Football Card System

The next morning, Gao Bo was reading the newspaper while having breakfast. England's newspaper industry has always been well-developed, and Gao Bo often found some interesting news in the papers.

In the sports section of The Times, a major piece of news caught Gao Bo's attention—it was about Chelsea. Luton was set to face Chelsea away in their next match, and Gao Bo was very interested in Chelsea's current situation.

The article reported:

> "...In an exclusive interview with France Football magazine, Drogba revealed that he had almost lost his passion for football in 2008 because he didn't feel adequately supported at Chelsea. Drogba said that after the devastating loss of his grandmother, the club did not provide the care he needed. Additionally, he felt he was not given the main position he deserved in the squad. In the interview, Drogba criticized Chelsea for being unfriendly to a four-year veteran of the team and accused Scolari of not showing him enough respect. Drogba stated: 'Anelka is indeed very good, but Scolari should have partnered me with Anelka rather than leaving me on the bench…'"

Gao Bo paused when he read this and began to recall his memories of his previous life.

How did Scolari get sacked? Of course, his poor results were a factor, and Abramovich was never a patient owner. Gao Bo remembered that Scolari would likely be dismissed by Abramovich in early February, shortly after this month ended.

He checked his phone and confirmed his recollection. Just yesterday, December 28th, Chelsea had drawn 2-2 against Fulham in the West London Derby after squandering a two-goal lead. Scolari's position was now precarious.

In that game, Lampard had scored twice, but Fulham equalized through two goals by Dempsey. Chelsea fans, frustrated with Scolari, booed him and sarcastically chanted, "You don't know what you're doing." This was almost certainly a sign that his dismissal was imminent. According to The Times, Abramovich had watched the game from his yacht, and his expression was reportedly grim.

There were many reasons why Abramovich had sacked Mourinho, including a lack of progress in European competitions and Mourinho's decision to bench Abramovich's friend Shevchenko. But a crucial reason was Abramovich's dislike for Mourinho's style of football.

Abramovich wanted Chelsea to play attractive, attacking football. Mourinho, however, stuck to his philosophy, turning Chelsea into a tough, counter-attacking side. Despite dominating the league with this approach, Abramovich was unimpressed, and Mourinho ultimately parted ways with Chelsea.

After Mourinho, Abramovich appointed Avram Grant, an Israeli coach. Although Grant led Chelsea to the Champions League final, they lost to Manchester United. In the league, Chelsea also fell short of Manchester United, and Grant's interim role ended after the season.

Abramovich then brought in Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who promised to introduce Brazil's "sexy football" to Chelsea.

Scolari declared on his first day at Chelsea:

> "Even though I am managing in the English league, my goal is to bring a Brazilian style to Chelsea. The two styles are very different, but we will try to emphasize dribbling, ball control, and passing. At the same time, I will respect the characteristics of each player. Some of them have a Brazilian style already, while others should stick to their strengths."

However, were Chelsea players truly suited for Brazilian football?

Early in the season, a string of victories gave Chelsea fans hope. They won six and drew two of their first eight league matches, amassing 20 points and topping the table. At that point, many Chelsea fans hailed Scolari as a savior.

But things began to unravel after a home loss to Liverpool in the ninth round. By the fifteenth round, Chelsea suffered another home defeat, this time to Arsenal. The media began questioning Scolari's methods.

The doubts surrounding Scolari can be summarized into three main points:

1. Rigid tactics: Early in the season, Drogba's injury forced Scolari to adopt a single-striker formation, which initially worked well for Anelka. However, opponents soon figured it out and started neutralizing Chelsea by crowding their defense. Even after Drogba returned, Scolari stubbornly refused to switch to a two-striker system, making it increasingly difficult for Chelsea to secure wins.

2. Lack of squad rotation: Halfway through the season, Scolari rarely rotated his squad. Players like Terry, Cech, Bosingwa, A. Cole, Lampard, Mikel, Deco, and Anelka were almost never rested if they were fit. This lack of rotation, while ensuring stability, took a toll on the players' physical condition.

3. In-game management: Scolari frequently made conservative substitutions, often replacing players like Belletti and Bridge even when the team needed to attack. For example, against Fulham, when Chelsea desperately needed a win, Scolari replaced Bridge late in the game to strengthen the defense. Fans were frustrated by his lack of a winning mentality, a quality they felt Mourinho had in abundance.

Scolari's inflexible approach, reluctance to adapt, and poor decision-making in critical moments were making his position at Chelsea increasingly untenable.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Chelsea's dressing room was deteriorating, with conflicts between the players and the coach.

For Luton, this might be a golden opportunity to upset Chelsea.

Gao Bo stroked his chin thoughtfully.