Scolari Sacked

Chelsea's official website has a comment on the Scolari dismissal.

"Luiz Felipe Scolari has been dismissed as manager of Chelsea Football Club
today (Monday) with immediate effect.

"The Chelsea board would like to place on record our gratitude for his time as manager.

"Felipe has brought many positives to the club since he joined and we all feel a sense of sadness that our relationship has ended so soon.

"Unfortunately the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season.

"In order to maintain a challenge for the trophies we are still competing for we felt the only option was to make the change now.

"The search for a new manager has already started and we hope to
have someone in place as soon as possible.

"While that continues assistant coach Ray Wilkins will take charge of the team on a temporary basis."

Sky Sports say that Chelsea have already compiled a two man short list of Hiddink, and the man Scolari replaced Avram Grant. They even raise the possibility that Grant could be asked to return again to his previous role upstairs as a Director Of Football, and have Hiddink take on the first team. Grant was previously Director Of Football at Chelsea when Jose Mourinho was manager. There was some animosity, at least on Mourinho's part towards Grant as he resented his influence on team affairs, and Grant is thought to have been offered a return to this post in the summer when he was asked to step down as manager.

Scolari has also released a statement where he revealed that he regrets that he did not have more time to get things right with Chelsea, and rather revealingly worked in the fact that he intends to stay living in London, which sounds like a "come and get me" call to Europe's big clubs.

There is also a popular demand from some Chelsea fans that I spoke to today that a Zola/Clarke dream team could be tempted across London from West Ham. However, it is unlikely that Abramovich will go for Zola as his experience is limited to his time at West Ham and a spell with the Italian under 21's.

Bellamy To Have Medical At Man City

Sky Sports is reporting that a deal has been agreed between Man City and West Ham for Craig Bellamy. The fee is undisclosed, though Bryan Swanson of Sky Sports believes the fee to be up to £14m. That is about £94m less than their projected bid for Kaka.

Gianfranco Zola will now make a striker top priority and will have at least some of the Bellamy funds to spend.