Controversy and deceit new Blues buzzwords

THE self-destruct button at Chelsea FC High Command must be well worn.

We can’t let a period of success or neutral publicity go without throwing ourselves head first with total disregard into a vat of steaming controversy and negative media furore.

The rumour mills have gone into over-drive since the departure of Ray Wilkins. Some of the gossip since the termination of his contract is bonkers. But this is what you get when no plausible explanations are forthcoming.

One thing is for certain though — Carlo Ancelotti is not happy. And who can blame him?

It’s one thing having players bought and sold above your head but as an Italian manager he is probably used to that. And as much as Ancelotti was disappointed at Wilkins’ sudden departure, he is experienced enough to know that football is a ruthless and cut-throat business. But then to parachute a man who already holds a position way above his experience, capability, and achievement into an important role within the club shows a lack of respect for a manager who six months ago delivered the first Double ever to SW6. Of course this has an echo of Avram Grant and Mourinho and we all know how that turned out.

I first thought the Wilkins thing was a cost cutting exercise — albeit a crass attempt — but now I wonder if this was a deliberate ploy to begin undermining the manager to force him to quit, or to leave by “mutual consent.”

Is Guardiola really waiting in the wings promising the Champions League and champagne football we are led to believe Abramovich craves? Even if he is – is he confident he can deliver with one of the smallest squads in the Premiership and constant interference from the owner and his acolytes? What if Mourinho collects La Liga and the Champions League with Madrid this season? Where does that leave Guardiola’s reputation in Abramovich’s eyes?

I feel quite sorry for those in charge of the PR at our club; they are on a hiding to nothing, powerless to prevent those with authority from continually leaving us open to being lambasted by all. What is there to say about the game against Birmingham which the stats don’t already tell us? Not much. We dominated the game —played well, fought for every ball, created a myriad of chances and hit the woodwork.

Most importantly, we encountered a keeper who had built an enchanted force-field around his goal.

On another day we would have won that game with ease. This defeat was not in the same category as the Liverpool, Manchester City and Sunderland setbacks, not that there’sany comfort in that.

The revelation that John Terry has barely had a game without pain in the last five years makes me even more incredulous of the players we let go in the summer. Equally to deny Alex a knee operation which he quite clearly needs is ill-advised to say the least. We seem to be the definition of how not to run a football team at the moment.

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