Chelsea thread
Chelsea: muppets on a string
Click on the image above to download our guide to Chelsea's key figures http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/....ing_616483a.pdf
Duncan Castles
One of the world�s richest men wants to climb Africa�s highest mountain. He flies to Mount Kilimanjaro on his private Boeing 767, hires 113 porters, then fails to reach the top because he hasn�t prepared properly for the altitude. The same Russian billionaire is determined to reach the summit of European football. He flies to London, sinks �700m into Chelsea Football Club, hires the finest players, coaches and executives, then repeatedly fails to reach the top because half his employees are at war with each other.
Welcome to the world of Roman Abramovich, where the emperor�s whim shapes the future of his domain, where one self-destructive court drama follows another and where the sole commodity that appears beyond purchase is consistent common sense. �Chaos� is how one former Chelsea employee describes it; a grand farce neatly encapsulated in the Stamford Bridge saga that reached its denouement last week. Peter Kenyon and Frank Arnesen are archetypal Abramovich appointments: each recommended to Chelsea�s owner as the best in their field, each offered irresistible pay rises to join his football club, each installed in key positions within the club.
Tempted out of Old Trafford by a salary of �1.6m, Kenyon was billed as the most effective chief executive in the English game. Grabbed from Tottenham for more than �5m in compensation and wages of �2m a year, Arnesen was meant to be Europe�s premier technical director. Their roles overlapped and soon neither trusted the other. There is status and value in being the person who negotiates transfers and contracts at a club prepared to commit upwards of �40m to a single transaction. Kenyon was the man in possession, sorting out the numbers to land the players Jose Mourinho wanted for his title-winning teams. Arnesen knew the owner�s opinions on footballers often differed from his coach. In tandem with long-term collaborator (and Abramovich�s personal football advisor) Piet de Visser, he encouraged the Russian to pursue alternative targets, suggesting Mourinho might not be the wisest judge of a player. When Mourinho realised what was happening he went to war. He ridiculed the Dane�s scouting reports, had videos made to demonstrate why his recommendations were not suited to English football, and attempted to limit his power to signing academy recruits, whom the manager subsequently declared unfit for promotion to the senior squad.
Relationships further deteriorated as Abramovich saddled Mourinho with his favourite striker (and close friend) Andriy Shevchenko, ultimately bringing two seasons of Premier League dominance to an end. By January 2007 the manager was complaining about Shevchenko�s lack of application, only to be told to accept players proposed by De Visser and Arnesen or none at all. Mourinho chose the latter and before the year was gone had been pushed out of his job. Tellingly, he left Chelsea saying Kenyon had been his sole ally on the board. The chief executive�s own power struggle continued.
As first Avram Grant then Luiz Felipe Scolari were made manager, Kenyon could point to the failings of Arnesen�s academy project. Tens of millions had been invested in an international scouting network to source the planet�s best teenage players, the fees and salaries to bring them to London, a dedicated academy complex, and Arnesen�s own expertise. Neither coach considered the end product good enough to make a single graduate a first-team regular. With Arnesen�s 2005 promise to deliver �the best youth development programme in the world� sounding hollow and Chelsea forced into an unforeseen economy drive, 15 of his scouts were laid off as club officials confirmed stories that the Dane was to join them in redundancy.
Instead, it was Kenyon�s star that began to wane. Scolari, whom he had championed, struggled with language and tactics, fell out with Michael Ballack, Petr Cech and Didier Drogba, then was axed by Abramovich while the chief executive was on holiday. Before Kenyon returned a newly re-engaged owner had placed Guus Hiddink in charge of the team while Arnesen, by associating himself with the change of guard, edged back into favour. Hiddink won the FA Cup, qualified Chelsea for the Champions League but declined the opportunity to take the job permanently.
Abramovich went back to AC Milan to hire Carlo Ancelotti, a coach accustomed to allowing others to sign his players, and Arnesen spied another opportunity. He helped the Italian settle into the club, moved the training ground office from the academy to the first-team building and recruited a pair of out-of-contract Englishmen in Ross Turnbull and Daniel Sturridge. By mid-July, the Dane had been promoted to sporting director, granted responsibilities relating to the co-ordination of first-team activity and supporting the first team manager.
