Wilkins’ saga continues
Reports have emerged that the ex-assistant manager, Ray Wilkins has sought legal advice over his being-shown-the-exit-door by Chelsea, a club he was affiliated with for around 37 years. Many feel that the nature of his being sacked and the way in which it
was conducted, was particularly insensitive on the club’s part. Indeed, many fans feel his dismissal should have been done in a more dignified manner and the men-in-charge could have shown a little more respect to a man who not only was a valuable part of
the managerial staff, but was an excellent player for the Blues. The news of his leaving the club has perhaps affected many players at the Bridge, as Chelsea lost their away-from-home match against Birmingham on Saturday, the 20th of November- a
day that saw Manchester United leap-frog Arsenal and Chelsea, to claim top spot in the table.
With the club’s manager Carlo Ancelotti, constantly having to deny reports that Chelsea’s poor form-of-late is a lash out against Wilkins’ dismissal, many rumors have started to circulate as to what could have been the reason. The immediate explanation given
by many reputable news sources as to why he was shown the door, suggests that it was part of Chelsea’s new cost-cutting scheme and Ray Wilkins’ £350,000 salary was a burden on the club’s finances.
Now a source from the ‘Fulham Chronicle’ suggests that the ex- player and assistant manager may have been fired from his former job due to a comment made by him to the owner of Chelsea, Mr Roman Abramovich himself. Reports suggest that Wilkins, while in
a meeting with the Russian Billionaire and chief-executive Ron Gourlay, said to them concerning a football matter that "Well, if you’d ever played the game you’d know otherwise..." Wilkins’ known for his agreeable and pleasant nature may have not intended
to make a swipe at the Russian’s non-football background. The businessman who keeps a very low profile, is known to have a low tolerance for under-performance (Mourinho’s sacking after he drew/lost a couple of games despite winning the league twice comes to
mind..) and those who question his authority.
Sources from “The Observer” suggest that Wilkins’ firing was a result of the feeling of dissatisfaction from some senior players at the Bridge. “The Observer” reports that some players were questioning his ability and were left discontented by the Englishman’s
recent contribution to the club. Wilkins however, made a statement to the press claiming he had a “fantastic relationship” with the team’s players and that he was searching for answers concerning his unreasonable exit with the help of legal advisors.
Many claim that Ray’s replacement, Michael Emenalo, does not have the required qualifications having being prematurely promoted to help Ancelotti with key decisions. The Nigerian was employed under ex-Chelsea and current West-Ham manager Avram Grant’s time
at the Bridge and has found favour with many, and most importantly, Abramovich himself. The Nigerian played under Grant when in Maccabi Tel Aviv and was thus familiar with the Israeli manager before his Chelsea arrival.
Critics feel that Ray’s replacement should not have been Emenalo, instead a more well-known character; a man with more experience should have picked up the reins that Wilkins was forced to drop. Carlo Ancelotti has been forced to answer many questions raised
by the press concerning the controversial decision to let Ray go. Chelsea’s official website contains Carlo’s statement ; “Nothing changes for me because Michael Emenalo started to work with me when I came here last year and he was involved and supported me
for every game. He will not be involved in the training because I have Paul Clement and he will maintain the same position.” Under the pressure perhaps that Ancelotti carries, the Italian made comments to the “Guardian” on Monday, the 22nd of November,
comparing himself to rivals Manchester United’s manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, saying that the position Sir Alex maintains at his club cannot be compared to his own position at Stamford Bridge, claiming he does not have a final say in major club decisions; “I
am just [providing] technical direction. Full stop. OK."
Chelsea now has lost three out of their last four league games, although many feel instead of Ray’s departure, the team has had an overwhelming amount of injuries to key players, amongst them, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Alex and perhaps that (among other
on-field issues) has been the reason for the poor performance displayed by the Blues.
Fans, critics and the press’ relentless questioning can be attributed to the shocking nature of Ray’s exit. A Chelsea fan blog, www.bluechampions.com states that “there’s something really wrong with the whole episode. To sack Ray in the month of November,
especially when Chelsea is still on top of the table, doesn’t sound right at all.”
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