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One Monday afternoon, I signed my name to a five-year contract at Anfield, committing myself to the club until 2005.

By Thursday, I'd signed for Leeds United. That sounds as ridiculous to me now as it must have sounded to Liverpool's supporters back then but
I can't think of a better example of how quickly a player's outlook and circumstances can change.

A few weeks ago, Torres made a public pledge to see out his contract at Anfield, apparently killing talk of a move stone-dead.

I can, therefore, understand why comments like that stick in the throat when he submits a transfer request before January is out.

At the risk of defending what many people would say is indefensible, I have to admit that I sympathise with him.

At the start of last month, Torres probably thought he was going to be a Liverpool player for the foreseeable future. He was probably fairly happy about that too.

Then Chelsea came calling, offering serious money, the London lifestyle, Champions League football and trophies – all the things that Liverpool cannot promise him at present – and the mind starts to wonder.
It gets you thinking more carefully about your situation.

Should he, as a £50m striker, be playing in the Europa League and messing about halfway down the Premier League? Or should he aspire to better than that?

As an ex-player, there's only one answer. It's asking a lot for one of the finest players in the world to settle for second best. That's not how lads like Torres work.

In different circumstances, I took the same attitude when I completed my transfer to Leeds. As they read the papers, Liverpool's fans must have thought "he's well out of order, signing a new deal and then moving on" and that's how it appeared in print.

What they didn't know was that I'd been told to prepare myself for a season on the bench – something which, to be perfectly honest, was unacceptable.

At the time, I was in the finest form of my career. I also thought I was well worth a place in Liverpool's starting line-up. The word in my ear was that the number three jersey would be mine.

On the morning when I signed my new deal – lucrative by the standards of the day – I told myself that there'd be no looking back.

So what happened? A couple of days later, I'm sitting in a bar with a few of my friends when my phone rings. It's a message to tell me that Liverpool have signed Christian Ziege and I ought not to expect a starting place for the rest of the season.

I was shocked. As soon as I got my head around it, I knew immediately that it was time to go. In three days, I'd gone from being on top of the world to the thick of the transfer market.

It was truly a blessing that Leeds United made so much effort to sign me and did so despite the fact that I was carrying an injury. I went from one outstanding club to another.

It turned out to be a defining stage of my days as a footballer, a period I took great pride in.

Yet in 2004, it all happened again – I offered to take a pay cut and the board at Leeds said no. Suddenly, and against my wishes, I was looking for another employer.

That's the odd thing about my career – I was pushed into the two most significant transfers I made. Of course I was privileged to sign on elsewhere and grateful for the opportunities that came my way but I've never tried to pretend that I left Liverpool because I wanted to.

Leeds were everything I looked for in a club and I wanted to join them when the offer came. But that's not the same thing by any stretch.

Looking back, if I'd been asked on that Monday morning what the future held, I'd have told the press in all honesty that I wanted to retire as a Liverpool player. By the time Thursday arrived and I was completing my medical with Leeds, I'd have sounded like an idiot. In general, the comments you make are completely honest in the moments when you're making them. And even if you're bluffing, it takes a brave (or extremely stupid) footballer to admit that you're angling for a move elsewhere.

Not so long ago, people were writing off Roman Abramovich as a spent force in English football – someone whose passion for Chelsea was on the slide.

An investment of £50m in one of the world's most complete strikers is a massive shot in the arm. It makes Chelsea seriously attractive again and it's the height of flattery to be told that you're worth the British transfer record plus £20m.

In reality, there's no decision to be taken.

Labels: Evening, Leeds, Matteo, Second, Torres, United, Yorkshire

The club’s board made a “unanimous” decision to relieve the Italian of his duties and place him on ‘gardening leave’ after their 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, which completed a run of 13 defeats in the club’s last 18 matches.

Di Matteo’s departure – with West Brom outside the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference alone – prompted rumours that Sam Allardyce or Martin O’Neill might return to management.

However, former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton was established as the bookmakers’ early favourite. Brighton manager Gus Poyet — a former team-mate of Di Matteo’s and currently fourth in the League Managers Association’s performance table — and St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes are also understood to be in the frame.

Close friends of Di Matteo said he was irritated not to have been able to make proper reinforcements last month and in a statement released through the LMA, the 40 year-old explained that he was shocked by the club’s decision.

“I was extremely surprised and disappointed to be relieved of my duties,” he said. “Winning promotion to the Premier League with West Brom last season was without doubt one of the highlights of my career and certainly my managerial career.

“Playing in this league is tough and we have had to compete against some fantastic sides, but we have shown that we can compete with the best. Apart from the first week of the season, the club has not been in the bottom three. I am disappointed that I don’t now have the chance to lead the team through this crucial period and keep them in the league.’’

Richard Bevan, chief executive of LMA, added: “Roberto represents yet another victim of the ‘hire and fire’ mentality that pervades in our game.”

Di Matteo’s dismissal was also met with surprise by supporters, not only because West Brom have not been known as a sacking club – as chairman Jeremy Peace was at pains to point out, they have had just four managers in 11 years — but because of the relative progress made by the side. Despite their 6-0 opening-day defeat at Chelsea, the team enjoyed a strong start to the season, making a brief appearance in the top four.

Di Matteo was praised for his commitment to attacking football, yet Peace said in a statement that the board had lost confidence in his ability to pull the club out of its tailspin.

“Our poor sequence of results stretches back more than three months and there has been little sign of it coming to an end,” he said. “If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That is why we felt compelled to act now.”

