No Smoke Without Those Paper[View] Firelighters

[Dorset]

A week ago I watched PAPERVIEW on Chelsea TV and, somewhat naively, expected the chosen hacks to curb their usual over hyped speculation on transfers both in and out of our club. After all, hadn’t Peter Kenyon already done his best to shut the January window firmly shut [as far as Chelsea is concerned] even before it had a chance to open? Well, Jason Burt of The Independent clearly hadn’t been paying attention to this nugget of information put about at boardroom level because he took time out on the show to reiterate his belief, stated in print a few days earlier, that we are still interested in Robinho and, perhaps more importantly in the light of last minute close season events, he in us.

Interviewer Gigi Salmon could not help but point out the damning evidence Jason seemed to be ignoring - the Brazilian had only just blanked us in favour of Citeh and had spent the last four months professing his joy over the move. She could also have added that his new owners can’t stop telling the world that Robinho is the first of many [big names] heading their way and the return on him to date, both in goals and entertainment, has been as good, if not better, than expected. Okay, the team isn’t up to the mark and maybe the Mark isn’t up to it either, but that is neither here nor there when it comes to what is, or could be described as, a very expensive marriage made in heaven. From the outset the partnership may have looked a bit like the Madonna/Ritchie pairing, but it will surely last longer than a few months, won’t it?

And so, scoffing at the ridiculousness of it all myself, I remember thinking at the time that any turnaround on this deal would have to fly in the face of three pivotal economic indicators - cost, supply and demand - and, as none of them favoured a swift move to the Bridge, it was never going to happen. However, it appears that such certainties in the football economy market don’t exist, or never last longer than seven days, because last night, once more seated in front of my telly watching PAPERVIEW, it was almost as if it was Groundhog Day, with subtle differences in characters and content included. Here was Gigi, yet again in charge of proceedings, now faced with Andy Dillon and Nigel Clarke, of the Sun (I think) and Express respectively. Here was the usual questioning format and the same old transfer speculation under discussion, but surely there would be talk of a usual suspect like Michael Owen rather than a going over of old Robinho ground…

Far from it, as it turned out, because although Owen’s name was mentioned it was not thrown in the ring until Robinho’s hit the screen for the second week running. What’s more to the point, Ms Salmon threw it in with such relish that Kenyon, had he been watching, would have immediately felt for his wallet. Fair enough, encouraging speculation of this sort is part of the program’s remit, but to virtually insist on a Robinho revisit in this way might lead many viewers, barring Liam of course, into thinking that an ulterior motive lurks somewhere in the background. If that motive is to get more than one journalist to look foolish at a later date, when the guy is joyously joined by Kaka in January, then the ploy is working because, much to my astonishment, both Dillon and Clarke backed the Burt story to the hilt and one even claimed [through the infamous ’source’] that the two clubs were indeed ’talking’.

Exactly where this sort of rumour mongering leads is anyone’s guess, but, whilst there are some current Chelsea Commandments that keep feet firmly on the ground [we shall not spend as much in the future and we shall develop young players for the future] there is no doubting the fact that we badly need the type of player Robinho patently is and will doubtless continue to be, presumably for his present club. Had Scolari identified such a player within our ranks since he has been here [a Sinclair or a Stoch] he clearly intends to keep him under wraps for moment, although why he should do so remains a mystery. On the other hand, the odds are that he hasn’t and all the while previous transfer scars left by the close season mauling we got from Madrid are healing fast.

One thing is for sure though, if I switch on next Thursday and hear from Gigi that the Robinho speculation wont go away and two more hacks nod furiously in agreement, I’ll know that, source or no source, something very odd is going on behind the scenes. Let’s face it, should the Arse knock the opposition over at the weekend and other results go against Mark Hughes, no amount of happy-clappy images of Robinho or quotes confirming his blissfulness will convince me otherwise. In that scenario things will get very difficult to play down - just ask Peter Kenyon. On second thoughts, don’t bother because he doesn’t talk about Robinho much these days and, as everybody knows, we are not spending big anymore, are we?

[Tim W]

Glad you brought this up Dorest as it's been on my mind since watching the programme. If I remember correctly didn't Burt say the only reason he didn't come to Chelsea, which was he preferred choice, was the involvement of too many agents and in fact the main agent behind the move to City no longer represents the player? I got a feeling that Robinho didn't want the said agent to represent him anymore because of the move, but like I said that's only a feeling I read or misread between the lines. Also, didn't Burt say the move would take place next summer?

[Dorset]

That’s right, Tim, he did put the blame on his agent at the time, who was promptly sacked the moment the deal was completed. He is now probably sunning himself on a beach somewhere with a smirk on his face thinking of his gravy train of a client shivering in foreign climes. Burt said in his article that the move would take place in the summer due to a Premiership rule prohibiting the sell on of a player in that league in the same season - no doubt Loz will provide chapter and verse on this in a matter of minutes, but in the meantime what was interesting was the journalist’s confidence under the credit crunch fire that he took when challenged on the program…

There was no doubt in his mind that Robinho, despite the outward impression given, was far from happy with his current situation, which is unlikely to improve in terms of showcasing his talents for several years. The fact that Dillon and Clarke backed up their fellow hack’s findings so readily surprised me too, because it was a chance to laugh his [largely unsubstantiated] piece out of court in the light of what’s been said by all parties concerned since his shock move. Yet they too felt a further deal was in the offing, even to the point of discussions already taking place between the clubs.

