Premier League - Chelsea players take blame

Eurosport - Wed, 11 Feb 11:50:00 2009

Both Michael Ballack and John Terry have given their backing to sacked Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Everton-Chelsea Ballack Terry and Deco with the refree Phil Dowd - 0

The Brazilian was dismissed on Monday following a poor run of form that has seen the Blues slip to fourth in the Premier League, seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who still have a game in hand.

But Ballack and skipper Terry - both influential members of the Stamford Bridge dressing room - have insisted the players, not Scolari, should take the blame for the club's current position.

Ballack was initially thought to have been instrumental in owner Roman Abramovich's decision to fire Scolari following a reported meeting with fellow senior players Petr Cech and Didier Drogba last week.

But the Germany captain has moved to distance himself from those claims by saying the finger of blame should not be pointed solely at Scolari, who was forced out after just seven months in charge.

"It is a shame because he had not been with us for a long time," Ballack told German website www.sport1.de.

"Of course there was some criticism and we did not get the results we all would have wanted, but that is not the manager's fault but the team's.

"Something like this is always uncomfortable."

Terry echoed the midfielder's sentiments and admitted his own recent form helped contribute to Scolari's downfall.

"I was playing well for the first five or 10 games but since then I could have been better," Terry said.

"I am my own worst critic and I know I need to improve - my fitness and my game. I could have done better and I hold my hands up to that."

He added: "I have sympathy for Scolari.

"He had my support that's for sure, and two or three other players will say exactly the same thing, I'm sure.

"He's a great man. Unfortunately we weren't playing well and it falls on his head.

"Maybe they should look at some of us because we did underachieve."

Meanwhile, Terry has given his backing to the likely arrival of coach Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge.

Hiddink is expected to put pen to paper on a deal that will see him take charge of the Blues on a short-term basis.

The Dutchman, currently in charge of Russia's national team, has been given permission by the Russian Football Union to talk to Chelsea with a view to combining the two jobs until the end of the season.

And with a deal imminent, Terry has revealed his hopes that the former PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid boss can help Chelsea rediscover their form and get the side playing attractive football once again.

"He's very astute and with his connections with Roman, there are links there," said Terry.

"He likes to play football. His teams get the ball out from the back and play an awful lot but I don't know too much about him. We'll have to wait and see."

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 56 - 75 of 75

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  1. if you think it was your fault, donate a months wages­ to a local charity, I DID,NT THINK SO .

    From STEPHEN, on Thu 12 Feb 8:25PM
  2. Without been sentmental scolari must go.He migth be a­ good manager but he didnt have his lucky with the Blues­ so Sir Abramovich thanks for your decission.Scolari­ pls take heart you just need to go.The truth is hurt i­ didnt like your timing and you lack your fcous to­ understand the blue boys so you have to be blame not­ the players
    At least you hv the power to change players­ on the @#$% but u didnt know the right time to do­ that.Am so sorry but this is just the fact.Take it from­ me.

    From johnsonsmart29, on Thu 12 Feb 5:04PM
  3. I think Roman Abrahamovich is just one of those money­ made mad jokers. Impatient, impulsive, impudent and­ downright greedy. These are qualities that could put a­ lot of money in your pocket but leaves your soul empty.­ You then try to pursue happiness by buying a football­ club and all the best players for big money but you­ will win nothing of substance because all those players­ are there for the money and heart and soul clubs like­ Hull city will trash you anyday. I could help Roman.­ Give me all that money and I will build him the best­ team in the world made up of just regular hungry­ kids.
    cj.

    From Chukwuemeka, on Thu 12 Feb 3:50PM
  4. Can't we resolved this problem once and forall, for­ heaven sake itn't helping matters changing coaches­ all the time! chelsea isn't the only team that is­ having problem in the whole of ..............ehis

    From ehis4lif, on Thu 12 Feb 1:38PM
  5. had a reson when BALLACK and JOHN said about that. we­ cant blame BIG PHIL. he had try the best what he can­ do. the managemant need to blame thier self, because­ they choosed LUIZ FILIPE SCOLARI to replace MOURINHO as­ chelsea manager. think out of box.