Word went out that Kenyon was to quit Chelsea as soon as a payoff was agreed. Blaming the stories on unscrupulous agents, Chelsea threatened legal action to prevent publication, then on Wednesday airily presented the departure as being by mutual consent. On Thursday, the club�s chief operating officer, Ron Gourlay, replaced Kenyon. On a fraction of his predecessor�s salary and with a background primarily in retail management, the Scot is not regarded as the kind of political heavyweight to fight Chelsea�s corner with the game�s governing bodies. Neither will Gourlay be saddled with Kenyon�s infamous promises �to turn the world blue� and end club losses by 2010; both mission statements have been quietly dropped.
Though Arnesen will have to report to him, Gourlay is not expected to grab control of signings. Whether any will be made before 2011 will depend on Chelsea�s appeal against the two-window transfer ban imposed on them for inducing Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens. Ironically, that Arnesen error should aid others from the academy. Ancelotti listed three on the bench for last week�s Champions League defeat of FC Porto. This week he will play some in the League Cup against QPR.
�We have very good young players in the academy and I want to use them because they represent the future of this club,� said Ancelotti after lauding his relationship with Arnesen. �Some very good players are coming out. [Jeffrey] Bruma, [Sam] Hutchinson, [Fabio] Borini are ready to play.�
Another totem of Chelsea will, though, want more say. John Terry�s blazing row with Mourinho accelerated that manager�s departure, and he was no fan of Grant. A pay rise secured on the threat of a move to Manchester City, Terry now talks openly of facilitating new contracts for Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole. �You stress to people like Roman that it�s so important for them to stay. I speak to these guys on a daily basis, and I can then go to the club as a middle man and try and get things done. If I can help in that way then it�s great for Chelsea Football Club.�
In the altitude-sick court of Abramovich nothing is beyond possibility � as long as you keep onside of the emperor.
THE WIT AND WISDOM OF PETER KENYON
�Over the next five years our plans are quite simple . . . to turn the world blue.� May 2005
�This season�s Premier League champions will come from a small group of one.� August 2005
�We did set ourselves an objective to break even by 2010 and we�re confident. Our aim is to be internationally recognised as the world's No 1 football club by 2014.� November 2006
�By 2014, we must have won the Champions League more than once.� 2007
�Over a 10-year period you need two European Cups to be a world-class club. We will win it, the question is when.� September 2007
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/f....icle6841230.ece
Thanks LGM. The fun of life in a top, high profile club. Where will it end? If you made it into a TV series everyone would say it was too far fetched!
l
� Cole just happy to be playing
The 27-year-old, named by manager Carlo Ancelotti as skipper for the evening, was playing in his first match since January and set up Salomon Kalou's winner at Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the tie, the future of Flavio Briatore as QPR's owner has been uncertain following his role in Formula One's "crashgate'' scandal - but Jim Magilton's men could not give him something to smile about despite putting the hosts under pressure at times.
It was Cole's evening after eight months out with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments, a problem he aggravated in July's pre-season tour of the United States.
The clock is ticking for Cole - he has to get back into Fabio Capello's England squad before the World Cup after watching competition increase while out injured.
Cole was playing in the hole and showing no signs of his injury affecting his approach. He matched Wayne Routledge for pace in the early stages and went shoulder to shoulder. Later in the first half he danced around Routledge and Akos Buzsaky before Martin Rowlands brought him down.
When Paulo Ferreira, also returning from a long-term knee problem, crossed from the right 10 minutes before the break, Cole was on the end of it but stabbed wide of Tom Heaton's goal.
That was a rare bright moment in a dull opening 45 minutes although Juliano Belletti, just before the whistle, smashed a 30-yard free-kick and Heaton tipped over the crossbar.
The other clear-cut chance of the first half dropped to Fabio Borini, one of Frank Arnesen's youngsters who was making his first start for the club.
With FIFA having imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea for two windows, this was meant to be the clash to show what youngsters sporting director Arnesen had unearthed for Ancelotti to utilise.
Instead, there was plenty of experience in the starting XI, with the only Arnesen player to feature being Borini, as centre-back Sam Hutchinson has been at the club since he was a child.
