Criticism over sacking of Villas-Boas continues as Newton returns to help

Villas-Boas was given his marching orders on Sunday barely eight months after his appointment, leaving the Blues looking for their eighth manager since Roman Abramovich bought the club almost nine years ago.

Former midfielder Eddie Newton yesterday joined caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo’s backroom staff until the end of the current season.

There were echoes of the 2009 departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari, who lasted just seven months before being axed and the Brazilian had a warning for Villas-Boas’s replacement.

“It will be hell for whoever succeeds him,” the Palmeiras boss told a news conference in Brazil.

“This move is strange – although it’s not so strange to me because of what I went through there.

“Villas-Boas was a champion and he will continue to be. He needed to replace at least seven or eight players, but he failed.”

League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan was scathing about Chelsea’s latest decision to sack a manager.

“What’s for sure is the club, despite unlimited wealth, haven’t yet worked out how to build a successful football club,” said Bevan told Radio Five Live.

“Looking for what is an eighth manager in nine years is a serious embarrassment to the owner, the club, the fans and the league.”

“You get success if you get time, and stability will come from that. Otherwise it’s very difficult for a manager like Andre to impose his philosophy and build a team.”