Control has temporarily been handed to first-team coach Michael Appleton but the club hope to have a new head coach installed in time for a crucial home match against West Ham this weekend, and certainly before the following Sunday’s home fixture against Wolves.

Although Allardyce, O’Neill and Martin Jol have been mentioned as possible replacements, the club have stressed that any appointee would be required to fit into the club’s “existing set-up” and work under sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth.

Labels: after, defeats, disastrous, Matteo, Results, Roberto, Telegraphcouk

Roberto Di Matteo has voiced his surprise after being sacked by West Brom.

The Baggies placed their Italian manager on gardening leave after their 13th defeat in 18 games, a 3-0 reverse at Manchester City, left them outside the Barclays Premier League relegation zone on goal difference alone following Birmingham's victory at West Ham on Sunday. In addition, Di Matteo's assistant Eddie Newton and head of sports science Ade Mafe have left the club, with first-team coach Michael Appleton taking over on a caretaker basis.

A statement released by Di Matteo through the League Manager's Association read: "I was extremely surprised and disappointed to be relieved of my duties.

"Winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League with West Brom last season was without doubt one of the highlights of my career and certainly my managerial career.

"Playing in this league is tough and we have had to compete against some fantastic sides but we have shown that we can compete with the best. Apart from the first week of the season, the club has not been in the bottom three and has an important run of home fixtures coming up. I am disappointed that I don't now have the chance to lead the team through this crucial period and keep them in the league.

"I wish the players well over the coming weeks and I thank them for the hard work they have put in and the great attitude they have shown. I would like to thank the staff at the club and of course the most loyal and fantastic fans, with whom I had a great relationship during my time at the club."

Labels: Eurosport, Matteo, surprised, Yahoo

The former Chelsea midfielder helped the club to promotion at the end of last season, but recent form has prompted the board at The Hawthorns to act.

The 3-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday left West Brom two points outside the relegation places, with 13 losses in their last 18 matches.

"This has been a tough decision," said West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace on the club's official website.

"But we, as a board, believe it is the right one to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Premier League."

Di Matteo is the fourth Premier League manager to lose his job this season, following the dismissals of Roy Hodgson by Liverpool, Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers and Chris Hughton at Newcastle.

First team coach Michael Appleton will take over as West Brom's caretaker manager.

© 2011 Sky News, all rights reserved.

Labels: Matteo, Roberto

WEST BROMWICH, England (AP)—West Bromwich Albion fired manager Roberto Di Matteo on Sunday as the team battles against relegation from the Premier League.

A 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Saturday was West Brom’s 13th loss in 18 games in all competitions, leaving the team only two points above the drop zone.

The 40-year-old Di Matteo had been in charge for less than 20 months before West Brom announced Sunday that he was being “relieved … of his duties and placed … on gardening leave.”

“This has been a tough decision but we, as a board, believe it is the right one to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Premier League,” West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace said in a statement. “Our poor sequence of results stretches back more than three months and there has been little sign of it coming to an end.

“If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That is why we felt compelled to act now.”

Di Matteo, a former Italy midfielder who was hired by West Brom in June 2009, secured the team’s instant return to the Premier League last May.

After losing two of its first nine league games, West Brom was a contender for Europa League qualification. But the team has won only three times since then and taken one point from its past three games.

“This club’s track record proves we do not take such decisions lightly, with Roberto being only our fourth manager or head coach in almost 11 years,” Pearce said. “We are in a results-driven industry and felt we had no choice but to act now.”

Assistant coach Michael Appleton will take over on an interim basis.

Di Matteo retired from playing due to injury in 2002 after struggling to recover from a triple leg fracture two years earlier.

The former Chelsea player impressed in his first managerial job at MK Dons, guiding the team to the 2009 League One playoffs in his only season in charge before moving to West Brom.

Labels: Albion, Bromwich, fires, manager, Matteo

LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion’s collapse in form cost manager Roberto Di Matteo his job on Sunday when the Premier League club said he had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.

Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City left the club in 16th place in the league, two points above the relegation zone, with 13 defeats in their previous 18 matches in all competitions.

“This has been a tough decision,” said West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace on the club’s official website (www.wba.co.uk).

“But we, as a board, believe it is the right one to give the club the best possible chance of remaining in the Premier League.”

Former Chelsea midfielder Di Matteo led the Midlands club back to the Premier League last season and won plaudits early in the campaign with a 3-2 away win at Arsenal and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

They even briefly rose into the top four in October.

However, hopes that he could establish them in the top flight after a decade of promotions and relegations to and from the top two divisions have faded. His position was also undermined by exits from both domestic cups against Championship (second division) opposition.

“Our poor sequence of results stretches back more than three months and there has been little sign of it coming to an end,” Pearce said. “If this run continues much longer, achieving our goal of retaining our Premier League status will become increasingly difficult. That’s why we were compelled to act.”

First-team coach Michael Appleton has been put in charge of the team while the club “considers its options”.

Italian Di Matteo moved into management in 2008 with League One (third division) side MK Dons, just missing out on promotion, before moving to West Brom as replacement for Tony Mowbray in 2009.

In his first season he clinched second place in the Championship behind Newcastle United, winning automatic promotion back to the top flight.

Di Matteo is the fourth Premier League manager to lose his job this season, following Roy Hodgson at Liverpool, Sam Allardyce at Blackburn Rovers and Chris Hughton at Newcastle.

(Writing by Martyn Herman and James Illingworth, Editing by Clare Fallon)

Labels: company, manager, Matteo, Reuters

Labels: Albion, expressandstarcom, Matteo