Borini headed over in the 10th minute from Yury Zhirkov's cross and goalkeeper Heaton, on loan from Manchester United, was forced to save powerful efforts from Florent Malouda and Kalou in the early stages.
The visitors had their moments as well, with Jay Simpson volleying over wildly and Buzsaky curling wide after an exciting run by Routledge.
They were holding their own, although boss Magilton was ranting and raving on the touchline, chucking his chewing gum onto the pitch at one point.
His mood did not get better at the break when Ancelotti brought on Frank Lampard for Malouda. The Frenchman was the only survivor from Sunday's win over Tottenham but there was still the likes of John Obi Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic in the side.
After the interval, Rowan Vine's ball over the top almost embarrassed the hosts, with Henrique Hilario forced into a rushed clearance as Routledge chased him down.
But the visitors were ahead in the 52nd minute after Cole spun on the ball and slipped it through to Kalou. The Ivory Coast forward cut inside Mikele Leigertwood from the left and his crisp finish went in off the post.
Borini could have added a second goal when Lampard sent him through but the Italian youngster was forced slightly wide and Heaton saved his finish.
QPR were still in the tie and Buzsaky forced Hilario into a save when his awkward shot from 30 yards bounced just in front of the veteran goalkeeper.
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole was delighted with his return from injury in the Carling Cup third-round victory over QPR at Stamford Bridge. Cole has been sidelined with a cruciate knee problem for eight months but came back and set up Salomon Kalou's winner just after the interval. "I'm back now and it's blinding," Cole said. "But I'm not going to get ahead of myself. There is going to be a lot of ups and downs. All I can do is keep working hard in training. If you see the size of the squad we have, a lot don't play week-in week-out so it's vital for them to get airtime," said assistant boss Ray Wilkins. "It's entirely up to the young men to push themselves forward and the two that played have been doing so in the reserves and training. We want to win everything we enter. Every side that takes to the field in a Chelsea shirt wants to win the game and the tournament they are playing in. If we can blood a few on the way, all well and good." ."It's not a bad substitution to make," Wilkins said. "It's a testament to QPR that we had to use Frank, Ashley and John. QPR equipped themselves very well and gave us a very tough evening. It was nice to see Joe and Paulo (Ferreira) come through the 90 minutes, Yury (Zhirkov) got a good hour and the two youngsters did very well too." QPR boss Jim Magilton was pleased with his side's application. "We have to use it as a springboard," said Magilton. We have a chance of promotion, like 14 other clubs. We had a lack of belief in the final third but I was immensely proud of the overall performance." Magilton, who started with two strikers, added: "I'm not naive but that is the way I thought we could get after Chelsea. We were encouraged against Cardiff in our last game and some players may not get back to Stamford Bridge so I couldn't deny them that by resting them." Magilton refused to answer questions on owner Flavio Briatore, whose position has been questioned following his role in Formula One's "crashgate" scandal. "I've never met him," Magilton joked.
Big sides field teenage teams in the Carling Cup, right? Arsenal have been doing it for years, to great success. Manchester United also tend to use this policy, with a young side providing them with victory in the Carling Cup last night. Chelsea, however fielded a fairly geriatric second sting team for their rather dull 1-0 win over local rivals QPR. With their transfer ban coming up, and the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard growing old fast, they�re going to need kids coming through. We just can�t see that happening any time soon. Their Carling Cup side was full of aging, over paid, Premier League substitutes (and Joe Cole)...
Yesterday�s team was...
Hilario, 33
Ivanovic, 25
Ferreira, 30
Belletti, 33
Hutchinson, 20 (but he was replaced by John Terry who is knocking on the door of 29)
Joe Cole, 27
Mikel, 22
Malouda, 29
Zhirkov, 26
Kalou, 24
Borini, 18
That�s just one teenager and an average age of 26, before you rope in the ages of the subs John Terry and Frank Lampard. That would be okay if this was the first team, but make no bones about it, those eleven men were undoubtedly Chelsea�s second string. Ancelotti retained just Florent Malouda from the XI who beat Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, yet there were only two players from the club's academy, defender Sam Hutchinson and striker Fabio Borini. With no players coming in for a couple of years, this lack of talent Chelsea must worry true blues fans.
