Steve Clarke is a Chelsea hero. As a player, coach and assistant manager he has served Stamford Bridge loyally for the best part of 20 years. Maybe it’s time he was considered as the long term replacement for Jose Mourinho.

It would be far too easy to attribute success in the blue half of west London to Jose’s brilliance or Roman Abramovich’s money without taking a moment to consider the impact of their long-serving and long-suffering assistant manager.

The 44-year-old former right back was a key figure in the transformation from Premier League also-rans to genuine title candidates. He has won it all as both player and backroom staff member. He is loved and respected by everyone at the club from the tea-lady up, and maybe he is the one man who could be installed by Abramovich and appease the growing band of angry fans.

'Abramovich has done a lot of good for the club since he came on board, but he is in danger of undoing all that good work if he persists with a boss who is ludicrously under-qualified and seems destined to fail'


There are many who may consider that Clarke would rather be out of the spotlight that is created by taking the manager’s post, but surely if the former St Mirren defender had ambitions for the job then he should be considered as worthy as the huge list of potential replacements for the increasingly isolated figure that is Avram Grant.

Abramovich has done a lot of good for the club since he came on board, but he is in danger of undoing all that good work if he persists with a boss who is ludicrously under-qualified and seems destined to fail. The question is whether Chelsea supporters would rather have a big name in charge like Guus Hiddink or Fabio Capello, or would they be happy to give a long-term servant of the club, such as Clarke, a shot at management.

What do Chelsea have to lose? if they really believe that the Israeli boss is the long-term solution then they are sadly mistaken. If, however they are waiting for the right manager to come along, be it at the end of the season or after Euro 2008 has passed, then why not remove Grant and give Clarke a shot?

Unfortunately the only rumours circulating around the former player, who took part in over 400 games for the Blues in a playing career that spanned over a decade, are that he may be on the way out. He does not seem to be part of the new boss's plans as he seeks to spring clean everyone who has been linked with the ‘Special One’.

I am sure that Clarke has the tactical nous to go with his player-handling abilities and there is no reason to suggest that he couldn’t do an excellent job in SW6. Who knows, he could be the man to spearhead the return to form and finish the job that Jose and Roman started?

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