A different spin on Di Matteo's temporary tenure:

Inherits what is, by the standards of the majority of football clubs, an extremely good squad, albeit one seemingly rudderless and devoid of identity. Receives a free ride from the media, as is customary for the guy coming in mid-season, especially a Kings Road restuarant owning, sexy football kind of guy.

Reinstates players such as Lampard and Drogba to the vaunted positions of old; no doubt telling them how bloody brilliant they are and that that nasty Villas-Boas man knew nothing about football.

Follows the Ranieri/Mourinho tactical pattern of old - deep lying defense, counter attack down the wings, lump it to Didier etc etc.

Wins the FA cup, beating two Championship sides, a routed Spurs outfit and then narrowly topping a Liverpool side who boast such midfield talants as Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing in the final.

Makes the Champions League final through an inspired 90 minutes against Napoli, a just about passible display against Benfica and a result so fortuitous at Barcelona that it renders the common lotto winner an agent in a sure thing by comparison.

Meanwhile, the bottom line, the acid test, the bread and butter - the Premiership. Five big matches played. Zero wins. Two draws. Three losses. For 2, against 8.

Everyone loves the distraction of a cup run, but for a club supposedly doing business at the pinnacle of world football (yes, that really is how the club markets itself!), the performances of the team in the league are nowhere near the standard required and, I would argue, have actually declined under Di Matteo.

It was a shame AVB wasn't allowed more slack, he might well have been better for the club long term. The kill or cure Iberian bloodletting session at least had more gusto than Roberto's Elastoplast.

And I'm a Chelsea fan by the way.

I was just about to write an article on my blog about this.

This affection with players of past is brilliant to see..the saying of 'rose tinted' never fitted better this year what with Dalglish and now Roberto.

I have to start by saying I give Roberto some respect and he did do a good job at West Brom, but he most certainly isnt this 'saviour' that many including the likes of G.Neville and many more pundits are making him out to be.

Yes he has won the FA Cup and is in the Champions League final..but what is to say that they wouldnt be in those positions if AVB was still in charge. People seem to forget that Roberto was in the position of already being in those competitions because his pre-decessor had got them their.

AVB had steered them , all be it with difficulty, to the knockout rounds of the Champions League...and they went into the 2nd leg against Napoli with nothing to lose..at home. People make out that 1st leg should of been a breeze...those that do no little about Napoli!

As you mentioned their FA Cup run was hardly the definition of difficult...and they got a bit of a pass against Tottenham what with that infamous decision.

You cant take anything away from them against Barcelona...but as fantastic as it was tactically..i also consider it slightly naive. Had Barcelona chose to go a bit more direct earlier (they did in the last 10 and Chelsea were literally clinging on) then I think they could have taken a hiding.

As for league form, am I right in thinking they now actually sit lower than when AVB left?. In fact Roberto has lost almost half of the amount of games in 10 games as AVB did in 27....hardly outstanding!

Much like Dalglish the cup runs are putting a shining light on what is otherwise an average at best managerial stint.

Team are million miles more committed since AVB was replaced.. they have just been troubled with lack of options on the subs bench. Di Matteo will be successful in any big team he manages imo.

How good is Di Matteo? Its a hard question but he has led us to FA Cup glory and the Champo League final.

Simply put under AVB we would not have managed this due solely to the fact that the team is more committed. Had we had RDM instead of AVB all season I would have expected us to have finished 3rd

Interesting debate this one. As always hindsight is a wonderful thing. It was never going to be easy for AVB as a young manager with no association to the club stamping his authority was going to be tough.

You could argue he tried to do it to early and made vital mistakes in his handling of Lampard and Drogba. No question Roberto has got the best out of them in past couple of months and both been essential in the cup runs. However at some point the club is going to have to move on without them...neither are getting younger and in past 12-15 months you would argue neither have hit top top form. AVB realised the squad is coming to the end of its cycle and needed to begin building a new squad capable of pushing on.

When you look at his signings he hasnt done much wrong Cahill is beginning to find his feet in the heart of defence, Mata has been fantastic and then you have Meireles. They have also brought in a hord of youngsters...Romeu, De Bruyene, Lukaku but to name a few who in my opinion will become an effective part of the squad in coming seasons |(assuming they get the chance). Also the only reason Sturridge is being talked about for the England squad is because of his form under...you guessed it AVB..in fact since he left he has barely been given a chance by Roberto.

Its all well and good relying on the old guard at Chelsea...but at some point (next season most definitly) whoever is in charge of the club will have to oversee a 'transisational period'....AVB started it and in my belief was a great manager to have oversee it...but clearly Roman thought otherwise. Its a catch 22 for anyone who steps into the hot seat...transistional period usually means a period of non-success or at least a drop off..you either do it and build to come back stronger..or wait until last minute and deal with the ramifications. Something I think Chelsea are close to doing.

I think Chelsea's success this season has simply been down to the older players actually putting a shift in. They threw their toys out of their pram when AVB was trying to integrate a younger and more exiting side. When the experienced players did play, they played half heartedly and ultimately got what they wanted, AVB out.

Roberto has come in and because he is playing them all they are giving everything they have. As other have mentioned, they have had a huge slice of luck in all their tournaments this year. Barca, if they could have taken their chances, could easily have scored 3/4 in both legs against Chelsea. In the FA cup, they had a pretty straight forward run to the final with a another rub of the green with the goal against Spurs, which they then took advantage of and put 5 past a deflated spurs side. Then, they played a dismal Liverpool side in the final and were very fortunate again not to throw that match away.

Now, 'if's' and 'but's' are irrelevant in football, because fact is they are FA cup winners, champions league finalists end of. However, AVB was forced out of the club by the 'cliq' and with a slice of luck throughout the season in various circumstances, they find themselves in the final against Bayern. Roberto has simply played the experienced players, they and others have done the rest.

Yep agreed Martyr ....if Chelsea fans need to look at both sides of the coin if they are being realistic. On one side is this fantastic cup success...on the other side is worrying league form.

If we are to look at Roberto in both lights....fans must be worried about their thumping last night...which by no co-incidence did not involve Drogba or Lampard. That is the problem they have, which AVB was attempting to address. Without the old guard they look suspectible and much like liverpool a very average squad! Roberto doesnt have a magic wand...whoever Roman appoints he will have to give them time..something he is reluctant to do..it would seem Chelsea could be going round in circles unless something changes and soon!!

Yes good points all. Whilst AVB certainly wasn't doing the world's greatest shift at Chelsea, I would say given the brief he certainly wasn't performing in a manner meriting dismissal either.

Alex Ferguson had some torrid early seasons at United, and experienced a blip during the rebuilding years of the early 2000s. Simply put, no club and no manager can constantly turn out a world beating side.

I think this affair has thrown up a bigger question, a question about financial fair play and Chelsea's business model. For Chelsea to even stand a remote chance of getting near break even given their astronomical direct costs they must be competing in all competitions at all times. I am not aware fully of the ramifications for the club in not qualifying for the Champions League and how this will fit with UEFA when the next Roman fuelled raid on the European transfer market comes about, but I have a feeling that it was this that really got the big man nervous when he saw our mediocre league position.

Given what was in front of Di Matteo when he turned up it is rather funny that he might go on and get that Champions League spot through the unlikeliest of means - going and winning the damn thing!