The Pros And Cons Of Scolari

• Independent, Thursday, June 12, 2008 1:45 PM

It seems there's no getting away from the big rich clubs of the Premier League, even during an international tournament without England's participation. Just hours after Portugal had impressively beaten the Czech Republic and become the first team to qualify for the Euro 2008 quarterfinals, Chelsea announced that it had lured the team's coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, to be its new manager from the start of July.
 
"In so many respects, Scolari fits the blueprint perfectly for the kind of man [Chelsea owner Roman] Abramovich wants," writes Sam Wallace. "He is a World Cup winner, a man who takes no nonsense from anyone and who has made a habit of humiliating the England team on a regular basis. With Brazil he knocked England out the 2002 World Cup and his Portugal teams beat Sven Goran Eriksson's teams at Euro 2004 and in the 2006 World Cup."
 
And yet, he adds, there are still questions about Scolari's tactical acumen, with the Portuguese regarding him as "a man who plays more upon the heart of his players than their brains." Is he any more suited to manage Chelsea now than he was to coach England two years ago, when he turned the job down after fears of intrusion from the notoriously malevolent English media? "Managing in the Premier League, enthusiasm and force of character will get him only so far. As Jose Mourinho proved, there is a science to breaking Manchester United's stranglehold over English football and it is hard-won."

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