Chelsea stars beat the blues
Can’t picture it? Well you’re probably right — it really is hard to see Chelsea winning the title after some of their recent performances.
But as for the rest of the scenario, don’t rule it out. Because although things have been a little out of tune on the pitch for Carlo Ancelotti’s side recently, his players have kept their minds off the pressures of a tough Premier League season by getting down to some serious jamming.
It’s a sign of the bond between some of Chelsea’s major stars, who have been together in west London for so long, that they have been able to survive recent criticism and stick together at such an important stage of the season; and it seems a big part of that spirit is down to music.
It’s the first topic of conversation at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground every day — as French winger Malouda revealed.
“For us, music is very important,” he said. “The first one to arrive in the morning gets to put his MP3 player in the dock, so that’s how we do it now. We are always trying to bring new stuff into the changing room — new trends and dances.
“Nowadays with the electronic music, you get all sorts of mixed styles. The last song I heard was Didier’s — a French electro-house song called Alors On Danse. When you hear it, you want to dance, I can tell you! Everybody in the team is dancing and singing when it comes on. It’s good, it helps us to stay together and it’s very important.”
There are no doubt similar rituals at other clubs all over the country but there can’t be many where some of the highest paid players in football are seriously thinking about putting together a band and playing in some summer concerts.
“I think Florent is very serious about it,” said Drogba, who performed a guitar and drums goal celebration with Malouda after scoring against Wigan last season, to the amusement of his team-mates. “He is learning to play the drums and it is his dream for us all to play together.
“I am learning to play the guitar but it is slow because I don’t have much time. But Florent practises all the time — he is more serious than me. Even when we go to play away, he brings his drumsticks with him and plays in his room!
“I don’t have much time to practice but it’s true we’d love to have a band. I would have John Terry on vocals. JT can sing, you know, he’s a very good singer — and Daniel Sturridge as well. They would be the ones in the band with us. Who knows, maybe it will happen!”
It will do if Malouda has anything to do with it because the Frenchman already organises music festivals in the Caribbean and recently played drums at a concert in Paris.
He said: “I have a lot of famous friends in music. When I tell them I am playing drums they are surprised, they say ‘what? You are a footballer’. But I say, no, I’m practising — I’m getting ready for your next show! They say ‘okay, next time I have a show in London, you have to come and show me what you’ve learned.’
“Maybe that will happen because I’m taking lessons every month and every day I’m practising. Maybe in one or two years when I’m really good I could play in a real band! It’s like football, you have to start from the basics and I’m learning the techniques, getting the touch. I’m listening to music a different way and I’m learning to write music as well — that’s my ambition.”
If Malouda and Drogba appear to be reluctant musicians, there cannot be many more unlikely lead vocalists that John Terry; but as anyone at Cobham will reveal, if there’s something going on at Chelsea there’s no way of keeping the captain out of it.
“Actually, he can really sing,” insisted Malouda. “It’s funny because I hear him sing all the time but when you ask him to sign he goes all shy!”
That does sound a bit more unlikely but there’s a saying that teams who play together, win together — and perhaps there is more to singing the Blues at Stamford Bridge than meets the eye.
“It’s good banter and a good laugh,” said Terry. “And it also helps to think about something other than football. I’ve been learning to play the piano recently as well, it’s just something I fancied doing and I’ve enjoyed it.
“As I said, Didier’s started playing the guitar and Flo plays the drums too. They keep talking about starting a band and they’ve chucked me in as lead singer, a bit of Mr Bojangles I think! But it shows just how good the spirit here is.”
The challenge now for Chelsea — who host United tomorrow, then Arsenal away — is to start making music on the pitch as well as off it and put memories of some of those bum notes behind them. After all, what’s the point in a rock and roll band if there’s no party?
“We could have a great party,” insisted Malouda. “But first we need to have something to celebrate.”
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