AVB vs. RDM, Who is Who as London Rivalry Heats up?

RDM vs AVB

With the appointment of Andre Villas-Boas as the manager and head coach of Tottenham Hotspurs, it has become clear to all Chelsea fans that the battle line has been drawn between the two London rivals, right from the top hierarchy who appointed the young tactician and who fired him; the Chelsea players who it is believed made his work difficult for him and his assistant coach RDM, who will now sit in the dugout where he once stood and we are fully aware of the path once our beloved manager AVB has chosen but I hope it is not a path of revenge. It is a path which many greats in the job choose to avoid; a path avoided by Ancelotti when he left Milan and was approached by Inter; a path Jose Mourinho “The Special One” promised Chelsea fans he would never chart when he left us despite the manner in which his contract was terminated and the problem he had with Roman.

However, who can question Andre Villas-Boas when we are in a free society, and right to association is a key part of us. One can only say that it is a matter of principle; principle AVB knows far too well to flout and abide by; besides he (AVB) could not possibly join Benfica after working with Porto but Chelsea is no Porto to AVB is it? Just as our club legend and hero Roberto Di Matteo would hardly join our bitterest rivals to fight and challenge the club he cherishes dearly in all fronts to the amusement of our rival fans more so that it is no other team but Spurs. Could RDM have done it in the manner AVB has done it? No! because RDM is no traitor to betray Chelsea in that manner, RDM could not possibly become a Judas or a rebel leader.

Nobody should get me wrong because I am only talking about my Legend and hero who defied all odds and achieved the most difficult task in European football with a side criticized and lambasted by many including AVB as old (the interview he conducted to the Portuguese media before he was sacked). I am only talking about the one who has made it possible for my club to continue to challenge at the top level at the expense of our London rivals (Tottenham), giving us the opportunity to capture one of the best football talents in the world (Hazard) and continue to spend without worrying much about the Financial Fair Play rules.

It just like When your ex-girlfriend immediately becomes the wife or girlfriend of your enemy. I don’t think anyone can laugh over it or when a key member of an organization joins a direct rival company it causes for celebration knowing the extent of confidential information he has about his previous company which can be used against it and I don’t think in politics when a leading member of a political party crosses carpet to join an opposing party it would be received with joy by the party he left. Will it? In war AVB has become the rebel leader or maybe for want of a better description.

Villas-Boas clearly has an agenda for joining a direct rival club and no one can tell me that he was short of options. Valencia board made it clear that they favored AVB for the vacant position when Unai Emery left but he declined, even about two weeks before he was sacked by Chelsea, it had become apparent that Massimo Moratti wanted him to succeed Ranieri when he responded by affirming his loyalty to Chelsea. Again the position of Roma was one he was seriously linked to and was favored by Baldini. So the young tactician knows exactly what he wants to do in England.

Now after RDM has guided us to win the Champions League he still has a lot to do to cement his position. Let us look at this situation which I hope it does not happen. When AVB in Tottenham begins to win matches and RDM and Chelsea fall behind Tottenham, how will you feel and how will the media describe us? I know the media will rubbish every achievement by RDM as “luck” and Chelsea would be up for media ridicule. I guess by now you are beginning to appreciate the possible consequences of AVB’s decision and the pressure it has on Chelsea and RDM. We could even be leading Tottenham on the league whiles they hang around 3rd or 4th place but if AVB is seen as playing attractive football whatever RDM does would be tagged as unattractive football. So the pressure will always be on Chelsea.

Andre Villas-Boas is more than capable of becoming a counterfoil to Chelsea’s success. A person who won treble in the Portuguese League undefeated in the league and became the youngest ever manager to have won the Europa at the age of 33. He is known for his attention to details and Mourinho once referred to him as his “eye”. Although he is not a professional footballer just as many great managers including Mourinho, he entered into football management as young as the age of 16 and by 21, he was the director of sports for the Virgin Island. His obvious weakness as it was demonstrated in Chelsea is his man management but this is subjective due to the different personalities and egos one will meet.

On the other hand, Roberto Di Matteo affectionately called RDM is a consummate football professional who is described by Chelsea as a legend due to his famous stunning goals in cup matches for Chelsea. At the age of 42, he has won the Champions League and F.A cup with a Chelsea side which placed 6th in the EPL a feat which was seen as “impossible” ab initio. He guided MK Dons to 3rd in the League One and lost out on play-off on penalty to Scunthorpe and later became the manager of West Bromwich Albion until he departed and later became the assistant coach of AVB and subsequently a caretaker and now our manager. RDM could be described as arguably the most successful caretaker manager in club football after leading Chelsea to beat Liverpool to the F.A Cup at Wembley and later Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

So judging from the two, Andre Villas-Boas versus Roberto Di Matteo where one achieved what the other could not do and rewrote the scripts for Chelsea, your Guess is as good as mine. The pressure would be on RDM and Chelsea but I endeavor the blue nation to stand solidly behind our man and our team no matter what. This is because the London rivalry has taken a new twist, RDM versus a familiar foe.

Your views are warmly welcome. KTBFFH!!!

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