|
|
Chelsea Comment: Ron Gourlay's Comments Pose Questions About Roman Abramovich's Intentions
Is the Russian billionaire getting bored with life at Stamford Bridge?
06-Nov-2009 5:14:28 PM
It says a lot of Roman Abramovich's current attitude towards Chelsea that Ron Gourlay, the club's new chief executive, is on a salary a quarter of that his predecessor, Peter Kenyon, enjoyed.
Part of that is due to recession, as even Premier League clubs are not immune to shrinking budgets and plunging advertising revenues. But partly it seems to be because the Russian oligarch is simply no longer so enthusiastic about the club he bought in 2003, and wants it to survive without his handouts.
Operating within the club's means has been Abramovich's aim for a while now, and Gourlay's first public comments in his new position indicate it has become a more important part of the Chelsea modus operandi than ever before.
"I like to operate honestly, but realistically," the Scot said.
"Self sufficiency is still the goal of the football club. Is it going to happen this year? No. It won't happen soon.
"It's still the goal to get there, but certain things have happened along the way. It would be nice to go to the owner and say we don't need any more cash, but that's not where we are today."
But in progressing towards that point, Gourlay has unveiled a controversial plan that will likely anger many Chelsea fans. The club will put up for sale the naming rights at Stamford Bridge, rights the 46-year-old believes might bring the club in £8-10 million a year over the next 15 years.
This move is designed to counter the fact that Chelsea's 42,000-seater stadium cannot be expanded without huge costs, and thus match-day revenues are markedly reduced on those of their rivals.
This idea has surely long been on a drawing board somewhere in the club's headquarters, but was not previously implemented because the anger it would stir in fans was not worth the money they would gain.
Newcastle's embarrassing attempt at a similar policy has inadvertently given Gourlay the perfect opportunity to roll out their own version, with less of a media backlash.
But the fact that it has now been given the green light at all is surely a sign Abramovich is slowly drifting away. His ever-decreasing appearances at Chelsea matches suggest an ever-increasing apathy towards its fortunes.
For so long far more popular than any of the owners at Liverpool or Manchester United, it now seems that the Russian isn't so concerned with keeping his fans happy.
But now is perhaps the worst time for the Russian to slowly disassociate from the club, and it is a bit rich of him to demand the club reach self-sufficiency in the near future, a tough task for any club in the current climate.
After all, it is he who is responsible for the rapid growth of the club since his arrival, allowing and encouraging it to exist beyond its natural means.
Pay up | Kalou is one player enjoying inflated wages
The club's financial situation, with a history of overpaid, underworked employees and expensive signings, is solely because he gave the go-ahead.
The club has long attracted top players because it has been willing to pay top salaries. The club's wage bill currently sits at around £173 million (including compensation to sacked staff), or around 70 per cent of its turnover.
As a comparison, in America the salary cap in professional sports is around 60 per cent of turnover, as this is accepted to be the maximum level it can be set without sacrificing financial viability.
Football operates under a different structure, but the basic economic principles remain. Chelsea — like many clubs — have been able to eschew those principles thanks to their owner; but set wages are very difficult to reduce.
"It's no secret about our wage bill and that isn't going to go away," Gourlay admitted.
"We're setting ourselves goals that will see the percentage of wages of our turnover remain static. That is still one hell of a lot of money to play with."
With many squad players signing new contracts recently, that issue is not going to go away in the next few years. It looks suspiciously like the naming rights to Stamford Bridge will cover the improved contracts given to the likes of John Terry, Salomon Kalou and Alex this year that were inflated by external factors.
But what of the January transfer window, where manager Carlo Ancelotti will be keen to make additions to his squad if, as now appears certain, the club is granted a stay of execution from its transfer embargo?
If self-sufficiency really is Abramovich's determined aim, there is no way he will sanction a £45 million bid for Sergio Aguero, or indeed any world-class player whose fee will undoubtedly be hugely inflated as selling clubs exploit Chelsea's situation.
Even the addition of a player like Marek Hamsik, Napoli's £18 million-rated midfielder who has been linked with the Blues, would further push the club from self-sufficiency.
Abramovich might even force Ancelotti to make do with what he already has — and from the 43-year-old's perspective why not, considering how successful that has been so far?
Forward planning | Ancelotti will want to buy in January
But with many of the key players in the squad into their 30s, Ancelotti will have to perform a masterstroke if he is to keep his squad competitive for the next two years without any further additions.
Maybe that wouldn't be the end of the world for the Blues.
Perhaps, as looks likely, the balance of power in football is shifting away from the Premier League towards La Liga, and the Blues can be weakened significantly and still compete for domestic titles.
But Gourlay has set the club a target of two Champions League titles in the next five years — a lofty goal that will certainly not be achieved without further investment — and one that might also relight Abramovich's fire for the club.
"Over the next five years we've still got to shoot for the stars. I'd still like to think we can win the Champions League twice in the next five years," the former Umbro executive stated.
"That might sound aggressive, but I do think we can still do it."
Out of the gates in defiant form, it still remains to be seen whether Gourlay's task is really to help the club progress, or simply balance the books so its owner can slip away quietly in pursuit of his next attraction.
Alex Dimond
Inside Goal.Com
-
The list of EPL targets from Euro 2012 Group A
With the transfer rumour mill set to kick into frenzy throughout this month's European Championship, Goal.com looks at which players could be heading for England this summer
-
Iniesta still making the difference for Spain
The ethereal midfielder remains Vicente del Bosque's most consistent performer as La Roja set out to retain their European crown in Poland and Ukraine
-
Euro 2012 Tactical Analysis: How far can Roy's masterplan take England?
England are a diminished lot, with the experienced players like Lampard, Gareth Barry and Gary Cahill all ruled out of the Euros. Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey analyses their chances..
-
Euro 2012 Trivia: Which team has the fewest combined caps among them?
Which is the least experienced team in Euro 2012? Time to test your knowledge, mate
-
Vote for your Goal.com World Player of the Week
Have your say on who you think should win Goal.com's weekly honour