Former Chelsea player, coach, and assistant manager Steve Clarke finds a new job with Reading

You can only keep a good man down for so long.

Fired not long after Ramires's dubious bit of Gary Cahill-ing earned Chelsea a lucky, last-minute 2-2 draw versus West Bromwich Albion at Stamford Bridge, Clarke had been out of a job and out the game for a year and a day.  Now, following Nigel "keep smiling" Adkins's latest sacking, he's back and ready to guide currently mid-table Reading back into the Premier League.  Clarke becomes the second of Jose Mourinho's former assistants to manage a team in the Football Championship, joining high-flying Middlesbrough's Aitor Karanka.  Another obvious loan destination then for some of our youngsters?

Steve Clarke, a Chelsea legend of the '90s, played over 400 times for the Blues.  One of our greatest ever right backs, he later joined the coaching staff and was promoted to assistant manager by Jose.  Together, they won two Premier League titles, before Clarke joined fellow Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United.  Earlier, he had been Ruud Gullit's assistant at Newcastle for a short period, while later he would have a stint with Kenny Dalglish in Liverpool as well, but we try not to talk about that.

When Romelu Lukaku was on loan at West Bromwich Albion, Clarke guided the Baggies to their best ever Premier League finish in 8th.  That's the type of success that Reading are hoping he'll replicate.  Good luck to him!