Gourlay said that since Di Matteo was appointed, following the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in early March, he had “picked up the baton and sprinted to the front”, adding: “We’ve got to take that on board. He’s done a fantastic job. When he came in it was a difficult time for the club. I was accused – and the club was accused — is this the right decision? Why have you waited so long? And it was a very difficult decision for the football club because we really wanted Andre to work.”