With the arrival of the eighth manager in seven years at the Stamford Bridge, Chelsea now look set to for another dramatic season. While it is certain that happenings at the Bridge between Aug, 2011 and May, 2012 will be too big to be ignored not only by their city rivals but also by the Manchester clubs, it remains to be seen whether those events will be termed as success by Roman Abramovich.
Stamford Bridge has always been a mystery. It’s hard to believe that a squad of world class players has not won the most elite competition in Europe yet in spite of preparing, aiming and playing their hearts out. One year, it was a slip of their captain’s foot, the other year it was a decider goal in the 93rd minute and yet another year it was the Special One himself that kept the Blues away from the European Championship. But not winning the Champions’ League, in no way, reduces the status or success Chelsea enjoys season after season. With just two trophy less seasons in six years, the period when their city rivals haven’t won a single trophy, the question is what does success mean to the Blues and to their Russian boss?
Clubs like AC Milan, Arsenal and even Manchester United enter the transfer market to patch the voids left in their squad by the departing players. It’s a different story that these clubs have hardly made a correct and a sensible signing in recent years. Milan have still not found a replacement for Kaka, Arsenal are yet to find another Toure and Lehmann and Manchester United are still in search for the correct player to don number 7. But what makes Roman Abramovich spend season after season bringing in new managers and the top players available in the market? Is it a business mind at work or just an obsession?
The squad at the Stamford Bridge is too strong to be strengthened further. The likes of Drogba, Lampard, Cole, Terry and Cech are capable enough to take the team to the helm of the European football. An icing on the cake is their recent L50m purchase of the Spanish wizard. Torres might have failed to reproduce the magic he created at Anfield a couple of seasons ago but he has in no way been an under performer at the Bridge. His goal drought is mainly attributed to the price tag he possesses rather than his game. The only concern Chelsea face is that their world class squad will be too old to be called world class a couple of years from now.
What Chelsea needs to win the Champions’ League is stability and consistency. Talent is neither a requirement nor a priority for them. They have already built a squad; it’s time to build a team.
If at all, Sanchez, Nasri or Neymar come in, who will Andre replace from the current playing eleven to test the new signings and what will be the reason or gain of that replacement remains a question.
The reason for the sacking of man who won a double just a year back and lifted them from the sixth to the second position in the league this season is still not clear in many minds. Surprisingly, many Chelsea supporters don’t seem to have this doubt. They, like the owner himself, seem to have been blinded by the unusual treble success of Andre Villas Boas. But one thing is for sure, if Andre happens to be another victim of the long standing jinx at Stamford Bridge, the fans will have to welcome another manager next year or rather much before that. Because it is not football that directs things at Chelsea, it is an obsession that rules the Bridge.
