Samuel Eto’o Sullies Blues Legacy

He came, he scored, he fought. He gave away a penalty.

Samuel Eto’o’s Chelsea career will be one of the more difficult to evaluate once this summer’s likely departure is confirmed. Having registered 12 goals in 34 games, including a respectable nine over 21 league appearances, making him the club’s second-highest scorer this season, it seemed impossible the striker could leave London without his reputation notably enhanced, even his name etched in SW6 folklore.

However, despite his double-figure tally taking in strikes in wins over Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, plus the first Blues hat-trick against Manchester United since the club’s inaugural title-winning campaign of 1954-55, sadly, it seems as if the Cameroonian’s time at Stamford Bridge may be characterised as much by comments made off the field as contributions made on it.

Long before landing in the English capital last August, Eto’o had endeared himself to enemies of Roman Abramovich’s enterprise worldwide by allegedly, not to mention rather bizarrely, insisting he “would rather sell groundnuts in my home village than play for a pathetic club like Chelsea” following a 4-2 win over his then-employers Barcelona. But his undying endeavour in a blue shirt from the word go that frightened the life out of a litany of goalkeepers, leading to game-changing moments of opponents’ calamity, put paid to any lingering fears from the crowd of seeing anything less than his best, at least in the cosy environs of West London.

His debut away to Everton ultimately ended in deserved defeat but it was apparent that the man signed on a free transfer from Russian outfit Anzhi Makachkala could well prove an astute acquisitionn for Jose Mourinho. Unfortunately for the Portuguese, who led him to unprecedented success with Inter Milan that featured a win at the Bridge, in which Eto’o scored, in 2009-10, their relationship was to sour, not only due to the African’s inability to find the net outside of Chelsea or Cobham this term.

Remarks of an incendiary nature made by Mourinho at the turn of the year about his forwards, under the impression he was off-the-record, were picked up by French station Canal Plus and rapidly carried around the globe. Amazingly, it was not the manager’s lamenting of his front line’s profligacy and its effect on his team’s chances of impending silverware that was to take centre stage in the ensuing furore, as Mourinho - master of modern public relations up until that point - went on to single out Eto’o by questioning the age of his former talisman and asking, “he is 32, maybe 35, who knows?”

The controversy seemed to have been swept under the carpet as Eto’o added to his three fine goals against a beleaguered United at the Bridge in January by opening the scoring against Spurs, an effort he celebrated by hilariously doubling over and using the corner flag as a makeshift cane in mockery of the jibes, to which his coach reacted with great merriment, lauding the actions as “beautiful”.

But that theory has been blown out of the water in recent weeks, with the now 33-year-old labelling Mourinho first “fool”, then “puppet” in a series of attention-grabbing exchanges with the media, designed to hog the limelight as he seeks pastures new, Eto’o even claiming he can continue at the top level for another 8 years, using the inimitable Roger Milla as precedent.

For all the positives provided by Eto’o in 2013-14 – and there were many, the highlight undoubtedly that hat-trick, among the finest seen along the Thames in many a year – the events of April 30 will also ensure the attacker’s brief Blues tenure will be reviewed with regret and no little anger, as the home faithful watched their clearly unfit substitute struggle with the pace of a Champions League semi-final and lunge into a tackle he had no right to win to concede the spot-kick from which his potential replacement, Diego Costa, effectively ended Chelsea’s hopes of attaining the continent’s highest accolade for a second time.

There was something poetic in the way that, under a year after returning from hibernation in Siberia with Anzhi, one of the most decorated footballers in history came up short when reintroduced to the top level, as spring turned to summer on the elite European calendar, costing his side and proving Mourinho right on two fronts in the process.

Chelsea fans will undoubtedly hold his achievements in high regard. He will go down as more Hernan Crespo than Andriy Shevchenko. On the other hand, his outbursts since season’s end have left a bitter taste and the once-roared “Hello, hello, Samuel Eto’o!” has become a murmured ‘bye-bye’ to the bad-tempered Barcelona boy who couldn’t bear to lose and wouldn’t hold his tongue when he did.

As Juan Mata discovered, go up against the Special One and there is only one winner.

