) I still think there can come a time when change is appropriate.

I find it interesting the way managerial changes are so often evaluated in terms of what the manager "deserves". When City decides at some point that they'd like to try to bring in Bony and move Dzeko on, we don't start comparing where City are today versus where they were before Dzeko, or asking whether Dzeko "deserved" more time.

LFC are in a position where taking one step forward could pay major dividends, whereas taking a step backward would be more or less irrelevant.

Going back to whether or not this change will be materially impactful, there is one thing that might differentiate the LFC situation from the largely middle and lower tier managerial changes that have been empirically shown to have little lasting impact. When a club swaps Pulis-for-Hughes, or Di Canio-for-Poyet, or Lambert-for-Sherwood, I'd argue that they are simply hoping that "different" will translate to "better", at least long enough to give them the boost they need to avoid relegation. I don't think many observers would argue that there is much of a hierarchical differentiation between, say, Pulis and Hughes, or anyone else on the mid-table carousel. On the other hand, even those who downplay the impact of managers in general would agree that Carlo Ancelotti is a better manager than Brendan Rodgers. So if (and I still believe it's a big IF) LFC are successful in luring Ancelotti or Klopp to Anfield, I think it's fair to hope for a greater impact than the average manager swap typically provides.

Would Suarez or Sterling have stayed for Carlo or Klopp? Certainly not Suarez, and I'm not so sure about Sterling either. I tend towards the view outlined by BAIDS below. But I'm of the opinion that the downside here is minimal, and the upside is enough to nick 4th place. And right now that's the club's focus.

What an excellent post IMO. I think we all (supporters of the top third of the league) need to adjust to the reality that clubs like Swansea and West Ham are gonna have enough juice to smack us around on any given match day.

Why would you request the hump bit? Cause that's just gonna get in the way innit

I can't believe this message would ever mean Chelsea are getting rid of Mourinho but then you guys seem so sure and are more accustomed to statements released by clubs in English. But that being said why is Mourinho still 4/1 to be next manager to leave if that means for sure he's getting sacked? I'm reading into it in the very first degree and don't really see no other reason to believe it's not

It's a shame we got rid of Colin Pascoe. Would have been majestic to have the king of shorts managing this weekend.

http://www.sporcle.com/games/prolifi...by-name-length

Surprisingly difficult for the really low and high letter surnames, got 60/95. Some random names in there I haven't heard in a long time.

Not if you're a Sheik and need to move around in the desert without your steed dying...

we're approaching the point at which every situation in life can be summed up with a Karl Pilkington quote. And that's surely a good thing.

didnt avb get one and was sacked a few weeks later?

the thing with the "dreaded vote of confidence" is the sample is hugely biased.

A statement of support from the board / chairman is only ever happening when the club is in, or approaching, crisis. So in many cases, the situation doesn't improve and the manager ends up leaving, and all the smart media hacks point back to the dreaded vote of confidence.

But yeah, the fact that Chelsea even feel the need to state their support for Mourinho suggests his job is less secure than it was at the start of the season. It's a kind of a silly paradox really, but there's some logic to it.

He got the ultimate vote two days after a horrid performance at Everton:

Not sure what a similar phrase would mean in "Belgian" (whichever language is your native) but in German a phrase like that ("We have full confidence in our coach and we can guarantee that he's keeping his job") quite literally translates to "Yup, we're gonna sack him within the fortnight".

It's crazy that this even needs to be explained.

So my question remains : if this message means for sure Jose is getting the sack why is he still 4/1 to be next manager out ? Should I bet my large 25m² apartment on it?

it doesn't, basically. It's just an indicator that he's not 100% safe.

Just to clarify sacking him is obviously stupid but very possible.

Can't remember doing a langer but got 50% here:

Yea he's in the hole right now. But that's the downside. Not even surprised. Just hope he gets through this.

Got to say I love a good sacking though in any league - it's just exciting and while I should feel a little bad for the guy who lost his job he's probably in the 98% who are trying to accumulate as much £ as possible and then die. So not that bad when the payoff is huge.

Also I'm not sure comparing this sort of message is comparable to any other message say if Newcastle were to do it. It's a high profile club with a history of sacking managers quickly and a really high profile manager, there's so much speculation and questions being asked left right and center in the media with 2 weeks of international aids coming up that might just be chelsea giving an answer to those questions. Anyway as I said that might be naive thinking as i'm not accustomed to these sorts paradoxal club statements

Right. As it'd be the case with any manager at Chelsea going through bad results. Just seemed like a lot of you implied it was a sure thing based on that statement