Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has raised a few heckles with his remarks about Chelsea’s ageing team, and whether they have it in them to move up a gear.
Ferguson was asked who he saw as United’s main rivals for the title and he gave his answer. Despite many taking his words the wrong way, Ferguson was in fact stating the obvious. Chelsea have not been too active in the transfer window with Deco at 30 years old being their main signing.
Chelsea do appear to be a retirement home for the world’s great players on the face of it, with Shevchenko, Ballack, Drogba and co all 30 years old or more. Any player that Chelsea have been linked with this summer has been world class (at some point) but long in experience.
The loss of Claude Makelele to Paris St Germain may help bring down the average age of the team, but at 35 years old he has been inspirational for both Chelsea and France, where he was for me the outstanding player for a poor French team in Euro 2008.
His contribution in the Premiership and Champions League also showed that experience is better than youth, but the fact that he couldn’t maintain a whole season at that level turns that argument upside down.
But what of United? OK Ronaldo aside, Paul Scholes at 33 and Van der Sar at 37 are no spring chickens. But they were the outstanding players for United at various times during the season when experience mattered.
It will be interesting for me to see how Chelsea cope without Makelele and likewise if Scholesey ever leaves or retires.
Just who could possibly replace either of these fantastic players?
1 comment so far
1 Terry Lane // Jul 24, 2008 at 10:17 am
The same was said when Eric Cantona retired, when David Beckham was forced out and probably when George Best walked out of Old Trafford.
As for Makele, I think Chelsea already have players that can play that position well enough, not to be a weak link in Chelsea’s bid to regain the Premiership title. Both John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien can play in that position.