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Blues - We must do better

Image: Bruce Buck: Chelsea's chairman has issued what sounds like a blow to Roberto Di Matteo's hopes

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has outlined the club hierarchy's disappointment at failing to finish in the top four of the Premier league.

Buck and board to work and ensure there is no repeat of sixth place

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has outlined the club hierarchy's disappointment at failing to finish in the top four of the Premier league. In what may be a blow to interim first-team coach Roberto Di Matteo's hopes of being appointed manager full-time, Buck vowed he and owner Roman Abramovich would move to ensure there was no repeat next season. Despite winning the FA Cup and leading the club to the UEFA Champions League final since replacing the sacked Andre Villas-Boas just over two months ago, Di Matteo could only manage a sixth-placed finish in the league. The Blues had been fifth when he was appointed and Buck wrote in Chelsea's official matchday programme before Sunday's final home game of the season against Blackburn: "We do not consider that to be satisfactory and Roman and the board will be working over the summer to try to ensure that doesn't happen again." Buck was reportedly unhappy with Di Matteo's team selection in Tuesday's night's 4-1 thrashing at FA Cup final victims Liverpool, a result which ended their top-four hopes.

Disappointed

He wrote: "We were all very disappointed with the result on Tuesday night in Liverpool. "We just couldn't get into the game, and we played to Liverpool's tune. "But if we had the choice to win the FA Cup final or Tuesday night's game, I know which one I would have picked. So, in that sense, I am satisfied." Chelsea now must win Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to qualify for next season's competition. It is the Blues' second final after they were beaten on penalties by Manchester United in Moscow four years ago. Buck said: "We came oh-so-close in Moscow. We want to do better this time."

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