    From iQ, on Thu 12 Feb 10:23AM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    haha celsy is @#$% mu is best

    From zamanliton, on Wed 11 Feb 8:22PM
  7. if they feel that strongly about it then they should­ resign as footballers and not carry on with chealsea

    From martyn, on Wed 11 Feb 7:21PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    The money aint buyin success. Determination of the­ players to work together is really needed. Co-operation­ for teamwork in a team game is a complete must.
    But­ after all folks. It's only a game.
    GOURANGA­ GOURANGA GOURANGA.
    tHE BLUES HAS GOT THE­ BLUES.
    Gouranga

    From Kusum Sraman Swami M, on Wed 11 Feb 7:10PM
  9. Please don't blame the manager.Let's look at­ the figures,Top player £100,000 per week,four year­ contract,equals £20,800,000.win lose or draw.The­ players have nothing to play for as they have got to­ damn much as they are not hungry.Now if they were paid­ £500 per week and £99,500 bonus I bet they skills and­ cameraderie would improve by leaps and bounds.

    From RICHARD B, on Wed 11 Feb 5:52PM
  10. Guus Hiddink will definately have a tough time at­ Chelsea unless he told Mr.Abramovich and the management­ that the club may likely finish in 4th place at the end­ of the season! This will allow him to rebuild the team­ as he has inherited a SPLIT-DRESSSING ROOM already most­ especially from the angle of the senior players;­ TERRY,BALLACK,DECO,LAMPARD,DROGBA and ANELKA who will­ definately constitute the first problem for him when he­ resumes officially! He needs to overhaul the whole­ squad and bring in fresh and young blood in the summer­ other than players in their 30's whose perfomeances­ caan only last for 1 or 2 seasons!

    Lastly, let­ somebody tells Mr.ABRAMOVICH that he should leave­ football to those who can run it in the manner and way­ it shold be run rather than "HIRE and FIRE"­ policies! As a businessman, he should know that­ DIMINISHING RETURNS will come QUICKER on SHORT-TERM­ INVESTMENT with IMMEDIATE RESULT than LONG-TERM­ INVESTMENT with FUTURE &CONTINIOUS RESULT(law of­ Diminishing returns on Investment) He has got immediate­ result on his short-term investment during­ MOURINHO'S ERA and now, DIMINISHING RETURN has­ followed! Sacking the managers will never solve this­ problem but to opt for the other option(Longterm­ investment with future results).

    From BADI, on Wed 11 Feb 5:13PM
  11. Hey, you cant blame the players for our team suddenly­ turning all shitte. We have a saying in Texas, 'The­ steer only turds when it's full'. I thinks this­ applies here, y'all dig that? Hey, where is Chelsea­ anyway? Is it near London?

    From Loz, on Wed 11 Feb 4:47PM
  12. No time for sentiment at all, if sacking Big Phil would­ do us good please let it remains permanent like that.­ Since the beginning of this season there have not been­ any great match recorded by the Blues, all have been­ lucky win one way or the other. All the old actions­ have gone into a thin air. I dont blame those pitying­ Scholari, i pity him too but that should not put us­ into the middle of the table. No, not at all!

    From Dynamic, on Wed 11 Feb 4:15PM
  13. razorafs,
    i don't know about your truth mate. but­ sure that can be your version of truth.
    I couldn't­ agree more with Terry and Ballack actually. They are­ big figures at the club, they are professionals in the­ world of football, and certainly being diplomatic in a­ way is part of their job as captains of teams.
    I­ don't believe it one bit that Ballack Cech or­ Drogba for that matter had anything to do with­ Scolari's exit. Ballack however is an honest bloke,­ and I vouch for that. Football needs more players like­ him, and Scolari had been making several mistakes all­ season. Not that he started on a bright not come to­ that by signing Deco. The likes of Ballack and Terry­ haven't gotten where they are by kissing someone­ ... they have worked hard for it, especially the German­ who has proved more than all the chelsea players put­ together throughout his career. Besides it seems to me­ you like to play football with names instead of with­ teams.

