One of the many problems about managing Chelsea is you often have to serve two masters, at least one of whom is highly volatile. But with Colin Hutchinson now set to depart at the end of the season, the incumbent Claudio Ranieri may find it is even more uncomfortable with the chairman Ken Bates in sole charge.
Hutchinson was primarily responsible for Chelsea's decision to sack Gianluca Vialli in September last year, and to appoint Ranieri in his place. Having built up his contacts and knowledge of European football during the Ruud Gullit and Vialli years, Hutchinson knew far more about the former Valencia coach than Bates.
This time last year Hutchinson was singing the praises of Ranieri at the club's agm, lauding the Italian's willingness to "take on the egos" of the players, in contrast to Vialli.
"Nine times out of 10, Luca would send the players to my office rather than deal with them himself," Hutchinson complained.
Yet the installation of Ranieri seems to have done little to quell player unrest, nor to take the weight off Hutchinson's shoulders.
Now there is effectively no one between Ranieri and Bates. Though recent results and performances have been patchy, to say the least, Chelsea's financial position demands that they reach the Champions League next season. Bates has so far been supportive of his manager, both in public and in private, but he dropped a hint at last week's agm that his patience was wearing thin, claiming the club had "one or two players who are here for the money" and referring to others as "lemons".
The bad news for Ranieri is that Bates is taking a greater interest in the playing side of the club than for some years, with the development of Stamford Bridge all but finished and Bates's involvement in the Wembley debacle at an end.
It is possible that Hutchinson will be replaced, but more likely is that Bates himself will take on more of his duties. He and Michael Russell, the chief executive of Chelsea Village and finance director of the football club, have to perform the apparently impossible balancing act of curbing Chelsea's expenditure while chasing the money-pot of the Champions League.
It is the increasingly desperate position of Chelsea Village, the football club's parent company, that will influence Bates's behaviour rather than any footballing motives. Player morale is low and Wednesday's crowd of only 33,000 a worrying sign. But sacking Ranieri, who still has two years left on his contract, would cost several million pounds.
In the eight years since he took on a senior role at the club, Hutchinson has been a key influence in its rise. Until recently, his record on signing players was brilliantly successful. If it all goes wrong now, there will be only one man left to blame. Over to you Ken.
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