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Of course, morally, this topic shouldn’t really be introduced by oblique reference to history’s leading proponent of freedom-at-all costs, but it helps because it is about unrestrained choice and the morality issue surrounding [any impending use of it] by Chelsea in the transfer market. Put in a rather large nutshell, the question is - will Roman, by ignoring the moral majority amongst our family fan base, also be declared insane if he brakes with his recent frugal convention to once again plough heavily through a transfer window? I’d have to guess so, if this forum is anything to go by, for it is becoming increasingly clear to members and guests alike on here that the advocates of massive chequebook diplomacy are either confirmed lunatics through choice [of player proposed] or through their belief in purchases being at all possible under present circumstances. Whilst not quite begging to differ entirely, here’s an alternate view for you all to consider…

The prospect of buying marquee players separates the fans into good and evil camps more than any other for the simple reason that judgement on the individual [primarily attacking] player concerned is usually made after a single argument for, followed by a myriad against. Taking Carlos Tevez as an example (wouldn’t I just?) and you will soon see exactly what I’m on about. No sooner is his name mentioned in the same breath as Chelsea than there is a flood of objections delivered on all manner of grounds except the solid foundation of his undoubted ability to do the job in hand better than any non-marquee player. It isn’t rocket science that that happens to be the case, nor is it sophistry used to bolster the claims of a favourite player. Indeed, the argument can be used across the whole spectrum of current so-called ’marquee signings’, so let’s apply the principle to three of the other frontrunners:-

Fernando Torres, injury-prone, lazy to the point of disinterest, yet wind him up, stick him in the last third with a bit of space and watch him do what he does best. Sergio Aguero, greedy Argie, wanting too much money to come over here, whilst unproven against the mighty Premiership tacklers, but you kinda know he’ll cope with it all on arrival and evolve into that superstar we’re crying out for. Wayne Rooney, randy cash-and-granny-grabbing scouse git who hasn’t scored in open play for ages, is nowhere near as good as Citeh, Real and Milan think he is, though having said that, he might just be the catalyst in our line-up due to his ability to link the attacking play extremely effectively. See a common theme developing? Yep, they are, each and every one of ’em, flawed characters who can so easily be discounted in favour of other options…hmmm, now that happens to be another story entirely.

We are in the midst of experiencing those ‘other options’ at the moment and arguably have been doing so for a number of seasons now, but the good ship HMS Youth Development, aligned with main crew cutbacks, only carries you so far before an inevitable becalming takes place and the harsh reality [that you may no longer be seen as one of a Big Four Armada] holes you below the waterline. Laudable though the approach may be, we are getting scant praise or encouragement for it from a Media eager to witness [what they perceive to be] an inaugural fall from grace for a club that has bought success. The prospect of Chelsea returning to a spend-it-up philosophy would be greeted with their derision, pre-empted in the current Sturridge to Liverpool scaremongering, although it would also put the print world into an invidious position, especially if Tevez does turn out to be the one raising Carlo’s eyebrow.

Why so? Well, for the Argentinean to leave ManU is one thing, for him to turn his back on Citeh another, but for us to take him on, blithely ignoring the shorter [and shorter] shortcomings, would be for the club to wave two fingers at the lot of them and go in where angels should, by rights, fear to tread. And this is very much the point of the topic, as it is evident that every big club has its flawed marquee player, yet each one didn’t think twice about buying him in the first place. They all know the score, the quality, the ambition, the frailty. They buy into it regardless, because these guys produce the goods on the pitch and they become the heroes for however long they stay. That is how I feel about Jimmy Greaves, despite the desperately short period of time he was with us. And, while we’re at it, let’s not forget Didier, the diver, the drama queen, the genius, our current marquee player who once graced the Marseilles turf for only one season, yet in homage their fans brought banners to the Bridge depicting his brilliance. Six seasons with us and we still have fans who can’t wait to carp on one of his off days and will never raise a banner in his memory when he’s gone.

Therefore, to those who are happy with more of the same, supplemented by youth and marquee-hassle free, I’d say by all means be critical of Carlos, Fernando, Sergio and Wayne if you wish, that’s every fans prerogative, but please let’s not get too prissy over procedure when it comes to the possibility of any of them joining our ranks. The mere fact that the world, his wife, or his WAG, can identify a player’s character faults doesn’t make him a bad player before or after the buying of him and it certainly doesn’t mean, when he moves, that he will suddenly defy definition and stop doing his job properly. Although some may not stay that long, it’s the nature of the beast and you just have to enjoy a presence, however long it lasts.

as usual, Dorset, a thought-provoking piece. I expect there might be some dissenters, but I think I go with your general thrust :)

Edited by yorkleyblue

This is a great piece, Dorset, but I have to wonder how you'd feel if the player in question was Marlon King.

Let's create a hypothetical where Marlon King, with his character and past deeds as they are, is as good on the pitch as Carlos Tevez. Would you still advocate signing him?

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Is that an open goal I see before me, Plokoon, or is there a fan behind it planning to hold up a placard marked ‘Hypocrite’ should I accept the tap in? To be honest, this is probably where I should step aside and let Mike O blast the ball into Row Z, but I’ll answer anyway by saying that, even if Marlon had served his time, I wouldn’t want him because of the very nature of the crime committed. On the other hand, if he’d given Tom Henning Ovrebo a good slapping it would be a different matter entirely and I’d be only too pleased to hold the placard up for you!

Is that an open goal I see before me, Plokoon, or is there a fan behind it planning to hold up a placard marked ‘Hypocrite’ should I accept the tap in? To be honest, this is probably where I should step aside and let Mike O blast the ball into Row Z, but I’ll answer anyway by saying that, even if Marlon had served his time, I wouldn’t want him because of the very nature of the crime committed. On the other hand, if he’d given Tom Henning Ovrebo a good slapping it would be a different matter entirely and I’d be only too pleased to hold the placard up for you!

Haha, not at all, Dorset. I agree with you that there's a difference between being a prat or a cheat on or off the field (e.g. Tevez, Rooney, Torres, etc) and a genuine scumbag who has committed genuinely inhumane acts, as has Marlon King.

I just wanted to assure myself that you drew the line in a similar place to me. Basic humanity has to take precedence over footballing achievement, no matter how much we love the club and want it to win.

You make an excellent point Dorset, I've always felt the same with Didier. If he played for anybody else I'd despise him, if I'm being honest after Moscow I despised him for a time as it was. Sometimes the theatrics are so overthetop, but then next week he does something magical that maybe five guys playing today can do and it's hard not to forgive him his failings. I'm sure I'd be the same with anyone else of his calibre who joined.

totally with all you guys and a great read, I have a lot of Manchester united friends who felt the same way about cristiano ronaldo for that "wink" and a few years earlier David beckham. everybody has to have there guilty pleasures right?

Did Dorset intentionally misspell Marquis de Sade as Marquis de Sad; usually, he is a lot more careful on his spelling, and I cannot figure out the use of "de Sad" in the context of his post.

Maybe I should read Dorset's post more carefully, but with ADD, it is hard to do. Is there a brief synopsis version of his post?

Edited by Phillip

I think its more an emphasis on the word "Marquee" Phillip, as in the Marquee signing we were once promised by Bruce buck.

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Did Dorset intentionally misspell Marquis de Sade as Marquis de Sad; usually, he is a lot more careful on his spelling, and I cannot figure out the use of "de Sad" in the context of his post.

Stick a comma in after ‘Marquee’…it might work for you then.

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