Goodbye Special One, hello Mr So-so. Luiz Felipe Scolari's first press conference as Chelsea manager may have been lacking in incident, but the Brazilian at least produced a moment that, though it may not be reviewed as much as Jose Mourinho's proclamation of divinity or Christian Gross and his tube ticket, served to give the assembled hacks something to chew on. It came when he was asked whether he, like Mourinho, considered himself a Special One.
"Yes," replied Scolari emphatically. "I am special for my friends and for my family, no more. As a manager, so-so." It was the standout moment in a rather dry briefing, with the Brazilian frustrating the massed ranks of photographers (all 23 of them) and broadcast crews (a remarkable 54) by refusing to fly off the handle, say anything particularly controversial or announce a flurry of new signings.
His ease under questioning - he struggled more with the language than with the substance of the answers - can be explained by his huge experience. "The pressure from media is there all over the world," he said when asked about press scrutiny. "If you're coach of Brazil, you know what pressure is." And he was helped by the good news regarding Frank Lampard, subject of an official approach from Internazionale.
"I met Frank Lampard yesterday," said Scolari. "I asked him if he wanted to stay at Chelsea, not just for this season, but for a long time. He said he wants to stay here for many seasons."
Though he couldn't be equally unequivocal over the future of Didier Drogba, again the news was positive, with Scolari describing the striker as "200%" part of his plans at Stamford Bridge.
He was perhaps at his most animated when asked about his relationship Roman Abramovich. "With my boss? With Roman?" he said, eyebrows rising with faux surprise that such a question should arise. "I met him two times. It is a good relationship, a fantastic relationship. I respect him and he respects me. That's normal."
Scolari even kept his cool when prodded continually about bringing "beautiful" football to Stamford Bridge. "Sure, I want both win and beautiful. Sometimes it's impossible." Repeated questioning couldn't get him to make any promises on that front, an entirely sensible policy.
Chelsea kick off their new season against Portsmouth on August 16, leaving Scolari little more than a month to get to grips with his task, though he clearly feels that is plenty of time. "In one week or 10 days I will know everything about Chelsea," he stated. He will know therefore, that failure is not an option. He has made a sound start.
