All hail ‘model pro’ Makelele

THERE are few players who can boast they have a position named after them.

This morning, after a double helping of cup victories, I can think of only one.

There are many pretenders who attempt the “Makelele role” — but few come close to the real thing.

Saturday’s FA Cup game against Wigan was Maka’s 200th Chelsea game. There were many dissenters when he joined — he was already 30 and the consensus by the various ‘experts’ was that he was some past-it Galactico coming for one last pay day. Indeed he admitted not really wanting to leave Madrid but that the money offered by Chelsea was a big decider in his decision to join us.

I found that at the time so refreshingly honest — so much better than hearing the very thinly disguised lie about supporting the club as a child and such guff.

Since 2003 he has been a model professional and you could probably count his poor games on the fingers of one hand. You never hear him moaning, he gives 100% and is an honest man on and off the pitch.

He fully deserved to be wearing the captain’s armband Saturday as he is someone who rarely if ever chases the limelight. Used sparingly we may even get another couple of years out of him.

We have lots of games coming up and this is where a manager’s skill comes to the fore — who needs rest, who needs to play, who’s best suited to the European ties. Due to our devastating injury list and the Africa Cup of Nations, this hasn’t been so much of an issue lately — finding 11 fit players has been an achievement in itself. But come February 11th and with the ACN over I fully expect all systems go. Then there are our two new boys, the tough-looking Serb, Branislav Ivanovic and beanpole Argentinean Franco Di Santo who should be fit, although the youngster looks like the proverbial “one for the future.”

Nevertheless Grant and co may suddenly find that it is difficult to decide on a first XI. It is a good problem to have, and one which will give us further insight into Grant’s management thinking.

It’s been a good week generally; beating Everton at their manor was a great result especially as it has set up a Wembley final against Tottenham. Many of the older generation of Chelsea fans have never got over losing to Spurs at the venue in 1967 but as that was two years before I was born its not the reason why I want to beat them so bad.

As a Chelsea supporter you are bought up to hate Spurs — it’s hammered into you as a small child. Of course in my case it’s even more personal — through some strange and cruel twist of fate my sister ended up a Spurs fan. When we were very young it was her team that was winning things, that had the flamboyant players — while Chelsea invariably flirted with relegation every season (and sometimes succumbed).

It hurt having a (younger) sibling lording it over me — so every win counts, and there have been plenty of them in the past two decades.

I’m sure the London police will not be so enamoured to have this all-London final. Off the pitch there has been a poisonous atmosphere and police involvement seems to have increased at both grounds with every season. To now have to police 31,000 of each set of supporters I’m sure will be causing some headaches and I wouldn’t be surprised if all police leave has been cancelled.

Tonight we face Reading — which remains a grudge match beyond their standing, obviously due to the Cech and Cudicini incidents.

If anything my feelings for this backwater club have intensified after the game at the beginning of the season where their classless supporters booed the gentlemanly Cech. So may we obliterate them and may some special level of Dante’s hell be reserved especially for Stephen Hunt.

Lastly, I see Ronaldo has succumbed to the arrogant “what’s the big deal” goal celebration shrug that Henry perfected and which made the rest of the footballing world vomit. Just when you think you can’t dislike someone any more than you already do eh?

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