Last year as Chelsea struggled in the league there were innumerable articles about Abromovich growing weary of Chelsea, how he no longer went to matches, and the club's inability to turn a profit. This year, with Chelsea's good start, we've heard next to nothing about the club's owner or back of house situation.
Pompey, on the other hand, are all over the news. No points from the first seven matches but no one's talking about that. First, it arose this week that players' salaries were late ("We had a meeting this morning [with the squad] and assured them this would be sorted out," Paul Hart, said. "They turned it into a little bit of fun and have been terrific."). Then the incredible revalation that new owner, Sulaiman al-Fahim, will be going under surgery for kidney stone removal. And to think I'd already made my fantasy transfers this week!
It all reads out of a page from the Mike Asheley School of Business. Speaking of which, it would seem that Newcastle are proving the exception to my connection between poor results on the pitch and poor PR off the pitch. Top of the Championship, Newcastle now have to compensate £2m to former manager Kevin Keegan. It emerged that the club brought on a loan signing, without Keegan's consent, to enhance relationships with certain agents and simply on the basis of a few You Tube clips. The debacle caused Keegan to walk out and apparently lose a lot of pocket money. Then again, maybe my theory still holds water, as you might argue it's better to lose in the Premiership than win in the Championship. Just ask Phil Brown and Hull City...
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