Former Chelsea boss Avram Grant feels Roberto di Matteo can succeed with a director of football at Stamford Bridge.

Grant wrote in The Sun: "A football director can be a bridge between the coach and the owner of the club.

"And everyone knows that owners are much less patient these days.

"When I worked as director of football at Portsmouth with Harry Redknapp, it was fine.

"Harry was in charge of the team and he managed. I could be between him and the owner.

"There is so much more pressure on managers now that it can be a big help for them, even if they are established ones like Di Matteo, to help keep the owner's vision of the club and the manager's philosophy in some kind of harmony. "