Stu Montagu asking the questions | |
In this life very few things are certain, but there are some universal truths that we can all acknowledge. What must live must die, he who visits Goodison must blame Heysel for all his woes and he who expects wonders from Liverpool set-pieces will always face crushing and infuriating disappointment. Another of these truths is that opposition supporters will very often see things differently.
In an effort to see just how far wide of the mark these deluded heretics are we endeavour to find out their truth and mildly ridicule it, all for the sake of science (it has to be for the sake of science or the government funding gets taken away you see). This time round the man undergoing a metaphorical polygraph is Rob Hobson, the editor of CFCnet.co.uk, so for his views on death threats, African tanks and Germans singing in English just plough straight on…
So, what are your realistic expectations and ambitions for the rest of the season?
Our second successive League title looks to be well on track. I don’t see any team – bar possibly Man United – catching us. I don’t think there’s another team in the League with the character or talent to do it. If I’m honest, I think we were always going to produce this kind of form, but I expected Arsenal and United to push us closer.
How do you see the season's second meeting between us going and who do you think are going to be the match winners and weak links on each side?
I expect you to be less adventurous. Benitez isn’t going to want to concede 4 again. For me, you have two match-winning players in Gerard and Alonso: great talents both. Weak links: well: Cisse has fantastic pace but can’t score; Crouch appears to have a good touch for a big lad, but isn’t exactly prolific either; the less said about Morientes, the better. I just hope Robbie Fowler comes back in a scoring mood. At the back, Traore’s always looked shaky to me but you defend well as a unit. It’s up front that you struggle.
Historically the big spenders in the English league have accumulated their wealth through success on the pitch in the mega-stores, do you accept that the price for being gifted fortunes when in financially dire straits is that people will respect any success far less?
I suppose that if my support of Chelsea were coloured by the opinions of other fans that would be a fair question. I have plenty of Greek friends who are well aware of how their team bored and defended their way to the Euro 2004 title, much as Porto and Liverpool did in successive Champions League finals. I’m not sure they feel any less proud of their team’s achievement. Besides, I’m not sure Blackburn won the League because they sold a lot of shirts.
No they didn’t, but they get less respect because of it. Does it concern you that the club may not be financially stable if Abramovich where no longer there, which with the Russian action against the other oligarchs might be a possibility in the future?
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We seem to be lucky with our oligarch. Roman doesn’t involve himself with politics except in his capacity as governor of Chukotka. As I’m sure you know, the backlash against these figures tends to occur when they use their wealth to intervene in the wider political scene. When you bear in mind that Roman has sold up many of his Russian business interests and, to all intents and purposes, settled in London, it looks like you boys are going to have to find another thing to wish for. We’ve been watching Roman a lot lately – I can’t think of many owners who come to every single game – and when you watch him kicking the imaginary ball and trying to will it into the net, you’re pretty sure that he’s been seduced by footie much as we all were when we were kids.
What is your opinion of Peter Kenyon
That he’s the best in the country at what he does.
If you are talking about paying over the odds and attracting hatred then I agree. When Mourinho first arrived at Chelsea I thought he was a breath of fresh air and shook things up a bit. Now I’m struggling to like him due to a lack of honesty and class when things go against him; would you say that was a fair assessment?
I know what you mean. Coming out with comments about teams being frightened of him shows a distinct lack of class. Or was that another manager? In my experience, opposition fans do find Jose frustrating. He says what he thinks, he encourages the media’s portrayal of him as arrogant, and he’s fiercely protective of his players. In that respect, he’s by far the most sophisticated user of the media in the country. But if fans choose to believe pen portraits drawn by Associated Newspapers or News International, that’s up to them.
I agree he uses the media well, suggesting Rafa lacks in class is off the mark. I personally think that Mourinho would have you challenging for the league on a quarter of the budget he has spent and find it ironic that he will never get the kudos he could have had because of the money he has spent. Do you agree?
I guess his Champions League victory with Porto probably has those credentials covered. My suspicion, and I don’t know if this is true, is that he spent rather less than you did when you won it last season. But you have to suit the method to the objective. Wenger, as an example, buys players who will come into their own in three to four years. Jose buys players for immediate effect: Essien, who at 22 is almost the finished article, is a perfect example. But the eventual plan is to have a youth system that will regularly produce players like Terry, and only an idiot would assume that you’d see the results from that within the 3 years Roman has owned Chelsea. The issue of money is a valid one, particularly from the point of view of the Chelsea bench: there aren’t many teams who can take off Arjen Robben and Damien Duff and bring on Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips. But if the suggestion is that Jose could have won the League with a Bolton or a Manchester City, that’s just naïveté. It takes money as well as passion to win this League, and that’s a situation of the FA’s and Premier League’s making. And even money doesn’t guarantee success, as I’m sure Liverpool fans are aware. Djibril Cisse may have cost £14m, but…
I can’t stand it when I see Liverpool players diving and moaning at the referee, with Diouf being the worst culprit, does is annoy you that it seems to be rife at Chelsea with Drogba and Makelele being the worst offenders on the moaning front?
