Money Talks
‘JOSE Mourinho will not be heard saying how it has always been his dream to manage Chelsea.
|
| Show me the money |
He will not claim that to manage the Blues represents the fulfilment of life-long ambition.
If he does become the new manager at Stamford Bridge, he will do so because, as he tells the Times, I have some offers in my wallet but one that I very much want to accept is that from Chelsea.
And its a decent enough offer, with the Sun saying that the Portuguese managers salary will be a wallet-busting £5m a year.
Which is roughly the same sum that Claudio Ranieri will pick up if his Chelsea contract is terminated. Although, the Telegraph does say that is might not be.
The Chelsea soap opera rolls on, and the paper reports that just yesterday Ranieri was in Milan for a meeting with Roman Abramovich and Chelseas chief executive Peter Kenyon.
The owner and his right-hand man were, as the paper says, expected to tell the likeably Italian that his services were no longer wanted. Only they didnt. Instead they just said theyd talk again next week.
And so it rumbles on, and on, and on…
At least when Alan Smith went, he went quickly. Not that the speed of his removal from Yorkshire is of paramount concern to those Leeds United fans who hooked up a replica of the strikers old team shirt to the Elland Road gates.
The message scrawled across it is clear, if a bit messy: JUDAS. JUDAS KISS THE BADGE NOW.
The Sun just loves this kind of fan action, and has another picture inside the paper of an accompanying sign. YOU SAID RED WASNT YOUR COLOUR CHEERS ALAN!!!!! AWLAYS SCUM.
The Times Simon Barnes picks up on this tale of love and hate and asks: Why is it necessary to prove your love for one thing by hating another?
Its a poser that requires a complex answer, but when it comes to Leeds, we can suggest that its because fans of the club need to vent their passion somewhere, and it will not be sated at next seasons Leeds v Rotherham United league fixture.
Of course, there are more dignified and honest exits even than the one likely to be made by Claudio Ranieri.
Theres that of Nasser Hussain, the former England cricket captain who has announced his retirement from the international arena.
He tells the Telegraph: It is a bit selfish and I dont like going in the middle of a series with unfinished business.
But he should not worry about that – hes done enough. And having scored the winning runs in a typically spirited innings in the first Test against New Zealand, the time to go is ripe.
We wish him well…’
Posted: 28th, May 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
