Former Chelsea European scout Benny Nielsen has urged management to stand by football chief Frank Arnesen. "If Chelsea sack Frank it would be the biggest mistake they will ever make," Nielsen told the Daily Express.
"Chelsea have to understand that it takes time to bring young players through. How can you sack a man who, when he was at PSV Eindhoven, brought players in like Ronaldo, Romario, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam and Arjen Robben?
"Frank found all these players and brought them from small clubs. He was the first scout to go to Brazil and bring players to Europe, like Ronaldo. Now everyone does it - but Frank was there first. He is working under his fifth manager at Chelsea and you have to start from zero each time, each new guy wants things done a different way.
"When you are working for Chelsea, every player has to be the very best. World class. And how can you get that right every time when they are 15 or 16 years old? It is much harder than it was in the old days. There is so much more competition, so much more money, so many more clubs, more agents.
"And when players get to Chelsea, it is so hard to get into the first team. Many of them don't want to wait too long, so they go elsewhere, maybe to smaller clubs."
Nielsen added: "I know he is getting all this criticism and pressure. But Frank is strong. He knows what he is doing. Chelsea have to be strong too and stand by him. There are some great young players at Chelsea and they will come through.
"Sacking him would be the biggest mistake they ever made."