Gus Mears

The debate about Mikel is interesting and informative. IMHO, a fan's views on Mikel serve as a reliable barometer of his understanding of the game of football. Simply put, anybody who is unable to appreciate Mikel's qualities knows nothing about football. Mikel is a superb holding midfield player who continues to improve every season. Defensive midfield is the most demanding position on the pitch. It takes a whole career to learn the role. Makelele only really started to shine in his 30's. Mikel is still comparatively young, and has his most productive years ahead of him. Real Madrid were derided for having failed to appreciate Makelele during his time there - let's not make the same mistake here at CFC with Mikel.

A return of 'The Special One' is obviously attractive on many levels. But a 2 year stint before he goes on to 'better things' at ManUre or Liverpool will do nobody any good. What this club desperately needs is a long-term manager who will stay 10 years and build a proper legacy. A club that costs £100m a year to support is not sustainable in the long term, even without the forthcoming Financial Fair Play regulations. We need somebody who is confident enough about his own managerial tenure to build a squad for the future without having to worry about being sacked the minute a few games go the wrong way. There are a number of top young managers working in Europe who might fill the role. The trouble is, why would any of them ever want to come to Chelsea? Our club has become a circus. The idea that Guardiola, steeped in the traditions of a proper football club like Barcelona, should ever allow himself to submit to the whims of a clown like Abramovich is just laughable. He was never going to come here. It was no surprise to me that he left the best-run football club in Europe to join the second-best. A few years ago, Chelsea were regarded as a plum managerial position. Most of the top talent would turn us down today. As Keith Burkinshaw said when he got sacked from Spurs, 'There used to be a football club there'

I remember this one well. It was during the miners' strike. We sat on the half way line smoking cigars (aged about 19) and mouthing off in our poshest accents about closing more pits. Happy days !!!!