I think it’s fair to say a lot of Chelsea supporters went into this season with a little more optimism than they finished the last one with. Even I allowed myself to believe that after one of my most depressing seasons supporting Chelsea, this season was looking brighter.
After last season’s management shambles and the utter embarrassment that went with it, Chelsea finally put us out of our misery by kicking Grant to the kerb and hunting down a top manager. And, after plenty of speculation, with numerous names ticked off the list, Scolari was installed as the man with the task of turning things around.
However, despite his pedigree, questions were asked at the time as to whether Scolari was the right man for the job. I mean, of course we all know what he’s achieved in the past but how well would he adapt to the Premier League after so long on the international circuit? That was the question.
Well, as is par for the course, Chelsea currently seem to be having a run of bad luck (maybe some of our own making?) and a little of that early season optimism is starting to drain away. They say things come in 3’s and right now, there’s 3 things that could cost Chelsea – and for me at least, questions need to be asked.
The 3 things threatening to kill off any hope I had for a better season are: Robinho going to City, Michael Essien’s long-term absence through injury, and Zola’s link to West Ham. And whilst there’s very little we can do about the last one, I wonder whether the impact of the first two could’ve been lessened with a different manager.
But whilst I’m far from ready to either throw in the towel, or chuck the book at Scolari, I am starting to wonder whether the critics had a point. You see, I’m starting to think that his lack of experience around the Premier League is already showing itself and, looking back to his arrival, has probably been evident from the start.
You see, when Scolari arrived he had a bit of a clear out, and whilst I’m the first to admit it was overdue, I wonder how much thought he put into whether he’d have enough left to deal with the sort of events he’d have to face. Because whilst seasoned managers like Fergie, Wenger and Benitez are used to the requirements of the Premier League, Scolari still has a lot to learn.
Scolari’s international background has got his mindset used to selecting whatever side he needs for each competition – but this is from a position where he has an entire country to choose from. So if players are taken out of the equation through injury, suspension, etc, he can fill the gaps fairly easily. Add to that the fact that he isn’t expected to play this ‘team’ consistently over 38 games, so he doesn’t have to deal with these eventualities anywhere near as often, and you can see how he might have gone about assessing his needs to start with.
I’m sure Scolari looked at the squad and thought “shit, this is pretty bloody good”, so he probably didn’t think he had much to do at all, in fact, I remember him saying something similar at the time. However, as we all know only too well, it doesn’t take much before players start falling by the wayside, and if the (quality) depth isn’t there, you’re in trouble.
Maybe I’m panicking over nothing, I don’t know, but Essien being out for so long has really made me sit back and look at what we’ve got compared to the opposition and I’m starting to think we could’ve done a little more in the transfer market than we actually did.
I remember saying when Makelele left that there’d be a lot of people who wouldn’t truly appreciate his value until he’d gone and now, with Essien ruled out long-term, I’ve no doubt thoughts will return to our old reliance on him in just these circumstances. Of course we’ve got Mikel and certainly against Portsmouth, I thought he looked more than up to the task but will he remain fit and healthy throughout Essien’s absence? Unlikely.
Then looking at the whole Robinho deal, even brushing aside how inept Peter Kenyon continues to be, what about Scolari’s role here? If he’d identified Robinho as a player he wanted to bring in then surely he was saying Chelsea lacked something as a team? So where was the plan B if he didn’t get Robinho? Why has he just shrugged his shoulders and said Robinho wasn’t that important after all? Whilst Fergie was making it clear how much he wanted Berbatov at United, and ultimately clinching the deal, Scolari was telling us he didn’t have a clue what was going on with the player he wanted to bring in because that was up to Peter Kenyon. Is that what prospective players want to hear?
Scolari knew way before the window closed that Drogba would be out for a while, he also knew deep down that Anelka wasn’t ‘quality cover’, because he’s hinted at it himself, so why wasn’t that taken into consideration? There was, and still is, a lack of quality cover for Drogba’s absences and yet this hasn’t been regarded as a problem apparently. Does Scolari realise just how long and hard a season is in the Premier League? As I’ve already suggested, I suspect he genuinely doesn’t, because if he did, he would look at United’s Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov and just know an unfit Drogba and Nicolas Anelka aren’t that much of a comparison.
Anyway, on to the one thing that’s totally outside of Chelsea’s control and probably the most gutting of the three – Gianfranco Zola looking almost a certainty to take over at West Ham. For a start, what on earth is he thinking? It’s West Ham! Has he no soul? That man has been my idol for years and he’s about to step in and manage West Ham, could it possibly get any worse? Well, yes, in a word it could. Because the latest rumour is that he wants Steve Clarke as his number 2.
The last year at Chelsea, as I mentioned earlier, was pretty grim. But if there was one thing above all else that had me sighing with relief when Grant was appointed, it was the fact that Steve Clarke had decided not to follow Mourinho out the door. He’s a rock at Chelsea. When everything was up in the air and the players either couldn’t or wouldn’t turn to the manager, Steve Clarke was there. The one thing that remained constant within the whole sorry mess. And with yet another new manager at Chelsea, Clarke’s role is as important as ever. To lose him now would not be in Chelsea’s interests any more than it would have been a year ago.
Whilst I’m not suggesting for one minute Clarkey would walk away without a second thought just because Zola might want him to, it’s not exactly beyond the realms of realism. He’s already said he came close to walking when Mourinho left and we all know as loyal as he is, he still has his own ambitions. So what if a new challenge appeals to him. Not only that, but a job where this time he gets to pick which boss he works for? That’d be pretty novel in itself for Clarke after his time at Chelsea.
Like I said though, maybe I’m getting myself worked up unnecessarily. Maybe Clarke is happy under Scolari and won’t be persuaded to work elsewhere? Come to that, maybe, Zola – as Frank Lebeouf suggested – will come to his senses and realise his heart is at Chelsea and he couldn’t possibly work at any other London club?
Worst still though, what if I’m bloody right?
Blue is the colour
