Chelsea Assistant Ray Wilkins Denies Dressing Room Factions
stonejah said
11:04 02/13 2009
Chelsea's temporary manager Guus Hiddink may have a laborious challenge ahead of him in uniting a disjointed dressing room if rumours are to be believed.
Press reports suggest that the Portuguese-speaking contingent at Stamford Bridge developed a clique; there were those who were still smarting from the departure of Jose Mourinho; c****ined with that, there was allegedly a pro and anti-Luiz Felipe Scolari camp.
Blues assistant Ray Wilkins though has denied there are any such rifts.
"The reports are totally untrue, we don't have any sort of split, none whatsoever," the 52-year-old is quoted by the BBC as saying.
"Every coach has their own methods and some players like them, some don't - it happens at every football club."
Chelsea and England captain John Terry intimated on Tuesday that there may be warring opinions at Stamford Bridge, as he said: "Scolari had my full support, I'm sure two or three of the other players would say the same."
But Wilkins countered: "Whenever any coach coaches a club as big as Chelsea, the players who don't play are going to be disgruntled, that's a fact and it's no different here.
"They all want to play, but you can only pick 11 people, so it's very difficult for the coach."
Scolari offered a parting diatribe five days prior to his eventual exit when he told French media:
"At Chelsea we didn't have the player who can make the difference by himself by producing something magical on the pitch... Robinho could have been this player."
Wilkins stood by the players at his disposal. "Football is all about opinions, and Felipe has his own opinions on the game.
"My opinion is that we do have special players at this club, a number of them in fact."
Regarding the dismissal of the Brazilian, Wilkins offered: "I was shocked, yes. He was a very decent man, and I enjoyed working with him immensely.
"But football is a tough game and a couple of results went against us and the decision was made.
"I was shocked and disappointed because I enjoyed his company, he was a smashing guy."
Wilkins takes charge of Chelsea for the club's FA Cup clash against Watford this weekend.
Guus Hiddink's first game will be the crucial top four fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park a week hence.
Press reports suggest that the Portuguese-speaking contingent at Stamford Bridge developed a clique; there were those who were still smarting from the departure of Jose Mourinho; c****ined with that, there was allegedly a pro and anti-Luiz Felipe Scolari camp.
Blues assistant Ray Wilkins though has denied there are any such rifts.
"The reports are totally untrue, we don't have any sort of split, none whatsoever," the 52-year-old is quoted by the BBC as saying.
"Every coach has their own methods and some players like them, some don't - it happens at every football club."
Chelsea and England captain John Terry intimated on Tuesday that there may be warring opinions at Stamford Bridge, as he said: "Scolari had my full support, I'm sure two or three of the other players would say the same."
But Wilkins countered: "Whenever any coach coaches a club as big as Chelsea, the players who don't play are going to be disgruntled, that's a fact and it's no different here.
"They all want to play, but you can only pick 11 people, so it's very difficult for the coach."
Scolari offered a parting diatribe five days prior to his eventual exit when he told French media:"At Chelsea we didn't have the player who can make the difference by himself by producing something magical on the pitch... Robinho could have been this player."
Wilkins stood by the players at his disposal. "Football is all about opinions, and Felipe has his own opinions on the game.
"My opinion is that we do have special players at this club, a number of them in fact."
Regarding the dismissal of the Brazilian, Wilkins offered: "I was shocked, yes. He was a very decent man, and I enjoyed working with him immensely.
"But football is a tough game and a couple of results went against us and the decision was made.
"I was shocked and disappointed because I enjoyed his company, he was a smashing guy."Wilkins takes charge of Chelsea for the club's FA Cup clash against Watford this weekend.
Guus Hiddink's first game will be the crucial top four fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park a week hence.