Blues resolve to play the patience game

THINK of Chelsea in the Roman Abramovich era, and the image that springs to mind is less conveyor belt and more revolving door.

Russian oligarchs are not renowned for their readiness to wait for their dividends and the emphasis since Abramovich’s arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2003 has been on instant success, hence the flurry of managerial comings and goings.

It also helps explain Chelsea’s eagerness to harvest big-name signings courtesy of their owner’s over-sized chequebook, rather than wait for their own academy to yield fruit. Until now, that is.