In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, Chelsea Technical Director Michael Emenalo has dismissed the theory that the Blues’ poor start to the season can be traced to their limited spending during the summer.
The west Londoners enter Saturday’s clash with Norwich City 16th in the table, just three points above the relegation zone and 13 points away from a Champions League spot, and many have attributed their miraculous decline to a lack of activity during the summer transfer window.
The Blues spent just shy of £70million – less than half the outlay of the Premier League’s current table toppers Manchester City – and invested predominantly in squad rather than starting Xi additions, such as Pedro, Radamel Falcao, Asmir Begovic and Abdul Rahman Baba.
But using the example of Chelsea’s failed swoop for Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney in summer 2013, Emenalo has insisted that there is no direct correlation between spending and results.
The England international came close to leaving Old Trafford two years ago after Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters that he’d made a formal transfer request. TheBlues later made a £30million bid and manager Jose Mourinho even described the club’s transfer policy for that summer as “Rooney or Bust.”
Speaking to the press for the first time since being appointed Chelsea technical director in 2007, Emenalo told The Telegraph; “A couple of years ago [summer of 2013] it was well documented we tried to get [Wayne] Rooney. We didn’t get Rooney and we still finished second and started strongly, so there is no correlation between whether we had a big transfer window or not.
“What is important to understand is that as a club we work as a unit to try to get things done and get it done the right way. We didn’t get Stones, not because we didn’t want him but because Everton didn’t want to sell Stones.”
He went on to dismiss the idea that Mourinho had lost the backing of his players, telling the British newspaper; “Every team, in every sport, that is not winning always reveals that air of vulnerability which people on the outside perceive to be that something is wrong. Everyone seems vulnerable. Everyone seems to need the next motivation hit to get things going again. I don’t know what losing the dressing room means, I really don’t. As a player myself I have never gone into a game thinking, ‘It is never going to happen for this manager’.
“What I do perceive is the players are taking responsibility and just like myself – the head of communications, the chairman, the owner – everybody is asking themselves the same question, ‘What can I do?’ ‘How can I help?’ The players are no different. The manager definitely is no different.”