Court in the Chelsea Net

The Best in the World. Of all the players to have appeared in all the game’s changing positions down the years, how many safely through the Stamford Bridge doors could have staked a claim to such greatness?

Didier Drogba showed more than flashes of the extraordinary when displaying his unique brand of centre forward play right until the last kick of his Blues career.

Ashley Cole? Even now, England’s centurion would likely feature in a definitive full-back conversation, albeit with the phrase ‘on his day’ tagged onto any utterance involving his name.

Hell, Frank Lampard posed shoulder-to-shoulder with Ronaldinho on FIFA’s podium in 2005.

But in Thibault Courtois - the 6’6” goalkeeper, multi-linguist and evidently all-round good egg from a family of volleyballers in Bree, North-East Belgium - Roman Abramovich’s crack team of talent spotters may have raised the bar, this time without moving the goalposts.

Some recruits have achieved great things (see the gentleman with a role named after him, sat in the PSG dugout this month). Others have gone on to even greater; one glance at Arjen Robben’s unimpeded marauding brings tears to the eye. But no player identified under the present regime has enjoyed praise on a par with that which our man on-loan at Atletico Madrid is being ever-more-frequently lavished.

Granted, it was one of Courtois’ temporary team-mates in Madrid, Filipe Luis, who metaphorically stapled the “Best Goalkeeper in the World” label onto the Copa Del Rey clincher’s gloves following success over rivals Real in the 2013 Final.

Club legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink did afford Manuel Neuer similarly elevated status when touting Courtois as next season’s first choice for Chelsea, while Barcelona boss Tata Martino merely acclaimed him as “one of the best”.

And, yes, since signing a five-year contract for £9m from Racing Genk in July 2011, the only reason last season’s winner of the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in Spain, awarded for conceding fewest goals per game, has found himself waved through by SW6 security has been fitness-related.

Still, as he’s not 22 until May, it’s safe to say you’ve read worse CVs. Especially considering his Belgian title-win at 19.

Meanwhile, Petr Cech’s invitation into such exalted circles has become slower to arrive with each passing year, in stark contrast with his deployment atop the Chelsea team sheet, which has quickened with every inferior understudy introduced since Carlo Cudicini was permanently seen off in 2009.

Ten years into the Czech’s tenure, it may be time for a shake-up between the sticks. Despite Barcelona’s apparent misgivings over his adversary’s footballing ability, salt must be pinched when seeking counsel where baseline ball control is often prioritized above basic command of the 18-yard area. Once given the opportunity to compete with Cech on the lush surfaces at Cobham, the inevitable gulf would surely render the Catalans’ appraisal redundant. Lest we forget, Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet has already been displaced at international level.

Besides, not many can boast winning both Europe’s top competitions in one campaign, as Courtois’ employers did between them in 2011-12. This season sees similar faces among the survivors, except reputations have now been reversed, with current Europa League holders Chelsea approaching their Champions League semi-final first leg this week as underdogs to La Liga leaders Atletico.

Much controversy has surrounded the youngster’s role in the tie, together with UEFA’s attitude towards it, the regulators releasing a conveniently-timed statement deeming the clubs’ agreement over any appearance void, at odds with the silence preceding 2012’s Super Cup Final and its stance on Mo Bangura’s participation for Elfsborg against owners Celtic last year.

UEFA inconsistency is to be expected, of course. Far more unpredictable is how the Chelsea hierarchy face the conundrum concerning their future rearguard. With changes afoot in defence, as warriors of old close on retirement, any new-look backline will require a strong hand to guide them. Some would argue there is no substitute for experience; others may contend there is no substitute like experience.

It will be intriguing to watch how Courtois’ handling of the looming spotlight affects his place in the Londoners’ plans, not to mention the esteem in which he is held in Spain and beyond.

From here, this budding stopper could prove a handy makeweight in a deal for Diego Costa, Atletico’s deadly striker, allegedly craved with a view to filling the Blues’ widest weak spot. Otherwise, he could attract a sizeable transfer fee, thereby aiding our escape from FFP’s pen-pushing style-crampers.

