Former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko reckons Jose Mourinho should have been given more time to turn around the Blues’ poor start to the season.
The Special One was dismissed as Stamford Bridge boss in December after losing nine out of sixteen Premier League matches, just a few months on from winning the title for a third time with the club.
Although Chelsea’s fortunes have improved since the Portuguese’s departure, AC Milan legend Shevchenko, who played under Mourinho during a difficult three-year stint at the west London club, believes the Premier League champions could have kept him in charge for longer.
“Yes, because sometimes it’s difficult to understand what’s going on. He needed a little bit more time to figure it out,” the Ukranian told Sport360 during his appearance at the Abu Dhabi Invitational at Yas Links Golf Course.
“He’s a great manager and in the last 10 years he’s won everything and there was enough experience to get Chelsea back winning. As a manager if you don’t achieve results the club can always decide to change you, that is the life of a football manager.”
Shevchenko won the FA Cup and League Cup under Mourinho in 2007 and admits the former Inter Milan boss is more than capable of bringing out the best in players.
“He’s one of the best modern coaches. He’s very professional. He knows all the small details in his planning, it’s meticulous. He’s very good at building relationships with the players. He’s very good at getting 100 per cent from his players and he creates an atmosphere in the dressing room and is very protective of his players. He’s very impressive.”
Although interim boss Guus Hiddink will leave the club at the end of the season and a new manager is no closer to being finalised, Shevchenko expects Chelsea to be back firing on all cylinders again next term.
“Chelsea will improve because the squad is very strong, the players are very good. It’s just a bad moment and I’m sure next year they will return to challenging for the title, which is a position they have to be in, in the Premier League.”
Reflecting on his stint in England after his £30.8 million move back in May 2006, Shevchenko is frustrated that his time in the Premier League was blighted by injuries and form issues.
“I had a difficult time there. I had a few injuries and a few operations and when you have times like this it was difficult to get back in the best of form.”