Talking AVB - Reaction today to the sacking of the Chelsea boss.

Football is in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment!

Portsmouth, Rangers, Port Vale, Harry Redknapp and Andre Villas-Boas are all hot topics of conversation, so let's see what the players, managers and journalists think about one of the issues dominating the news as we speak!

Here are what some people have written or tweeted today in reaction to the sacking of Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas:


The Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter on Twitter: ‏"So it cost Abramovich £28m to sack Ancelotti & recruit AVB. He could have kept Ancelotti, a Double-winner. Just a thought."

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty on Twitter: "Encouraging words from Luiz Felipe Scolari for AVB's replacement: It will be hell for whoever succeeds him."

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson says "the patience shown to Sir Alex Ferguson when he became Manchester United manager no longer exists in football." Hodgson was speaking following Andre Villas-Boas' sacking as Chelsea boss, a day after the Blues lost 1-0 at the Hawthorns.

Former Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins has leapt to the defence of the club's players in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas' sacking Villas-Boas lost his job yesterday amid reports of dressing-room unrest at Stamford Bridge, but Wilkins told talkSPORT: "I found the players an absolute delight to work with. They are a very nice bunch of guys, they are a hard-working bunch and, coupled with that, they are an extremely talented bunch. We didn't have a problem. I don't think the players swayed the owner."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Andre Villas-Boas' sacking as Chelsea boss: "I feel sorry for Andre Villas-Boas because I know him and I like him as manager and as a man. I'm sorry that he was not given enough time to do his job. When you're not given time you have no chance."

AVB waits in line as Roman fills out an eighth managerial P45 in nine years!

Chelsea winger Juan Mata has declared the club has two months to save their season in the wake of Andre Villas-Boas' removal. Speaking to Chelsea TV, he said: "I think we have to start again. We have a very good squad and we have two months to achieve our objectives in the Premier League, in the FA Cup and Champions League. We are not in a good moment, we are not in a good run of results, but we all want to change it. I think we are ready to change it."

Eddie Newton has been talking about his new coaching role at Chelsea. "The ambition is to get fourth place," he told Sky Sports News. "We will push as hard as possible to get it. Every game is important until the end of the season."

Tony Cascarino on twitter: "Good managers don't lose dressing rooms. That's a simple truth."

Rafa Benitez's agent has again insisted that there has been no contact from Chelsea regarding the possibility of the former Liverpool manager replacing Andre Villas-Boas.

League Managers' Association chief executive Richard Bevan says Andre Villas-Boas was 'frustrated and saddened' to be sacked by Chelsea and has suggested the club are becoming an 'embarrassment'.

Bevan went on to say: "Looking for what is an eighth manager in nine years is a serious embarrassment to the owner, the club, the fans and the league."

Chelsea defender David Luiz has taken to Twitter to thank former manager Andre Villas-Boas: He tweeted: "Thanks AVB! You are an amazing guy! Big hug."

Opta Sports tweeted: "47.5% - André Villas-Boas won just 19 of his 40 games in charge of Chelsea, the lowest win% at the club since Glenn Hoddle (34%). Gone."