Why hiring a Chelsea ‘legend’ like Frank Lampard or Didier Drogba to replace Michael Emenalo would be a mistake
It would be a grave mistake to replace Emenalo with a club legend, in a position where they would have to deal with a huge, multinational company worth close to £1 billion and a ruthless Russian.
FRANK LAMPARD and Didier Drogba need not apply for the job of Chelsea technical director.
Since Michael Emenalo quit after ten years in the role there have been calls to replace him with a suitable club ‘legend’.
By that it means a famous player, a figurehead with Chelsea blue coursing through their veins.
But that would be a grave mistake. And it’s unlikely the Premier League champions are going to make it.
Emenalo’s brief as Stamford Bridge was ‘tying together’ all the football strands of Chelsea – a huge, multinational company worth close to £1 billion and owned by a ruthless Russian.
Technical Director is one of those job titles which is bandied around in the football bubble and not many people really know what they do.
At Chelsea, Nigerian Emenalo reported to the board – ie Roman Abramovich.
He was responsible for the progress of the Academy, which despite its controversial image, has produced some fine players in recent seasons.
That means keeping tabs on all the youth teams at the club’s Surrey training ground, the fitness and health and welfare of the kids coming through the ranks.
Emenalo also had to stay on top of the scouting network.
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And in the modern game that is not just a few eyes and ears on the football pitches of Surrey and the Home Counties watching junior games.
It is a vast network stretching around the world to ensure Chelsea do not miss out on the best young talent in a globalised industry.
He liaised with the first team manager Antonio Conte, with all that resultant friction over who to sign and who not to sign and who to release.
Conte’s backroom staff also knew him well and he had to listen to them too.
Then we come to data analysis and the fountain of information on all the players from top to bottom.
The number-crunching, the stats on the boys in blue from the top to the bottom of a company operating on many levels.
That’s what Michael Emenalo did for a decade in one of the most political environments in the game.
Lampard is Chelsea’s record goalscorer and was a superb midfielder.
Drogba scored many goals and was a powerhouse up front – a true icon for the club on the pitch.
Chelsea are considering a restructure and may not even appoint a direct replacement for Emenalo.
But if they do, do you still think it’s a job for Frank or Didier?
