LONDON (AP) -Luiz Felipe Scolari has arrived in English soccer with a mountain of work and little time to do it. He better be a quick learner.
The coach who guided Brazil to a fifth World Cup title six years ago but failed to win anything with Portugal has a little more than a month to decide on his plans for Chelsea. Which players will go, which ones will be added.
He arrives amid speculation that Frank Lampard may join former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, that Didier Drogba wants to move to AC Milan and that Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka are looking for a return to France.
Although Deco has arrived from FC Barcelona, there are reports - denied by Chelsea - that the Blues have made an ``astronomical'' transfer bid for Milan's Kaka and that another Barcelona player, Samuel Eto'o, could also be on the way to London with Andriy Shevchenko going the other way.
He also must persuade goalkeeper Petr Cech to forget his costly fumble for the Czech Republic at the European Championship, where his dropped cross helped Turkey to a remarkable comeback victory that knocked out his own team. It was the sort of amateurish blunder that could shatter a 'keeper's confidence forever and will be on the minds of Cech, opponents and fans until the new season starts and maybe beyond.
The tough-talking Scolari also has to get his players used to his methods as well as those of the three fellow Brazilian assistants he has brought with him. And he will have to deal with a British media that will pounce on anything he does.
Welcome to the Premier League, Luiz Felipe Scolari. It's likely to be a bumpy ride.
But ``Big Phil'' is used to taking the punches soccer throws at him, and he usually gives plenty back. Remember the touchline scuffle he had with Serbia defender Ivica Dragutinovic at a Euro 2008 qualifying game that led to a three-game ban from the bench?
Now he comes up against English soccer's heavyweights: Manchester United's Alex Ferguson, Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Liverpool's Rafa Benitez. Manchester City's Mark Hughes, Everton's David Moyes and Blackburn's new manager, Paul Ince, aren't exactly shy, either.
Scolari also has an army of bosses and advisers at Chelsea from chairman Bruce Buck to sporting director Frank Arnesen to chief executive Peter Kenyon. Plus owner Roman Abramovich himself.
The Russian billionaire, who appears happy to underwrite the club's huge debts up to a point, doesn't give interviews and confides only in his close friends. But he has shown signs of tinkering with the soccer operation, something Scolari won't stand for.
Two seasons ago, Mourinho was furious that the Russian hired Shevchenko against his wishes. The Ukraine striker, a scoring machine when he was at AC Milan, has made little impression at Stamford Bridge. His arrival led to friction between the owner and the coach. And when Chelsea was underachieving early last season, Mourinho left.
Potentially, Scolari has some of the Abramovich millions to spend. But Scolari most likely will keep most of the squad and must impose his style and prove himself immediately.
Chelsea needs to start with early victories. If not, the Blues most likely will be trailing United, Arsenal and Liverpool, and that could damage morale and invite criticism.
Abramovich has appointed his fourth coach in five years. He hasn't spent his money just to see his team finish runner-up in three competitions like last season. Scolari has to deliver at least a Premier League or Champions League title in his first or second year.
If he doesn't, it's certain the Russian owner's patience will run out. And Scolari will join Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant through the Stamford Bridge exit door.
