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Slipperduke

The Camden Cad
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Messages
4,333
Location
North London
Thanks guys, really glad you liked it! Here's the follow-up:


High up near the rafters of the Luzhniki Stadium, as the early morning rain washed away the tears of his expensively assembled superstars, the Super Tsar himself, Roman Abramovich, sat disconsolately wondering what might have been. The Russian gazzilionaire has always yearned for this trophy above all others, and he must have felt that it was his destiny to finally capture it in his home country. He will have watched enviously as Sir Bobby Charlton took the victors up the steps and, like the rest of us, he will have been confused as to what exactly Peter Kenyon was doing at the helm of his Chelsea team. More cynical men than myself would suggest that the two clubs were led by their respective avatars, the embodiments of the collective. Charlton, dignified and loyal. Kenyon, scheming and treasonous. But that isn't the case.

Abramovich is a very private man, but we do know a little of his sporting ideology. For all of his riches and power, he is a football romantic. He fell in love watching Real Madrid at Old Trafford in 2003, when they were beaten 4-3 on the night, but still prevailed on aggregate. He saw the United fans saluting Ronaldo, the old Ronaldo, after he put three goals past their team. He wanted a part of that magic. It hasn't quite turned out like that.

Rich men, when they run out of things to buy, seek approval and love above all else. Abramovich wants his team to be appreciated, like Barcelona, Real Madrid and, of course, Manchester United. He prizes the noble above the nefarious and it is no coincidence that the only two players he has been seen to publicly bond with are Frank Lampard and John Terry, the duo who best sum up the battling, English qualities of the team. The way he slumped back into his thick leather chair on seeing the pointless dismissal of Didier Drogba was reminiscent of the way he stormed out of the Villa Park director's box last September. Abramovich doesn't often show his emotions, so when they actually appear you have to take note.

Chelsea fans must now prepare themselves for widespread restructuring as they enter their sixth season of Russian ownership. Avram Grant, nice chap though he undoubtedly is, will return upstairs. He can be proud of the way he prevented the much anticipated post-Mourinho apocalypse, but it must be clear now that he is one of life's perpetual runners-up. Second in the league, second at Wembley, second here. Also, sad as it is that we must discuss it, in this global game, Chelsea need a manager who can deal with the media comfortably and who can be the public face of the team. Grant is not that man.

Players must leave as well. Didier Drogba would save everyone some time if he flew direct from Moscow to Milan. I'm sure the rest of the team would be only too happy to forward his post. Andriy Shevchenko, the world's most expensive unused substitute will join him, wondering why he ever left Italy in the first place. Paolo Ferreira, Shaun Wright-Phillips. Claude Makelele, the list will go on and on. No great team can last forever and if they plan to build a better future, they must first shake off the past.

Chelsea fans will feel crushed today, and understandably so, but all defeats are opportunities. The Mourinho era has been and gone, leaving trophies and memories in its wake. Now it is time for a new dawn. This is an opportunity for Abramovich to tear down the walls and start again. A chance for him to build the club he wants, the style of football he cherishes and to finally win the respect he craves.
 
Chelsea fans will feel crushed today, .

as much as i like your work slipper, i disagree with this comment. I imagine some Chelsea fans will feel crushed today.. however, i feel most of them will probably have forgotton about last night already, and will be thinking about which team they will support instead next season!
 
as much as i like your work slipper, i disagree with this comment. I imagine some Chelsea fans will feel crushed today.. however, i feel most of them will probably have forgotton about last night already, and will be thinking about which team they will support instead next season!

Ha ha! It wouldn't surprise me for a moment!
 
Chelsea fans must now prepare themselves for widespread restructuring as they enter their sixth season of Russian ownership. Avram Grant, nice chap though he undoubtedly is, will return upstairs. He can be proud of the way he prevented the much anticipated post-Mourinho apocalypse, but it must be clear now that he is one of life's perpetual runners-up. Second in the league, second at Wembley, second here. Also, sad as it is that we must discuss it, in this global game, Chelsea need a manager who can deal with the media comfortably and who can be the public face of the team. Grant is not that man.


Whilst it is nice to have a charismatic gaffer that goes into press confrences with a huge ego, or cracking jokes etc. like Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, I don't think it matters a blind bit that Avram Grant is a tad 'boring' to the media. This past week Ashley Cole and a few of the Chelsea players came out and said they didn't understand why the world think Grant should be put upstairs next season. They said he is very shy, but knows exactly what he wants in training and on the pitch. He doesn't say a lot, but the players know exactly what his plan is, and feel much more comfortable around him because he is soft spoken and so forth.

I'd be very interested to see what kind of a team he would build over the next couple of seasons - and hopefully Roman will let him do this IMO.
 
