A crop of cups could not quite make up for that failure as is evident from his immediate recall of
Posted in General on 28. Aug, 2010
A crop of cups could not quite make up for that failure, as is evident from his immediate recall of the critical game three seasons ago, “2-2, at home to Leicester” in which the title began to slip away, Chelsea eventually finishing third, four points behind Manchester United.He declines to blame Gianluca Vialli for a substitution that went badly awry that crazy Sunday afternoon, but is harsher about the constant shuffling of personnel and tactics under Claudio Ranieri: “It was a big problem It was difficult. You start a game 4-4-2, five minutes later it’s 3-5-2, maybe four or five players have to change [positions] straight away. They need three or four minutes [to adapt] and in that time maybe you lose the game.”So it seemed a good time for another transfer, albeit one involving a tortuous trip around the M25 every day to a club that finished 12 points adrift of Chelsea last season and, remarkably, has not beaten them in 25 matches, stretching back to 1990. Ending that run is one of this season’s objectives: “I’m very optimistic, it’s my character. If everybody thinks we can be in the top six and tries to reach that goal, we can make it. If we just think to improve a little on last season, I don’t like that.”And Chelsea? “I think they’ll do all right – they have the quality I just hope they’ll be one position behind Tottenham.”.
Only a brave man or a fool-hardy one says no to Sir Alex Ferguson. Although he insists he is neither, Emmanuel Petit did just that this summer. Following rumours that the Frenchman was about to sign for Chelsea, Ferguson launched an audacious bid to try to prise the World and European Championship winner away from the London club’s grasp. “I was flattered,” Petit admits, “but I told Alex Ferguson that I had already given Chelsea my word and would not break it.” That is Manu all over. Only a brave man or a fool-hardy one says no to Sir Alex Ferguson. Although he insists he is neither, Emmanuel Petit did just that this summer.
Following rumours that the Frenchman was about to sign for Chelsea, Ferguson launched an audacious bid to try to prise the World and European Championship winner away from the London club’s grasp. “I was flattered,” Petit admits, “but I told Alex Ferguson that I had already given Chelsea my word and would not break it.” That is Manu all over.
Promises can often mean very little in modern football, but Petit is a man of honour. Thoughtful and intelligent, he has never been the type to change horses at the last minute. “I had lots of contacts,” he says, “but if you tell somebody you’re going to do something, you owe it to them to honour that pledge.”Most major European clubs coveted Petit’s signature.
Having decided he would leave Spain, three firm options presented themselves: France, where the league is of an average standard; Italy, where Petit feels he would not fit in; or England, where he enjoyed the best four years of his career. There was no contest.”My heart was set on a return here very early on,” he says “I realised this year how much I missed England. Irrespective of football matters, it is the way of life which I enjoy. I’ve only been at Chelsea for a few weeks, but I already feel more at ease than I did in my 10 months at Barcelona.”The Chelsea manager, Claudio Ranieri, may have his detractors, but the Italian is clearly a skilled negotiator. He first decided to approach Petit in May and, though he was warned that the Frenchman was not interested in discussing his future, he still managed to speak to the player face-to-face.
That meeting all but sealed the deal.”A number of clubs had been trying to reach me to find out what I was planning to do,” Petit recalls, “but I had decided to ignore all the calls because I felt I should finish the season with Barcelona and give them a chance to shed some light on my situation. But then Claudio came out to see me, at a time when Chelsea were busy, and I was very touched. I sensed there and then that the club had serious ambitions, so I gave them my word.”The other Premiership clubs to show an interest included Tottenham and Petit’s former employers, Arsenal. Although keen to work with the man he used to worship in his early playing days when they were both at Monaco, Petit had to tell Glenn Hoddle that he could not sign for the Gunners’ oldest rivals. “I like Glenn a lot, but I could not bring myself to join Spurs,” he says. “Coming back to a London club is difficult enough without me making life even harder for myself.” Sol Campbell is becoming only too aware of that fact.So far as Arsenal are concerned, Petit says he never seriously considered rejoining his mentor, Ars? Wenger, at Highbury.