Alternatively, this incredible talent, sponsored by the Blues, nurtured by Los Rojiblancos and seemingly vaunted by everyone he encounters, could yet be brought back to these shores to become the most successful acquisition in over a century of famed football and investment in West London.

In all probability, it will be up to the Best Manager in the World to decide.

Robbed by the Villains

Chelsea returned from the West Midlands yesterday with their Premier League lead dismantled and their line-up dismembered, as a damaging 0-1 loss rendered the Blues slaves to their destiny, as they ended the day six points above Manchester City, having played three matches more, and with their manager holding his tongue, as Jose Mourinho unusually refused to enter into discussion of the game’s flashpoints for fear of “big trouble”.

An improvised Fabian Delph flick that capped a thrusting counter-attack – one of few offered by the home side - proved enough for his team to claim all three points, despite their never enjoying any semblance of control over proceedings, even once handed the numerical advantage by a referee who seems to have it in for the West Londoners.

Chris Foy has now dismissed six Chelsea players in his last eight Blues matches and the guests’ title hopes were further dampened by his punitive measures yesterday, with red cards handed to Willian and Ramires putting both out of next Saturday’s key derby fixture against championship rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho himself was sent to the stands for the final seconds after entering the field to protest at the actions of Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, already substituted, whose similar encroachment to shove Ramires, following the Brazilian’s reckless lunge that briefly caused chaos along the touchline, somehow went unpunished.

This alarming reversal was all the more troubling on viewing of the critical statistics. Most poignant were the 15 attempts at goal, of which just two were on target, underlining the primary flaw in Mourinho’s master-plan and oft-proffered excuse for lack of outright league leadership. As suggested on television and social media the world over again on Saturday, these are the games expected to be settled by a title-winning squad’s talismanic striker.

As hard as Fernando Torres worked and as bright as he often seems as he flickers in and out of these contests, it appears unlikely the Spaniard will ever be that man for this sort of occasion and the sooner the Chelsea hierarchy can remedy the problem at the spearhead of their attack the better.

During a first half dominated by the away side, it felt as though the Blues were a mere moment of final-third composure from converting their command of possession and territory into supremacy over the scorers.

A blue blur seeped between Villa lines and even made the net bulge after 40 minutes when Nemanja Matic bundled home at the back post following a set-piece, only for the officials to correctly disallow the goal for a handball by the Serbian.

A visibly tiring Hazard continued his rich vein of form with another incisive display alongside the restored Willian and a reinvigorated Oscar, providing both the subtlety and flair to complement countryman Ramires’ less orthodox qualities.

Such instinctive approach play almost accounted for the game’s pivotal moment when the midfielder burst through the centre before being cynically thwarted by defender Joe Bennett (in for the ineligible Ryan Bertrand per the Chelsea full-back’s loan agreement). However, Foy deemed the foul worthy of no more than a caution and parity remained as the interval quickly approached.

As it turned out, the game-defining phase arrived midway through the second period, when Mourinho chose to replace the increasingly ineffectual Oscar, rather than the already booked Willian, moments before the latter was sent off for a second yellow card that was softer than a 99 without the flake.

Prior to that, with their backline rarely threatened, Chelsea’s creative forces were once more granted the platform upon which to fully express themselves and Villa Park seemed to be theirs for the taking, as the endless running of Torres continually tested the high line of the Villa rearguard, if not quite the home goal.

But the trip along the A4 is traditionally an arduous one for the Blues and the longer the game remained goalless the more ominously the spectre of upsets past began to loom.

And so it came to pass that the better side lost here, as by-then-10-man Chelsea were dispossessed on half-way thanks to a hospital pass from Ramires to Branislav Ivanovic, who sold himself in trying to regain the ball, leaving the entire right flank exposed. One meek effort at a tackle from the otherwise impressive Matic later and substitute Marc Albrighton was given the freedom of the Midlands to pull back to Delph, whose innovative finish represented a contribution of rare quality from his side in their opponents’ third.

All hell broke loose late on as Ramires launched himself into a challenge he had no right to contest to leave his manager to fend off accusations of ill-discipline and his team-mates short on numbers for what could be this season’s decisive match in the race for automatic Champions League places next weekend.