Whilst it is nice to have a charismatic gaffer that goes into press confrences with a huge ego, or cracking jokes etc. like Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, I don't think it matters a blind bit that Avram Grant is a tad 'boring' to the media. This past week Ashley Cole and a few of the Chelsea players came out and said they didn't understand why the world think Grant should be put upstairs next season. They said he is very shy, but knows exactly what he wants in training and on the pitch. He doesn't say a lot, but the players know exactly what his plan is, and feel much more comfortable around him because he is soft spoken and so forth.

I'd be very interested to see what kind of a team he would build over the next couple of seasons - and hopefully Roman will let him do this IMO.

I wish that were the case, but it just isn't anymore. Managers have to be able to deal with the media because that's where the money comes from. They have to be good in interviews because that's where today's new supporter comes from. It's all about 'branding' and 'image' and, of course, those big sponsorship deals.

Under Mourinho, despite playing very dull football, Chelsea were seen by the rest of the world as less of a team and more of a fashion accessory. They had a gorgeous manager who was in credit card adverts and expensive watch adverts. People latched on to them because they were desirable as an entity. Being a Chelsea fan, ludicrous though it seems, became trendy.

Under Grant, they haven't got that at all and it will hit them in the pocket on a global scale.

Real Madrid have got a simialr problem with Bernd Schuster. The heirachy there want someone distinguished, dignified and intelligent. What they've got is a stroppy German who hates journalists and that's why, even when he was streaking ahead, that they considered sacking him.

It's a horrible, pointless, soulless state of affairs, but that is modern day football. A quiet, racing enthusiast like Bob Paisley wouldn't have got a look-in these days.
 
I wish that were the case, but it just isn't anymore. Managers have to be able to deal with the media because that's where the money comes from. They have to be good in interviews because that's where today's new supporter comes from. It's all about 'branding' and 'image' and, of course, those big sponsorship deals.

Under Mourinho, despite playing very dull football, Chelsea were seen by the rest of the world as less of a team and more of a fashion accessory. They had a gorgeous manager who was in credit card adverts and expensive watch adverts. People latched on to them because they were desirable as an entity. Being a Chelsea fan, ludicrous though it seems, became trendy.

Under Grant, they haven't got that at all and it will hit them in the pocket on a global scale.

Real Madrid have got a simialr problem with Bernd Schuster. The heirachy there want someone distinguished, dignified and intelligent. What they've got is a stroppy German who hates journalists and that's why, even when he was streaking ahead, that they considered sacking him.

It's a horrible, pointless, soulless state of affairs, but that is modern day football. A quiet, racing enthusiast like Bob Paisley wouldn't have got a look-in these days.

Which is why a manager with the record Tilly has is still at SUFC, with barely a sniff from "bigger" clubs.

So some good comes of it! :clap:
 
Which is why a manager with the record Tilly has is still at SUFC, with barely a sniff from "bigger" clubs.

So some good comes of it! :clap:

Precisely. We get to keep one of the best young managers in the game and Aidy Boothroyd, a tactically stone-age, shouty, David Brent-alike, is touted as the shining white hope of English football.

Funny old game, Saint. Funny old game.
 
Precisely. We get to keep one of the best young managers in the game and Aidy Boothroyd, a tactically stone-age, shouty, David Brent-alike, is touted as the shining white hope of English football.

Funny old game, Saint. Funny old game.


Certainly is Greavsie!
 
We should get Cricko and that to give us our our own show, OBL. You can provide the sensible analysis, I'll sit there laughing at my own jokes and wishing I could hit the sauce again. It'll be great!


Not sure I'm up to your standard, dry wit is not a strength of mine!
 
I wish that were the case, but it just isn't anymore. Managers have to be able to deal with the media because that's where the money comes from. They have to be good in interviews because that's where today's new supporter comes from. It's all about 'branding' and 'image' and, of course, those big sponsorship deals.

Under Mourinho, despite playing very dull football, Chelsea were seen by the rest of the world as less of a team and more of a fashion accessory. They had a gorgeous manager who was in credit card adverts and expensive watch adverts. People latched on to them because they were desirable as an entity. Being a Chelsea fan, ludicrous though it seems, became trendy.

Under Grant, they haven't got that at all and it will hit them in the pocket on a global scale.

Real Madrid have got a simialr problem with Bernd Schuster. The heirachy there want someone distinguished, dignified and intelligent. What they've got is a stroppy German who hates journalists and that's why, even when he was streaking ahead, that they considered sacking him.

It's a horrible, pointless, soulless state of affairs, but that is modern day football. A quiet, racing enthusiast like Bob Paisley wouldn't have got a look-in these days.

I see where you're coming from - and it is a shame things would have to come to that, as Grant is a talented manager IMO. But surely, for all the money Chelsea have, they can use their PR staff to good effect by putting a postive spin on things at the club, so the drearyness of Grant in his interviews is slightly overlooked: Some new big name signings would surely appeal to new fans and sponsors, and these PR people could milk that for a while. Perhaps putting a bright red Ronald McDonald hairpiece on Peter Kenyon would bring the laughs back to Stamford Bridge also...
 
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