No mercy Blues heroes still face axe
Posted Sunday, March 18, 2012 by The Sun
ALL SMILES ... but Terry and Drogba's joy against Napoli may prove short-lived
ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is still set to wield the axe this summer, despite Chelsea's Champions League heroics against Napoli.
Sources close to the Blues' billionaire owner maintain he intends to oversee a radical overhaul in a bid to rebuild an ageing squad.
Players like Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and even captain John Terry are likely to discover that sentiment does not register with the Russian.
That is also set to go for stand-in coach Roberto Di Matteo, who harbours dreams of landing the Stamford Bridge post on a full-time basis.
Though Chelsea's chief executive Ron Gourlay looks to have given the players a huge vote of confidence, it does not reflect Abramovich's thinking.
Abramovich is understood to be less than impressed as well that the same players who performed so bravely against Napoli in midweek did not lift a leg for Andre Villas-Boas, who was axed after just eight months in charge.
A highly-placed source said: "Despite the euphoria that followed Chelsea's historic win over Napoli, it is unlikely to have much impact on the owner or lead to a radical change of thinking.
"To be honest, he doesn't give a damn what people think. He will do things his own way."
Chelsea's hopes of winning the Champions League, regarded by Abramovich as the 'Holy Grail', were boosted yesterday by a quarter-final draw that has seen them avoid the big hitters and face Benfica.
Yet victory will earn them a date with Barcelona if, as expected, the Spanish holders beat AC Milan in their quarter-final.
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