ROMAN EMPIRE BUILT ON DANGEROUS
FOUNDATIONS
If events over the past week have shown anything, it's that money
can't buy happiness. Certainly, £400million may get you a football
club, an array of the best players on the planet and a fairly
snappy suit, but it does not guarantee success in one of the
toughest leagues in the world.
In fact, across London, Arsene Wenger's young Arsenal side have
shown that it's not about how much you have, but how you spend
it.
With exceptional timing, the Gunners' PR machine announced this
week that their turnover has exceeded £200million and their record
earnings have propelled them to the top of the Premier League's
rich list. Contrast that to the news of Jose Mourinho's departure,
a half-full stadium in the Champions League and a new coach that
nobody has heard of, and the recent fortunes of two of the league's
best teams could not have been more different.
Interestingly, Wenger is the only manager in the league to have
made a profit from his transfer activity over the years, while
Chelsea have spent nearly £200million on new players alone. Wenger
even refused to spend his whole budget over the summer, and as a
result has built one of the most cohesive units currently in the
league.
Bringing in the likes of Cesc Fabregas for only £500,000, Arsenal
have built their foundations around youth, while Chelsea have
poured money into big-name players. As Wenger's careful spending
has been a shining example of good financial sense; Abramovich has
squandered millions on his new toy. Including a £20million pay-off
for his former manager and £30million on friend and striking flop
Andriy Shevchenko.
The fact is that owners, be they from a football background or not,
have very little idea what makes a football side tick. Abramovich
is an excellent example of such an owner, and is no doubt in the
forefront of the Arsenal board's minds when they rebuff would-be
takeover bids from billionaires Stan Kroenke and Alisher
Usmanov.
Leaving the football decisions to Wenger, Arsenal will prosper in
the long-term and while many (myself included) were quick to write
them off at the start of the season, after the departure of Thierry
Henry, it is clear that the interests of the club were always in
safe hands.
This cannot be said for Chelsea. While Abramovich's initial
investment brought a host of trophies, including their first
Premier League title in 50 years, their long-term future is less
secure. With little-known Israeli Avram Grant now at the helm, it
is hard to see the temporary boss as anything but an Abramovich
pawn.
Without the required UEFA coaching badges to even take full control
of the side beyond Christmas, Grant's appointment has not filled
the Chelsea faithful with confidence. Indeed quite the opposite,
with a fans' protest at last weekend's game with Manchester United
and reports of unrest among some of the club's star players, it
would appear Grant is just a short-term answer to a long-term
problem.
The signs that money is having more of an effect on football have
been there for a while, but it's not just Chelsea who are
suffering. In Scotland, the unmistakable Vladimir Romanov has
ploughed his cash into Hearts, only to look up at the rest of the
league from seventh position, having been hammered 5-0 by defending
champions Celtic and been held to a 1-1 draw by newly-promoted
Gretna already this season.
Romanov's own brand of dictatorship, with sackings and strife
almost a daily occurance at the Scottish club, should serve as a
warning to the likes of Abramovich, that tinkering in team affairs
is not in the best interests of the club.
If, as speculation has suggested, the Russian has been insisting
that £30million Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko command a place
in the Blues' starting line-up, then things at the club are even
worse than first imagined.
It would prove beyond reasonable doubt that any manager silly
enough to accept the 'poisoned chalice' for the long-term would
have to conform to the will of someone who knows very little about
football.
It would also show that Abramovich is too stubborn to admit that he
made a mistake in turning one of the world's best strikers into an
insecure, shell of a player, without a turn of pace. And, even
worse, that he can't see what Shevchenko has become.
In Europe, Barcelona are testament that it takes time for the team
to acclimatise to a new player. Especially one that carries such
weight as World Cup winner Thierry Henry, or the Shevchenko of
old.
The Blaugranes have struggled at the start of the season and have
been held to goalless draws at clubs like Osasuna and Racing
Santander. While Henry is not the only face to arrive at the Nou
Camp this summer, such huge characters do affect the dynamics of
the team. The arrival of Shevchenko has certainly done this for
Chelsea and, subsequently, it has affected the Ukrainian's form as
well.
Conundrums over team selection are the least of a manager's worries
when he has the likes of Henry, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Samuel
Eto'o in the side, but the problem for Chelsea is that Avram Grant
has given no indication that he will do anything other than select
who Abramovich wants in the team.
With speculation over the future of Ronaldinho, Barca showed
themselves to be much stronger than the Blues in this respect, by
dropping the Brazilian for their match against Sevilla after
reports that he was out partying before a game. Indeed, this may
have something to do with the structure and security of their club,
and it is hard to imagine Grant doing anything similar at
Chelsea.
No billionaire backer. No decisions on team selection from anyone
other than the manager, and consequently a positive result. Not
something that would appear to be in the future of those at
Stamford Bridge.
What Chelsea need is a few strong characters in the club,
particularly behind the scenes, who can stand up to the owner on
the issues that matter. Then again, they've just got rid of one of
the biggest personalities in the club, precisely because he would
not kowtow to the man with the money. So it's clear who is calling
the shots.
With an excellent example of how to run a club, not 10 miles away
in North London, Abramovich should take heed before his obstinate
methods drive away players, staff and most notably, the fans. Then
again, he may find a new plaything before long. Four years may not
be a long time in football, but it is in business.
- credit: Jon Carter, ESPNsoccernet
I cannot agree more with this ... that team selection should be
left to the manager of the club.