Some Chelsea Pesnioners warming up last night.
Now of course there is Jack Cork, an excellent player, on the Chelsea books, but he is out on loan to Coventry right now. There's also Daniel Sturridge and Franco DiSanto on the Chelsea payroll, neither of whom featured last night, but both of whom have great potential (Sturridge perhaps more so than DiSanto). However Sturridge has come in from Manchester City, DiSanto from Audax Italiano, and Fabio Borini the one teenager who did play was signed from Bologna. Just why are a club as rich and well facilitated as Chelsea not producing their own young talent?
A couple of years ago Chelsea made a big song and dance about creating their own talent, and wasn�t it sporting director Frank Arnesen�s job to create a new home grown side? Those kids are not even close to coming through, instead Chelsea play �18million reserves like Zhirkov. You could say some things never change, but Chelsea�s transfer ban, they�re going to have to�
Chelsea first XI Under-23 lineup
Ross Turnbull
Jeffery Burma
Sam Hutchinson
Michael Mancienne
Jack Cork
John Mikel Obi
Nemanja Matic
Miroslav Stoch
Scott Sinclair
Daniel Sturridge
Franco Di Santo
Bench
Rhys Taylor
Ryan Bertrand
Lee Sawyer
Jacob Mellis
Gael Kakuta
Fabio Borini
Thats hardly a poor "Young" team
Chelsea first XI Under-23 lineup
Ross Turnbull
Jeffery Burma
Sam Hutchinson
Michael Mancienne
Jack Cork
John Mikel Obi
Nemanja Matic
Miroslav Stoch
Scott Sinclair
Daniel Sturridge
Franco Di Santo
Bench
Rhys Taylor
Ryan Bertrand
Lee Sawyer
Jacob Mellis
Gael Kakuta
Fabio Borini
Thats hardly a poor "Young" team
That line up suits me fine.....for now and for the future.
Chelsea first XI Under-23 lineup
Ross Turnbull
Jeffery Burma
Sam Hutchinson
Michael Mancienne
Jack Cork
John Mikel Obi
Nemanja Matic
Miroslav Stoch
Scott Sinclair
Daniel Sturridge
Franco Di Santo
Bench
Rhys Taylor
Ryan Bertrand
Lee Sawyer
Jacob Mellis
Gael Kakuta
Fabio Borini
Thats hardly a poor "Young" team
Chelsea first XI Under-23 lineup
Ross Turnbull
Jeffery Burma
Sam Hutchinson
Michael Mancienne
Jack Cork
John Mikel Obi
Nemanja Matic
Miroslav Stoch
Scott Sinclair
Daniel Sturridge
Franco Di Santo
Bench
Rhys Taylor
Ryan Bertrand
Lee Sawyer
Jacob Mellis
Gael Kakuta
Fabio Borini
Thats hardly a poor "Young" team
Big game tomorrow morning, looking forward to watching it. Got to watch abit of the game vs Wigan at the airport so hopefully we can improve on that performance.
Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool
Haha Drogba, best striker in the world!!!
Sat 17 vs Aston Villa in the Premier League Away
Wed 21 vs Atletico Madrid in The Champs League at Home
Sat 24 vs Blackburn in the Premier League at Home
Wed 28 vs Bolton in the Carling Cup at home
Sat 31 vs Bolton in the Premier League Away
Should be 5 wins in 5 before Man Utd on Nov 8.
great stuff, didnt see them winning 4-0. was a bit worried to be honest but thats a perfect way to bounce back from the villa defeat. good to see lamps on the scoresheet and a brace for kalou will do him the world of good.
Cech saved you lot. And lucky Kun didn't have his shooting boots on. Can't really argue with 4-0, but wouldn't get too excited. Our defence is sh*te at the moment (well, for ages really) and our midfield tends to go missing. We've been awful all season. So well done on your win, but nothing too special. If you knew about Atleti, you'd fancy a 4-0 win at home!
Meh. Ivanocic looked good off set pieces? Well, of course. I'd say Atleti score even less often than Liverpool do off set pieces! (Mind you, we're struggling to score at all these days...Both teams!)