ABUSE ... Wright-Phillips gets some stick
during his Chelsea days
IAN WRIGHT - Columnist
In the end, it got to the point when I'd just had
enough of it. My seat was near the players who were not involved.
Just in front of us, there was one bloke who, win or lose, did not
stop complaining. He was never happy, even with a convincing home
win.
Since the summer of 2004, Chelsea have played 160
matches at home and lost just three times - against Barcelona,
Liverpool and Arsenal. Yet, despite this astonishing record, it
does not surprise me that Chelsea's players were booed off the
pitch following their 3-3 draw with Everton on Saturday.
Those fans who jeered are an absolute disgrace. They
might have plenty of money but, in football terms, they have no
class whatsoever. They have either forgotten where their club has
come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the
years.
I have got mates who support Chelsea and they are
disgusted and embarrassed by the New Age fans who have crawled out
of the woodwork to support this now successful club.
Yet they have absolutely no sense of perspective and,
like the bloke who used to sit near me, they expect the team to win
every week.
Many of their fans saunter to the hospitality areas in
their expensive suits and fancy shoes, drink fine champagne and
probably think they are too good for prawn sandwiches let alone hot
dogs.
A large number of people hate Chelsea because of the
way they have bought their success and, I must admit, some of the
fans are not helping the club's reputation. People sing 'Where were
you when you were s**t?' - and never before has a chant been more
accurate.
Most Chelsea fans then argue that they have always
supported the club through thick and thin but, historically, they
have not been a big club. I once went to Stamford Bridge with Mark
Bright in the early 1990s to watch our mate Robbie Earle play for
Wimbledon. The crowd was tiny.
For a Premier League game against Coventry in May 1994,
the attendance at Stamford Bridge was less than 9,000. Yet all the
fans turned out to pack Wembley 10 days later for the FA Cup final
against Manchester United.
Chelsea are not on the best of runs by their super-high
standards and the draw on Saturday was hardly the greatest of
results. But they didn't lose.
Petr Cech did not have a great match but he has done so
well for them and does not deserve any of the criticism directed
his way.
Those Chelsea fans should be getting behind
their team, not just whinging. I understand that they pay good
money, but surely they must be intelligent enough to realise that
constant moaning does not benefit anybody.
The Londoners should learn a few lessons from the fans
up at Liverpool. Considering the state of their team, they have
every right to tear both Rafa Benitez and the team apart but they
have stayed loyal.
Maybe too loyal, if the truth be known. But this is a
club where fans know how to respect not only their own players, but
visiting ones and that is something I have always admired.
Benitez, though, is clearly in deep trouble. Sunday's
2-1 home defeat to Arsenal just proved there is no way they will
finish in the top four. And if they fail to get decent results in
their next two games, against strugglers Wigan and Portsmouth, then
they probably won't even manage to finish in the top six.
This would be unbelievable for a team with players like
Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard - a team that finished league
runners-up last season. And it's not as though Liverpool fielded an
under-strength side against Arsene Wenger's Gunners on Sunday.
Torres, undoubtedly, will start to worry about the
direction Liverpool are going in. A year ago, they were top of the
Premier League and now they are seventh - and looking every inch a
team that is not going to win anything this season.
If Torres returns to Merseyside in the summer as a
World Cup winner, something which is possible, then I can't believe
he would want to play for a club which is not in the Champions
League.
In fact Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson would
probably fancy his chances of taking Torres to Old Trafford. Reds
skipper Gerrard could be another problem. He is proud to play for
Liverpool but there will come a time when he takes a step back and
thinks 'How can I remain on Merseyside?'
I never like to see managers get the sack and I hope
Benitez can somehow turns things around. But now, for the first
time, even some people at Anfield are wondering whether this is a
step too far for the Spaniard.
IAN WRIGHT was talking to CHARLIE WYETT
Courtesy SEM Group