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I agree, although I don’t think you watch Makelele often enough. Drogba certainly does make a lot of noise on the pitch and undoubtedly takes some unnecessary tumbles. Robben is another one who could stay on his feet more often, although you notice that when he’s playing on form and producing his best, it hardly happens at all. All fans in this country get frustrated at seeing theatrical behaviour, which is unusual: in Spain and Italy, plenty of my fellow fans see it as intelligent play… if you won a penalty unfairly, or forced a player to get sent off through simulation, you’ve played the system and won. And, by the way, Cisse is your worst culprit. I think it’s an endemic problem in football, and to point the finger at any one individual or club is missing the point.
What is your take on those Essien tackles?
The lad’s a tank. They weren’t great challenges but I genuinely believe that he’s not a malicious player. Watch him week in and out and I defy you to disagree.
I accept that challenge; I disagree. Who are the fans that you have most disliked over the past year and why?
I’m not getting into this one. I had enough death threats from Liverpool fans last season over the Gerrard business. No wonder he didn’t leave: I’d have been scared to as well.
If there were any nut-jobs threatening him then I’m sure that wasn’t the reason he stayed. Any supporters in particular impress you with their wit, enthusiasm and interesting chants last season?
I’m going to get strung up for this, but Bayern Munich’s chants in English at the CL tie in London had me laughing. Who says Germans have no sense of humour?
Do Chelsea fans accept that for the Garcia goal last year that going one down was preferable to having Cech sent off and a penalty given, as the referee has stated he would have given had it not been a goal?
Hmmm. I guess so. I’m more surprised by the fact that we couldn’t break you down afterwards. Hey, we’re over it. See you this year.
What where your feelings on both the run to the final and the night in Istanbul itself?
I didn’t watch the final, unfortunately, so I can’t give you anything worthwhile on that one. But I thought your organisation was great throughout the tournament. Apart from the goal rush, the highlights I saw had you under siege throughout the final so you did an amazing job to hold out against such an effective Milan side. If you can do it again, it really will be a remarkable achievement.
William Gallas is possibly one of the most under-rated players on the planet; discuss?
Underrated by who? He’s the most versatile defender in England. In many ways, a victim of his own ability, because it’s well documented that he prefers to play as a centre-back and frequently has to be shunted out as cover in a fullback role. The fact that he can play on the left or right, tackle back, and get forward and deliver a decent cross, speaks volumes about his intrinsic ability, athleticism and intelligence as a footballer. After Terry, the defender I most respect at the club. I’m not in any way surprised that his name is often speculatively linked to other clubs. If I were Juve, I’d want him too.
What is your opinion of Rafa Benitez?
Clearly an intelligent man who knows how to win football games. If I had a criticism of him, it’s that he doesn’t seem to be able to buy a decent striker. Which leads me neatly on to your next question…
I‘m personally very pleased that Michael Owen didn’t sign for our club, although I know many see it differently. Give us an outside view to the whole affair which saw the media-tagged “Big club” get their man.
Honest answer? You should have swallowed the embarrassment of paying double what you sold him for, and had him back in. You know better than anyone else that the guy will nick you 20 goals without too much trouble. The only reason I can possibly think of for why we didn’t go in for him is his size: Jose clearly prefers players with more physical presence. And then you look at the two he scored against Argentina and wonder if it really matters. I’m guessing that this World Cup is the last one where he’ll still have any great turn of pace: injuries have conspired and age creeps up on all of us. Do you honestly think a 30-year-old Fowler is a comparable replacement?
Who will be open-topped bussing it with what this season?
League: Chelsea. Cup: Chelsea or United. Carling Cup: United. Champions League: assuming we don’t beat them (and just to show that I’m not irretrievably arrogant, I’d say the odds are 60/40 in their favour), Barcelona.
Give us your tip for Young Player and Player of the season this year in the premiership?
I’m not sure you can count Rooney as a “Young” Player, given that he’s such a fixture in the League now, but he’s definitely provided the high points of United’s season so far. One of the very few players in Britain who would definitely improve Chelsea’s squad, and he’s still only 20. Player of the Season depends, I suppose, on Lampard’s performances in the latter half of the campaign. As the driving force of Chelsea’s midfield, if he gets back to the form of last season (and he’s been quiet-ish lately, late equaliser at Everton notwithstanding) then surely he has to be the favourite to retain the accolade. He’s been voted it by the fans two years running now, and is the player that 60% of Europe’s coaches would most want in their squad, leaving both Rooney and your own Steve Me trailing a long way back in his wake. Who are we at CFCnet to argue?
Fair point; waddling around and booting in deflected goals does not make you complete though, being Gerrard does. Ah, having the last word is always a cathartic experience.
Rob Hobson is the editor of www.cfcnet.co.uk
Last edited by dave u; 3rd February 2006 at 04:08 PM.
