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Chelsea closing in on boss

Image: Ron Gourlay: Admits it would be ideal to appoint a Chelsea boss in the next few weeks

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay claims the club could appoint a new manager within the next few weeks.

Gourlay backs Torres to come good for the Blues next season

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay claims the club could appoint a new manager within the next few weeks. Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo has guided the club to FA Cup success and, for the first time, UEFA Champions League glory since taking over from Andre Villas-Boas in March. And yet, it is still far from certain the Italian will be given the job on a full-time basis. But Gourlay claims any appointment could be just weeks away with the players set to report back for pre-season training in the first week of July. Asked when a new manager would be appointed, Gourlay said: "Any time over the next couple of weeks and certainly by the time we go on tour. "The players report back on July 4th or 5th and in an ideal world you want the coach in position by then." But Gourlay acknowledges that Di Matteo's amazing spell in charge could influence the club's decision. "It certainly would have made the discussions a bit different," he said. "The fact that he has the Champions League on his CV helps him enormously. "I know there has been speculation in the press and media about conversations with 'XYZ'. That has not been the case. "We will sit down as a board of directors with our owner as quickly as we can and take our decision from there. "We are going through that process now and then we'll sit down ... it's only been a couple of days (since the season ended)."

Success

Russian oligarch Abramovich has seen nine different men manage the club he purchased in 2003 but Gourlay reckons the club's record of success speaks for itself. "When you take into account how many managers have been sacked or not, when you look at the success we have had on the field it has been there," he added. "We have demonstrated, whether you like our model or not, and we have delivered. "Certainly since I have been in the role, we have always done what we believe is right for the football club in the long term." With Villas-Boas dismissed amid rumours of a dressing room revolt, Gourlay admitted the players are listened to but claims they do not have the ultimate say. "We do listen, but at the end of the day it won't force us to rush into a decision," he said. "We have to get it right. The players will always have a view, but at the end of the day it will be the owners and the board of directors that will decide the best way forward. "Of course we speak to the players and we're always listening, but we won't get into the scenario where the players pick the next manager."
World class
One man certainly leaving the club is Didier Drogba, who has announced his time at the Blues is over. Fernando Torres has also been critical of the club's use of him since arriving in January 2011, but Gourlay insists the Spaniard has a big role to play even if Chelsea do replace Drogba. "We've got Fernando Torres. And Fernando Torres is the man that we will go forward with and Fernando Torres will score us the goals," Gourlay said. "Have no doubt that Fernando Torres is a world-class centre-forward and Fernando Torres will score goals for Chelsea. I'm not worried at all. We've just won the Champions League and Fernando Torres played his part in that. "It's not all about goals. It's not just about the individual scoring goals, his teamwork - he is a very, very important player." "We may have two big-name centre-forwards scoring 25-30 goals for us next season and maybe then we will improve on our sixth position in the league."

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