NEIL ASHTON'S EURO BLOG: I've seen Big Phil go from paper-chucker to Chelsea's booming big hitter (elect)

That was in 2006, when Big Phil was on his way to Portugal's pre-World Cup training camp at Bielefeld in Germany and England were still confident they had captured the man to succeed Sven Goran Eriksson.

Geared to attack: Scolari is fortunate to have Ronaldo in his Portugal armoury

Sadly, he lost his bottle and England were saddled with The Wally with the Brolly instead. From Big Phil to Big Mistake.

Big Phil is Big Business again, though. He will be Chelsea manager before long (just as soon as Portugal exit Euro 2008) and they have made the right managerial choice, for sure.

Chelsea's players will not be trampling over him in the same way they did with Avram Can't, sorry Grant. He is an impressive figure, speaking with authority and sending out a team knitted together by attacking principles (Don't let me down against the Czech Republic tonight, Phil).

It helps to have Cristiano Ronaldo as his wing man with the national team, of course, but Chelsea are already attempting to prise a number of superstar targets away from Europe's top clubs. Kaka, Franck Ribery and Fernando Torres are all on the hit-list.

Aside from his manners, he will need some English coaching before he takes charge of the world's most complicated football club. Apart from "No thanks", gruffly delivered to FA chief executive Brian Barwick just over two years ago, he barely understands a word.

He will have to make do with a translator at first, but it is unlikely to be too long before we hear the Brazilian's booming voice in England.

Nice of The Wally to pop up on Radio Five to explain just how hopeless Russia are.

They were getting walloped 4-1 by Spain at the time, but it was nice of him to explain that the result was no accident. No Steve, you were the accident.

Still, if only he had worked out just how bad the Russians were before they pipped England to Euro 2008. Not to worry.

Yes, Steve, we can see how poor Russia are from the way they turned your England team over in Moscow ...

... and you and Terry Venables were full of ideas how to put it right on the bench

Still, perhaps the next time he liberally sprinkles his tainted views on Guus Hiddink's side, he might also remind listeners of the night he froze in the Luzhniki Stadium.

That was when Hiddink outmanoeuvred him, sending on substitutes to change the game and McClaren disintegrated on the sidelines.

He did not - and could not - react as Russia piled forward in search of the inevitable. Proof, if ever it was needed, that he was hopelessly out of his depth.