I suppose a dissatisfied player, a reluctant selling club and what is bound to be a very angry and frustrated buying club can find some common ground and when this occurs all three elements distance themselves from reality when talking to the Media. For instance, Robinho says he is happy up there (no really?) while the Abu Dhabi boys insist that he will soon be surrounded by such talents as Diarra, Santa Cruz and a Buffon, who wont get out of a very comfy Juve bed for less than a king’s ransom (although this is not exactly a new cast list to rival one with Kaka, Benzema and Aguerra, is it?).

Meanwhile, throughout it all, Kenyon has to eat humble pie and lick his wounds, which sounds as if it's a messy business that more than matches the one he has been involved in for many a year. His humiliation at Real Madrid’s revengeful hands will haunt him if he can’t get closure in some shape or form this season and that has to be through a placatory signing for Scolari. In his favour, under this sort of pressure to deliver, he doesn’t strike me as the type of person who gets angry, so here’s hoping that, at the very least, he gets even.

[coco]

28 MILL FOR ROBINHO

Here we go again lol.......

Rumours in Brazil have revealed that Chelsea manager Luis Felipe Scolari is still interested in taking Robinho to Stamford Bridge.

The former Real Madrid man was expected to sign for Chelsea during the summer after he declared himself unhappy in Spain.

But after City's Abu Dhabi takeover on the last day of the transfer window Robinho sensationally moved to Eastlands for a British record £32.5million.

The 24-year-old has made a huge impression at his new club with nine goals in 16 games and Scolari has hinted that he is still interested in taking the striker to Chelsea.

Scolari told Brazilian daily O Globo: "I am sure that Robinho would be the best player in the world if he came to play at Chelsea.

"The Chelsea doors are always open to him."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4538031,00.html

[evissy]

28 mill! I think it is too much for him :)

[Tim W]

Read Dorset's post Dorset on the matter

[kalpitv]

No!! not again. Weren't 45 pages enough?!

[abramovich]

Robinho does look like a player we could use at the moment but I doubt he'll be coming to CFC anytime soon, if ever.

Those Arabs seem to have money to burn and breaking the country transfer record on the last hour of transfer market was their declaration of intent to everybody. Selling their most prized asset after one season to Chelsea makes absolutely no sense from City's point of view.

Sure,Robinho may have woken up one day soon after he arrived at Manchester,looked outside his window and thought "What the f..k have I done?" I can easily believe he'd rather be with us than MC at the moment, given the choice. But that matters little now.

[bjd]

Robinho does look like a player we could use at the moment but I doubt he'll be coming to CFC anytime soon, if ever.

Those Arabs seem to have money to burn and breaking the country transfer record on the last hour of transfer market was their declaration of intent to everybody. Selling their most prized asset after one season to Chelsea makes absolutely no sense from City's point of view.

Sure,Robinho may have woken up one day soon after he arrived at Manchester,looked outside his window and thought "What the f..k have I done?" I can easily believe he'd rather be with us than MC at the moment, given the choice. But that matters little now.

Sadly, i am in agreement with this. At the time i wasnt too bothered because I thought he was waaaaay over priced and thought we had dodged a bullet. However, seeing how we have struggled down the left and seeing how we have been unable to break down teams that park the bus he wouldve made a hell of a difference. He looks the real deal it has to be said. However, its not going to happen, we can forget it.

We do however need a plan b - something that we quite clearly didnt have on August 31st (a date that could define our season) However, I dont believe a word of Buck and Kenyon , i do think we will get someone in Jan. They are simply being coy and not for the first time - lying!

It seems quite clear to everyone that if we dont we are going to struggle as the season progresses otherwise, as more and more teams line up in 6-4-0 formations against us.

[Kerry]

Kenyon and Buck said to the media and the fans nobody should expect a major signing in January.

Obviously they've only said it to media and fans and forgot to tell it Scolari?

[geezer]

Kenyon and Buck said to the media and the fans nobody should expect a major signing in January.

Obviously they've only said it to media and fans and forgot to tell it Scolari?

That could all of course change should we sell a player or two.

[icecoolguy22]

Seriously Scolari should get over Robino instead of still drolling all over him. It wont happen this season, or next season, unless the Arbs pull out of Man City. It's the same as his game tactics, no plan B! Almost 3 months after the transfer winodw closed, he still moan about Robino <_<

[goose]

Robinho was snatched from us on the last minute of the closing day of the transfere window when it looked certain he was destined for us. We even had his squad number on our shirts FFS. Wasn't really much time for Scolari to implement a Plan B it he had one. We'll not really know Scolaris intensions unto the new transfere window opens in the new year and I can't see much action on transferes till next summer,

[mad_mac]

maybe we are giving him a year in the prem with Citeh to see if he is worth it, and we'll take him in the summer?

[Kerry]

That could all of course change should we sell a player or two.

City have taken him for 32.5m and now they sell him for 28m to us? Although he's scored 9 times in 16 matches (that's a decent value isn't it)? I'd like to know the reasons why they shall do this. It sounds just unbelievable to me.