Chelsea to appoint Hiddink?

From Russia with love.

So, Guus Hiddink now seems likely to step into the Chelsea breach, after his agent vehemently denied claims that the Russia boss would take the job. But the twist is that he'll take temporary charge until the conclusion of this season, combining his international management with the job at Stamford Bridge. Which leads me to ask; 'What is the point of all this?'

It had been claimed in some quarters that Luiz Felipe Scolari, sacked yesterday, took control of an increasingly aging squad. He wasn't heavily backed in the transfer market, and his agent even suggested today that Roman Abramovich's failure to help him capture Robinho was one of the main factors behind his apparent 'failure'. Whether this was a telling factor or not is unknown, but what can change under Hiddink?

Obviously, Hiddink won't be able to sign players (whilst loan deals seem unlikely) and he'll have no say in future transfer dealings. In effect, Chelsea have sacked one manager in order to replace him with a man who will be severely restricted. Furthermore, at the cost of paying off the remainder of Scolari's contract, one must ask whether it really is a risk worth taking.

There shouldn't be too many problems with Hiddink combining both roles - Azerbaijan (h) and Liechenstein (a) in the space of four days are the only games he'll be required for by Russia. It remains to be seen whether the dismissal of Scolari and subsequent (impending) appointment of Hiddink will launch Chelsea towards an assault on three trophies. Should they claim at least two of these, Roman Abramovich will be declared a genius. If they win nothing, at the end of the season as Hiddink goes off to prepare for Finland (a), we may be asking; 'What was the point of all that?'

The Irish Rovers

As Republic of Ireland prepare to face Georgia at Croke Park tomorrow night, Giovanni Trappatoni has confirmed Blackburn's Keith Andrews will make his first competitive start for his country, with Darron Gibson missing out. Alongside Glenn Whelan in midfield, the Irish still seem to lack a bit of steel in that area. However, with both playing regular football in the Premiership, expectations will be high in D3. Damien Duff appears to be hitting form with Newcastle, and Robbie Keane will welcome a break from his recent tribulations on Merseyside. Following the Irish victory over France on Saturday in the Six Nations, a win tomorrow night will cap a fine week for the boys in green.

The season starts here.

Kill Phil

Some will claim that it was coming, but today's sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to have come as a shock to many. Scolari was a breath of fresh air in the Premiership - his post-match interviews highlighting his honest and integrity. Scolari told it how it was, rather than attempt to blame lacklustre results on poor refereeing or bad luck. But it's not honesty that keeps a Premiership manager in the job. After a bright start, and a number of Deco-inspired performances, things began to sour for the Brazilian. With Deco going missing some time around November, and little inspiration up top for the Blues, not even several classy performances from Lampard could paper over the cracks.

Saturday's goalless home draw with Hull signalled the end for 'Big Phil'. Liverpool and Arsenal fans may have a little sympathy for Scolari, given their respective home performances against the Tigers. The fact is that Chelsea, for the second season in a row, face the run-in with a new manager at the helm. Ray Wilkins takes over as interim boss, and he seems to be a savvy enough guy to eek out a couple of decent results. But I wonder if Chelsea fans will be confident in appointing a manager who will take them as close as Avram Grant did last season? Perhaps Grant'll be back this season, and every other season from February onwards, as club owners grow more intolerant of a run of bad results (except Steve Gibson, of course).

West Ham have warned Chelsea off Zola, Hiddink's agent says he won't be next in the hotseat, and Rijkaard seems to have been installed as this evening's favourite for the job. An interesting outsider is Roberto Di Matteo, who has been doing well at MK Dons. Regardless of who steps in, immediate success will be required. Roman hasn't spent all the money for nothing, y'know? Although it seems the panic button has been pressed a little too soon, Scolari, like Grant, had one major flaw - they just weren't Jose Mourinho.

Adams and Leave

At the other end of the table, today's first casualty was Tony Adams. Adams can have little to complain about. As Sammy Lee, Paul Ince et al can testify, chairmen are no longer willing to allow time for a manager to settle in the Premiership (step forward again, Mr. Gibson). Tony Adams may have had the backing of the fans, but two wins since taking over is relegation form in anyone's book. There is no secret that Sacha Gaydamak wants rid of the club, and I'm sure this was the main reasoning behind Adams' departure. Simple maths leads us to the conclusion that selling a Championship club is likely to be much more difficult than selling a Premiership club. That risk had to be addressed, and Adams was the risk.

Avram Grant is an early contender to take over from Adams, whilst Alan Curbishley did little to deny the fact he might be interested during Sunday night's 'Match of the Day 2'. Whoever comes in will, and should believe, that they are inheriting a squad good enough to stay up. The loss of Jermaine Defoe to Tottenham is the only drawback, and if Pompey are to stay up then the form of Crouch and Nugent will prove crucial.

So, will this lead to a collective pressing of panic-buttons in the Premiership? That remains to be seen, but Gareth Southgate must be finally beginning to wonder if/when Middlesbrough have had enough. Either way, for those clubs attempting to salvage their campaigns, the season starts here.