The team that wants to be dominant in England and Europe is off to a good start. The most dominant team domestically and in Europe is Real Madrid. They have no patience for managers who win the liga without champions league or vice versa, ask Vincent Del Bosque and Jupp Heynckes. They disposed of Fabio Capello for winning the liga playing defensively. And copying that nonsensical mode of ownership is CHELSEA.
This is the same Chelsea who disposed of their most successful manager ever, Jose Mourinho after winning 6 trophies in 3 years including back to back premiership titles. Many reasons for this action include poor results and the utterances of Mourinho who besides being a brilliant coach couldn’t keep his gob shut. He had a remark for everything football or not. After getting shot of Mourinho, they decided that Avram Grant was the man to take Abramovich’s toy to greater heights. That Grant was as dull as dishwater and couldn’t generate excitement at a stag do with 48 page 3 girls was lost on the Russian tycoon. So after taking Chelsea to second in the league and within an inch of the champions league title, Avram Grant was shown the door and things then got exciting.
And then the galatico collection, Andrei Shevchenko, Michael Ballack, Deco were purchases Chelsea didn’t need but were made to prove a point that they were big. John Mikel Obi, the petulant runt was torn away from Man Utd also to prove a point. Basing their transfer targets on other teams identifying players and then making a much larger bid was also a weird way for a team to buy players. And they let them go some months down the line. Arjen Robben came and left, Damien Duff cost £17m and moved on for £3m, Arsenal wanted Shaun Wright Philips and were quoted £6-7m, Chelsea bought him for £21m. The list includes Scott Parker, Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, and Steve Sidwell. That high turnover of players could never have been good of the team but Chelsea just didn’t care. Oil prices were high and daddy Roman was flush
Peter Kenyon who couldn’t sign a naked lady in a strip bar (Fergie wanted Ronaldinho, this man got Kleberson) then embarked on a whirlwind search for a new manager. Being Chelsea with all that dosh, decided on a world cup winner who was in charge of Portugal at the time. With a total lack of tact reeking of arrogance and borderline psychosis, in the middle of Felipe Scolari’s Portugal encounter in the European championship they announced that he will be leaving to join the biggest team in the world. His capture by Chelsea was heralded as the coup of the decade and every news report from here to Burkina Faso concluded that he will be winning everything in sight. Only one person mentioned what every one at Chelsea should have seen; Chelsea was an aging side and couldn’t sustain a challenge for the premiership with the team. Fergie saw it said so. Of course, it was written off as sour grapes and forgotten by sport writers who should have done their job and investigated the claim seriously.
Their results starting this season were no less than spectacular; they started off winning 8 successive games on the road, although they found it hard to repeat the feat at home. They also never lost at home in 4 years but found a way to lose to both Liverpool and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Everything just crumbled at the bridge, Nicholas Anelka has been stuck on 14 goals since October; and most of those goals came against the lower lights of the league. Didier Drogba has been woeful and his only shot of the game against Man Utd ended up a throw-in. Michael Ballack has been all talk and seems to want to be somewhere else, Why Scolari bought Deco is still a mystery but after one good game in august has disappeared up his own arse and just helps crowd the Chelsea midfield when he is picked. After the display against Hull this last weekend they have disposed off Big Phil and the search for a new man starts.
The names mentioned to replace Scolari include all the usual suspects whenever a big job becomes available – Roberto Mancini, Carlo Ancelloti, Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink – and those the sports writers only generate when they are too lazy to do their job – Avram Grant, Gianfranco Zola, Glenn Hoddle, Sarah Palin and Paris Hilton. Whoever takes over has a big squad that needs trimming; some overpaid players that need shifting out and more importantly some new players – wingers, skilful central midfielders
The theatre continues…
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