Revolving door strikes again
Posted by Zeno in Chelsea | 3 May 2006
Well, I’d congratulate Jose and his boys for the manner in which they sealed their (and our) second consecutive title at the weekend. I would, if I thought they were reading. Oh, what the hell. Congratulations, lads. To borrow a phrase, it’s because you’re worth it.
And how nice to see that we can’t even be gracious without attracting the wrong sort of attention. With a minute or so left, and his team 3-0 and comfortably in control of the game, Jose left his seat to shake hands with the Manchester United bench. Disgusting. The temerity. The sheer, bald, Portuguese cheek of the man. Chutzpah, that’s what it is.
Except, of course, it isn’t. The game was over. The manager wanted to get onto the pitch as the whistle went. Ferguson’s team were beaten – indeed, had been from the moment Joe Cole wriggled clear of Vidic and Ferdinand and buried that shot past Van der Saar. How ludicrous to suggest that his handshaking routine was peremptory or insulting.
Big Phil Scolari knows what I’m talking about. As an aside, does anyone else suspect that the gaucho from Rio Grande de Sul did a little investigating – probably via his agent – to uncover the scrutiny that the previous England manager has come under? OK, so the gaggle of tabloid hacks outside his front door brought the point home, and the lumbering ineptitudes of the FA probably tipped the balance. But still… what sensible person puts up with this? Me, I’m a fan of the quiet life. Stick me in a hammock and give me a list of chores that don’t get any more demanding than “swing gently back and forth” and I’m happy.
Rant over. And now I’m going to do something that Jose would probably be proud of. I’m going to take off my invisible league medal, wrap it up, and put it in a drawer. Or possibly fling it into the next bus queue I go past. Because, you see, it’s time to look forward. What next for Chelsea Football Club?
By now, you’ll probably have seen the remarks. Jose hasn’t had as much fun. Gallas wants off. The rumours about Lampard to Barcelona won’t let up. Del Horno will probably be on the chopping block. Who’s coming in? And let’s not fool ourselves… there’ll be more spending this summer.
Ballack seems all but here… in fact, if you try carefully, you’ll be able to hear that low-level buzzing… just there… hear it? It’s the feedback produced by the German captain’s ego. Slightly older, slightly less prolific Lampard arrives alongside… er… Lampard… to make the world dream midfield pairing. With Essien. And Makelele. Uhm. See where I’m going here?
Then there’s the striker debate. Kenyon has already told us that Drogba stays. This, for me, is positive, if only because he annoys opposition fans so much. Eidur is another character whose place appears to be under threat, particularly with the arrival of Ballack and his poor form recently. He looked acres happier when Duff was introduced last night, allowing him to switch to the middle, but couldn’t produce the final ball to get Chelsea back into the game. While I wouldn’t countenance the removal of a guy who’s become something of an icon for the Blues since his arrival 5 years ago, if I were Jose I’d be wondering whether there’s still room for this talented but slightly mercurial player at disciplined Chelsea.
What this does mean is that at least one striker will be sought. At this point, the name Shevchenko usually rears its grizzled head. Here, Chelsea have a chance to put down a marker by investing in a younger talent, perhaps. Torres has been mentioned, or the vile-mannered but free-scoring Eto’o. Tevez? Kuyt? You tell me. But the need will probably be there. Be prepared for an awful lot of speculation.
The Gallas thing is the one that worries us all, though. Where else can you find such a versatile and effective defender? He’s at the height of his powers (and, presumably, saleability – a figure of over £10m, and more like £12m, would seem fair to me). And Del Horno? The loss of these two would leave us very light indeed, even if Wayne Bridge returns from his loan at Fulham. Time for Arnesen to earn his money.
Chelsea will aim for another title – and expect to get further in Europe next season. We’ll bolster a strong squad and a couple of players will get edged out. It’s going to be an interesting summer, even without this tournament in June that everyone seems to be taling about.
