Opinion: Why Scolari will add fight and steel to Chelsea

If the Chelsea fans thought they had seen it all with Jose Mourinho, then they had better prepare themselves for the Luiz Felipe Scolari experience.

While Mourinho would pick a fight in an empty room, the former Stamford Bridge boss preferred to do it verbally, rather than by literally punching his weight.

Scolari, though, is a different kettle of fish and while friends say the Brazilian has mellowed, his spell in SW6 is certain to be a very bumpy ride.

What you get with Big Phil is the ultimate paradox.

In terms of football, he is as modern a tactician as you can get - fluid, flexible, able to think on his feet and as brave as a lion.

But the package comes in the shape of a man who holds the most unenlightened of views about society, and a tendency to use his fists sometimes.

Plenty of the Blues faithful would applaud a manager who reacts to press criticism by pinning his accuser against the wall, as Scolari has done on plenty of occasions in the past.

Indeed it is not just reporters who are likely to feel Phil's ire.

Opponents, such as Serbia's Ivica Dragotinovic - and even rival fans are equally likely to be on the receiving end.

Scolari is unlikely, either, to approve of London's Bohemian tendency, having characterised his spell in Kuwait in terms likely to put the gay lobby on edge. "I don't like to see so many gays," declared Scolari. "If I find out that one of my players is gay, then I quickly get rid of him."

Yet at the same time, Scolari is an inspirational leader, citing the battle tactics of the sixth century Chinese warlord Sun Tzu as his own textbook and frequently describing his players as "warriors".

He will not have come without getting the approval to bring his hand-picked team of assistants, headed by Flavio Teixeira - nicknamed Murtosa and known as his "eyes and ears" - men who - like Mourinho's cohorts Baltemar Brito, Silvinho Loura, Rui Faria and Andrea Villas Boas - know what he expects.

What he demands, too, just like Mourinho, is unquestioned loyalty. When he sees it, as he does in his current Portugal squad, the praise comes out as a galvanising stream of reciprocated love.

"I look at my players and their eyes are shining," he said after Wednesday's win over the Czech Republic. "They are supporting each other."

If not, however, they will be cut dead. It is a simple formula yet one which has proved very effective and made Scolari the world's best-paid manager.

And it has given the man Brian Barwick let slip through England's grasp the opportunity to show what he can do.

Next month, the Blue touchpaper will be lit. Wait for the fireworks.

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