    Big names are important to play for several­ reasons: 1) Team morale 2) youth motivation and role­ model 3) serves an an anchor for the team 4) pulls the­ strings in the field 5) has the experience to read­ games and keep the team mentally focused on the game 6)­ provide the extra class when the teams seems to lack­ power, ambitions, and footballing technical and­ tactical ability 7) and most importantly provide honest­ feedback to the team and manager.

    And if Ballack­ Drogba and Cech have talked to Abramovich about lack of­ training quality I wouldn't be surprised. Early in­ the season so did Frank and Terry, and ever since than­ they have only gotten from bad to worse. I give scolari­ merit for leading brazil in 2002 and only in 2002 to­ the world cup final, but there are 5 other coaches who­ have done that with brazil and scolari is not more­ special. But I never felt scolari was the right man for­ the job. NIce man of course, but football has no need­ for a nice man.

    From go, on Wed 11 Feb 2:56PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    you all fukin sad writing on here losers get a job­ instead of sitting on back side lazy @#$%

    From mark c, on Wed 11 Feb 2:34PM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Man, I do not understand, Chelsea is a chicken gutless­ yellow turd.. Why can't they keep one manager until­ next decade??? Like Man U and Arsenal. We can choose­ Liverpool also. Each year, we had to see a new face..­ The fact is, Chelsea is coward sonuvabitch!!

    From fernandes.angelos, on Wed 11 Feb 2:12PM
  16. Ballack, Drogba, Cech and some of the others like Terry­ will obviously try and distance themselves from any­ underhand backstabbing because they know any new­ manager will be looking out for them. Truth is they are­ lying scumbags that were trying to lay the blame for­ their bad performances at Scolaris door !! They were on­ the pitch, just not performing. Terry is reaching the­ twilight of his career, thats why he is now resorting­ to kicking forwards in the air etc. He isnt always­ dirty with his tackles, just late because he is too­ slow to react.

    From razorafc, on Wed 11 Feb 2:12PM
  17. How is it invalid to say Abramovitch is a p lank from M­ oscow pretending to be a sophisticated London­ socialite? It's true - lightbulb seller.

    From Loz, on Wed 11 Feb 1:41PM
  18. ha ha ha love iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit ­ chelsea r in trouble ave it allt hat money and still no­ good im forver blowing bubbles pretty bubbles in the­ air zola did i hear u bluses mention zola? dont think­ so ha ha ha happy happy hammer

    From warren, on Wed 11 Feb 1:33PM
  19. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I didn't know that Michael Ballocks, Didier­ Dickweed and Petr(better check the score)Cech were the­ new Troika at Stamford Bridge, says it all­ really..you're all doomed!!!

    From M L, on Wed 11 Feb 1:21PM
  20. I mean to be honest Chelsea will never be the same. It­ takes more than 7 months for a coach to really settle­ down into a club. Phill Scolari was the best man for­ that job. A world class team like Chelsea needs a World­ class coach. I fill that this is the biggest mistake­ that chelsea will ever make. Wait and watch how THE­ GREAT BLUE's fall and crumble to bits. Its not­ healthy for the fans or the players, to keep firing and­ hiring coaches. Ballack and Terry have completely shown­ a sign of "Gratification" for Scolari's­ efforts. Come to think of it Chelsea "LOST their­ TEETH" once they fired *Mourinho*, ever since they­ have been lions roaring and scaring other teams in the­ dark, and now that the lights have been turned on­ everyone has seen their toothless faces.
    Its going to­ take someting special to get the Chelsea that we once­ loved back. these are wise words from me a Manchester­ United Fan "MONEY IS NOT THE SECRET KEY TO THE­ TOP" it is the full commitment of the team the­ fans, the discernment of the Managing Board to be able­ to make the right descisions. Unity is the eye of a­ needle, Chelsea should eitther decide whether their­ going to go through the eye of that needle as a whole,­ and weave their way back to the top, or stay tangled­ up. Make Up Your Minds You Dont Have That Long!!!!!.

    From daflex, on Wed 11 Feb 1:18PM
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