Just can't understand how you can take the side of a guy who was in charge for a few games over the players who had led to our most successful period in our history. Lampard FFS. Probably Chelsea's greatest ever player and deserves some bloody respect.
Lamps has been an exceptional player for us over the last decade, but that doesn't mean we should just close our eyes to his faults. Is your loyalty to the club or to the players?
At the start of last season Lamps was not in good form. Look at the Old Trafford game - he was shocking in the 1st half and we looked a totally different team when he was rightly subbed at half time. AVB could see what a lot of us seem to want to ignore, namely that he can't expect to play every game nowadays and has to get used to being on the bench, even for some of the glamour fixtures he loves to be a part of. If Lamps had a problem with that, then he should have gone to the manager and had it out with him. He chose not to do that and instead blabbed to the press that AVB was ignoring him and their relationship wasn't good. Now, no matter how good a servant a player has been in the past, I don't think it's acceptable for Chelsea players to behave like that.
I remember reading in Kerry Dixon's autobiography how the old guard sulked and complained when John Neal revolutionised the club in 82/83. We're talking players like Micky Droy and Gary Locke - long-serving club legends at the time who resented being pushed to one side as younger and more hungry players were brought in. What did the club do? They did the right thing by refusing to pander to the egos of players who were coming towards the ends of their careers, backed the manager, and shipped them out. Result - we won the 2nd division title.
It's time for a younger, hungrier Chelsea again, and the old guard need to get on board with the project or pack their bags and leave with their dignity intact. Remember, AVB never said he wanted Lamps out - he just wanted him to accept that he wasn't automatic first choice for the biggest fixtures anymore. With the form of Luiz and Cahill towards the end of last season, we're nearing that crossroad with JT as well (maybe even sooner if things don't go his way in court this summer). We need these guys to do what is best for the club and not for themselves. Whatever happens, I support Chelsea FC over and above ANY player, regardless of status.
