Friday, September 21, 2007
Talk About Exodus By Chelsea Players Is Despicable

Reports of Chelsea players considering an exodus from Stamford Bridge now that Mourinho has left are eye-opening. After all, who do the Chelsea players give their allegiance to (other than the almighty pound)? Is it Chelsea Football Club or Jose Mourinho?
For the manager to become bigger than the club is dangerous ground for football chairmen. While Mourinho has obviously built a close trust, respect and relationship with his players, the stars at Chelsea need to grow some balls and concentrate on playing for their club and winning matches. After all, even with Mourinho in charge, Chelsea has looked a shadow of themselves for the longest time. When was the last time they put in an awe-inspiring performance?
What's revealing to me about this proposed exodus is that it's the foreign contingent of players that are the ones expressing a desire to leave. No word from the English camp of players.
My belief is that the current episode in the Chelsea soap opera will show what the players are made of and whether they truly are world-class players. They have the talent to win the Premier League but have shown they've been lacking the killer instinct and character worthy of being champions.
If Drogba, Carvalho, Essien, Ferriera, Malouda and Makelele want to leave, it shows how spineless they are. What they need to do is go on to the pitch this Sunday against Old Trafford and win the match for Jose Mourinho and show what legacy he has left behind at Chelsea. Dedicate the win to Jose.
But, what we're reading about the player's thoughts, their minds will be elsewhere this Sunday and the Blues could be in for a hiding.
Labels: Chelsea, jose mourinho
If Chelsea turns out to be a sinking ship under incompetent leadership, I don't think that it is the player's responsibility to stay.
I think the difference with the English players is not so much a change of heart, but more that they are too chickens--t to go abroad and there really isn't an option for them domestically.
Like Ranieri,Vialli ,Gullit et al the fury will subside when Roman signs Ronaldinho and co in January.
Anyway for one I was sick of the way we played!!!!!!
World class players are still world class despite their morality.
Unfortunately money and player power is to such an extent that they can get away with it. I am deligthed this is happening to Chelsea - Maurinho may be a 'character' but ask Anders Frisk about him. Ask Reading FC who Maurinho claimed made little effort to help Cech when in fact Chelsea turned down an initial medical offer.
Chelsea with all its money now in turmoil. Sometimes there is a footballing God.
Unfortunately the Chelsea model is the near term future for a lot of clubs, possibly Arsenal too. I dont like it and think that your income should directly relate to your expenditure as it always used to.
Let's get sexy football back to Stamford Bridge, that's what Roman wants and that is what I want. kudos to him for having the balls to change - I support Roman and I have confidence that what he is doing will bring great success to the club. He did so with Ranieri, then Jose - now we go to the next stage.
The only 'allegiance' that the Chelsea players have is to themselves, their families and their happiness in their employment. If they are unhappy in the way that a fellow employee has been treated they are fully within their rights to express their displeasure and to leave their place of work in a way that complies with all laws without being castigated.
How dare the author suggest that these players should stay in a job - for that's what it is - that they are unhappy with just because they are footballers.
They are employees, nothing more nothing less, and if they want to leave they are fully within their rights and should do so.
It's not just the foreign players that are upset by Jose leaving. Considering the relationship he had with his players it's understandable. Yet another poorly written/researched piece unfortunately a lot of people in States think you are the expert when it comes to the Preimer league which is not at all correct.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I don't agree that my post was poorly written or researched.
There will be times when mistakes happen in my articles, I'm not perfect. And if you read through the past blog posts, you'll notice that national newspapers such as The Guardian are also prone to making mistakes and not conducting good research, too.
When I wrote it at 7:11am ET today, there was no report of Lampard insinuating that he wanted to leave.
Philip,
I don't feel that Chelsea players should be chained to the club and not allowed to leave. But I do think they at least owe the new manager a bit of respect and should try to play to the best capabilities rather than whine about a new manager.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
What you may not understand, Gaffer, and it's through no fault of your own as you're British, is that sports in America do business differently than soccer in England. Players here demand trades all the time, they leave through free agency to make more money or to escape a bad situation at their previous team. I'm used to frequent player movement and players spouting off in the media; that's second nature here. Those things don't happen in England, you're used to transfer fees and the teams having more control than the individual player.
I'm not shocked by the fact that a lot of Chelsea players now want to leave with Jose's departure; in fact, I expected it and it's a logical course of action for them. Do you really expect Ferreira and Carvalho, two Portuguese players, to stay at an English club now that their manager, a fellow countryman, isn't there? Do you expect Lampard to stay when the only reason he came to Chelsea was to play for Mourinho? Yes, the name on their jersey does say Chelsea FC, but it's naive of you to believe that every player dedicates themselves to their team. It's a business, not a fairy tale. Players will go to the situation that's best for them and their families, and without Mourinho, I completely understand why there will be a mass exodus at Stamford Bridge.
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