‘SHOW ME THE MONEY’

There is still much discussion about the cause of Chelsea’s bad form at home recently.  Although they beat Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, it was by no means a convincing win.  The second half in particular was a reminder of the vulnerability shown by the team at Stamford Bridge in the last few home games.

Much has been said about the atmosphere at the bridge since Rafa Benitez replaced the Champion League winning Roberto Di Matteo.  Since Robbie’s unceremonious sacking back in November, loyal fans have been applauding and singing his name in the 16^th minute of every match.  This celebration has gradually been losing momentum with time.  I was not fortunate enough to be at Stamford Bridge for the Arsenal match on Sunday.  I listened out for the chants of ‘there’s only one Di Matteo’ during the sixteenth minute but couldn’t hear it over the commentary on my tv.  My daughter E’s boyfriend was lucky enough to go to the match (yes sorry to any interested parties, she does have a boyfriend at the moment – though they are a bit on and off!) and when he came over after the match I asked him if there had been any 16^th minute love for Robbie.  He said no.  I have to be honest and say he is not the most reliable source of information as he can be a little unaware of his surroundings at times (hope he doesn’t read this!!).  Whether the longing for RDM has diminished, there is one thing for sure, the love for Rafa doesn’t seem to have grown much.

When Rafa was questioned about the less than welcoming atmosphere at the Bridge and whether he thought the unrest among the fans was affecting his team’s home performances he said this:

“The atmosphere doesn't affect the players. We are professionals and we concentrate on our job. If we win, I'm sure they'll be happy.”

In my recent posts I haven’t dwelled on the so called ‘poisoning’ of the atmosphere at the bridge by the fans. I didn’t want to focus on negativity and also as a fan myself I feel we have a right to be heard especially after spending our hard earned money (my husband will probably say it is his hard earned money, but I know plenty of professional women who fund their own football habits!)  Although I have been hoping Rafa is right and that the players would rise above it, I have been wondering if it has affected them.  

I was reading an article about the same subject written by an ex footballer who is now a columnist for the blues.  He said he couldn’t recall any moment in five years playing every week for the blues, a single negative vibe aimed towards him even if he wasn’t having a good game.  He said knowing the fans believed in him gave him a surge in confidence and belief in himself.  Reading his article, (which had I been a psychologist, I would have interpreted as a covert nudging of fans to be more supportive) got me thinking.....

I know this is a cliche but:

Money is the root of all evil!

...and at the moment I think the root of a lot of the unrest at Stamford Bridge and many other football clubs.

Sky and BT announced a three-year €3.6 billion agreement last June, which comes into effect from next season.  This deal has put so much pressure on clubs to stay in the Premiership.  Promotion to a higher league or winning a place in the Champion’s League is another financially driven necessity rather than a prestige driven honour.

The last time I was at Stamford Bridge was for the semi-final of the Capital One Cup.  I sat in front of a lovely older gentleman, who was obviously a pensioner.  Ironically I find myself writing this on the eve of tomorrow’s second leg of the semi-final at Swansea.  He was calling out in frustration most of the 90 minutes and by the end his voice was barely audible.  I remember thinking that the team owed him a duty of care.  He had paid an astronomical price for his seat and had endured 90 minutes of disappointment in the freezing air.  I didn’t think he was owed a duty of care because we lost, I thought he was owed it because I didn’t think the players were doing their best. As a mum I have always told my daughters it’s not their results that matter as long as they are doing their best.

This thought got me onto whether our expectations of footballer’s today are realistic – I think the answer is no – and my reasoning for that is the unrealistic wages the footballer’s are being paid.  The average footballer’s salary in the Premiership is around £30,000 per week (compare this to £1,480 in 1993) and this figure can more than treble for some of the big guns.  Now especially, during a recession, these unrealistic wages are leading to the fans unrealistic expectations as well as some resentment. Add to that the introduction of wealthy owners who without having any knowledge of football feel they are entitled to dictate the way forward for their team because they are in charge of the purse strings.  It is no wonder the fans feel side lined and isolated and often angry.  They want their voices to be heard.  If the clubs believe the fans are such an integral part of their success then why don’t you listen to them. 

I know I’m becoming a broken record – but please give Frank Lampard a new contract.  I know you are listening – you just gave one to Ashley Cole – another one won’t hurt!

Sorry I feel like this has turned into the ‘sermon on the bridge’!  On a more positive note a huge Congratulations to Bradford City.  I hope it is Chelsea they will meet at Wembley for the final of the Capital One Cup.