ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO has been told he is too old for the
Premiership by Arsenal rival Aleksandr Hleb.
Chelsea striker Sheva, 30, has flopped since his £30million arrival
from AC Milan last summer. And Gunners midfielder Hleb, 25, rapped:
I would never have risked coming to England towards the end of my
career. The older you get, the harder it gets.
Shevchenko is not the first great footballer who has not managed to
crown himself in glory here. I was never convinced he would be
able to play in England. I dont have anything against him. I
respect him and rate him as a player. The problem lies in the
style of the English league, in terms of the tempo and the time you
get to think on the pitch.
The Italian and English leagues are two very different
propositions. And the younger a player is, the easier it is for him
to adapt and get to grips with English football. There has been
talk that Jose Mourinho and Shevchenko have not found a common
language.
"In my case, Arsene Wengers role in helping me establish myself as
a first-team regular was invaluable. Chelsea boss Mourinho has
been blasted by Oleg Blokhin over his treatment of Sheva, a friend
of Blues owner Roman Abramovich.
Ukraine coach Blokhin raged: Andriy is being criticised for his
lack of goals. But he needs to be given time to adapt to his new
environment. Its one thing when the Press and supporters put
pressure on a football star.
"But when the manager of his own club starts making negative
comments about him, then I find that both incomprehensible and
unpleasant.
