'Splash the cash, Roman'

Arsenal's leapfrogging of Chelsea to the top of the Premier League last night will surely put pressure of the West londoners to dip into the transfer market.

Michael Essien is due back at Chelsea today to have his injury fully assessed.

He collapsed at the African Cup of Nations during the match with Ivory Coast in which he tried to tackle Didier Drogba.

If rumours are correct, The Ghana international will be out for a minimum of six more weeks.

Even then he won't be match fit for several weeks after that.

Effectively, Essien might not be available until the final month of the season.

By then the Blues could be out of the reckoning for the title and out of the Champions League.

Only Manchester City it seems has the cash to splash.

Chelsea's prudent approach to purchases might once again scupper their chances of regaining the Premier League and winning the Champions League.

During Gianluca Vialli's reign as boss, Chelsea were sitting pretty in the league. An injury crises arose at Christmas but Colin Hutchinson (then chief executive) failed to provide the necessary funds to Vialli to bolster the squad - the result, Chelsea's title challenged faded.

With no Drogba, Mikel, Kalou and Essien, Chelsea can ill afford to lose anyone else.


Roman Abramovich must sanction the purchase of players to ease Chelsea through this crisis.

They must show the football world they are still a major power.

Man
chester City are close to overtaking Chelsea in trying to make the world blue and Chelsea must like any business respond aggressively.

Carlo Ancelotti has being told there is no cash - hence his boast that he would run naked around the training ground if the Blues bought.

But Carlo does not make those decisions, the football club board does and they might have a very different view to Ancelotti - I certainly and many Blues fans hope they do.