Five years under Roman's rule

Last updated : 01 July 2008 By Paul Lagan
Don't you love July 1?
It's the start - offcially - of the summer transfer window, welcome Deco to Stamford Bridge for what we hope will be two glorious years.

It's also the fifth year anniversary of Roman Abramovich talking over from Uncle Ken Bates at Stamford Bridge and, if you accept Chelseapravda.com's version of events, saved the club from an "uncertain future and possible bankruptcy."
In all that time we have heard only one comment from Roman - and that was as a foreword to a club history book.

I dunno about you but the club has put out a statement regaling the achivements of Chelsea in that five-year period.
We all know what we won but not once do the club acknowlege the other teams involved. I don't meant Arsenal or the like, but the two other teams, namely the fans and the club employees.
Without either of these two, Roman's five years have no context.
It's the fans that turn up, spend shed loads of cash and keep the club afloat on a week by week basis.
It's the behind the scenes staffer or part-timers who we see everytime we rock up to SW6 who keep the club moving on a day by day basis.
Chelsea chose this five-year anniversary of Roman's buying of the club to ignore the two other great teams at Stamford Bridge.
It's just another blinkered, shooting themselves in the foot reaction one has come to expect from the powers that be at our club.
Don't forget we won nothing last year and have failed to win the league title in successive years.
Yet the fans will still turn up and cheers on their team.
Will Roman ever make another statement about our club? Will he realise that the homeymoon period for him is long gone.
The club feels it has to recognise the achivements of the team, we expect the club to recognise the committment of the fans and their own staff.
The players are but one aspect of our club - let not Roman forget that.