Shaun Wright-Philips and his move to Chelsea

Jivin Turkey

Over the last couple of weeks, following the announcement of the England squad in particular, I've seen a lot of derogatory comments aimed at Shaun Wright-Philips (SWP). I've been a little disappointed to be honest.

I've always thought him as a fantastic player, bags of pace and trickery, but with plenty of end product to back it up. A fantasy football managers dream one might say.

But this year following his transfer to Chelsea I've seen him lambasted for being a "money grabber", "waster", "happy to sit on the bench", people are happy to see him omitted from the England squad saying "he deserves it for moving to Chelsea". I just want to get to the bottom of all this.

Was SWP right to move to Chelsea? Or was it an idiotic move?

Personally I don't see what all the begrudgery is about. Sure it hasn't worked out as he would have liked it, as of yet, but you can't fault the guy. People say he was too young, but last Summer he was almost 24, what age is suitable to move to a "big club"? I would have thought about 24 is perfect to make the step up.

Chelsea were also short out on the right. Joe Cole had had a few run ins with Mourinho during the season, and his place was far from certain. As it turns out Cole responded to this by delivering a seasons worth of splendid performances and made it into the team of the season, but who would have expected this? Certainly not plenty on here. At the time of the transfer the RW position was up for grabs at Chelsea and SWP coming off the back of the season that he had had was right to think he could get it IMO.

It's plainly obvious that Chelsea are here and here to stay for the foreseeable future, and definitely the most attractive option in terms of footballing power, financial gain and location for a London boy like SWP. Of course he was going to choose them.

I seriously doubt that SWP had planned to sit on the bench for the majority of the season when he signed, and he was correctly omitted from the England squad at the expense of Lennon. But why do people take satisfaction from this?

He made the right choice, and a good one, given the factors present at the time of the move. Why all the animosity towards him?

Kingp35

I have no animosity towards him. Hind sight is a wonderfull thing but at the time I dont think many would have had problems with his decision to move. Chelsea were in for him and wanted him badly, surely this indicated to SWP that he could get into the team and hold down a place. You cant blame the lad for trying but it just hasnt worked out for him and he has had to sit on the bench.

People say it was the wrong move but its fine saying that now but it could have worked out differently if he had got off to a good start

KdjaCL

Jivin Turkey wrote:

Why all the animosity towards him?

Because hes not playing and most fans knew he wouldnt play, and (the real big reason) he didnt go to the club the people who lambast him support.



kdjac

Gangsta

KdjaC wrote:

Because hes not playing and most knew he wouldnt play, and (the real big reason) he didnt go the club the people who lambast him support.



kdjac

what?

KdjaCL

Gangsta wrote:

what?

yeah i knew there was a word missing


kdjac

Freedomfighter

I think SWP is a good player and has alot of promise but when he went to chelsea he should have realised that with the money they can spend Mourino was just going to keep buying. I taught the same when the club was bought out about Duff. Chelsea are litterly spoilt for choice. They can have who ever they want and players want to go there cause they can pay what ever they want. SWP should leave the club and go somewhere where he will be used. Man City want him back but you go forwards in life not back. Utd, Liverpool, Wenger is a big fan.

Chardee MacDennis

how he moved wasnt great either. man city said he was staying, he said he woudl stay, then just before kick off in a friendly hands in a TR, and he signs for Chelsea next couple of days. Also if you think about it Chelsea had both Robben and Duff who had brilliant seasons the year before, much better than SWP had, so he already went behind.

i have no animosity towards the move, but i think and thought then it was foolish on his part and a move to arsenal or liverpool would have been better for him. I also think the Wenger and Benitez better for helping him develop his skills, unlike Mourinhos tactics of criticise someone to motivate them to improve - that would have never workied with SWP like it did with Cole.

RE*AC*TOR

its a hindsight thing - but he would have been better off staying at man city.

yom 1

I think SWP is a super player and really do wish that Rafa would go all out to sign him. I think that at the time of the move, as was pointed out, he would have known he was behind Duff and Robben in the pecking order but probably thought he could win his place - which is fair enough. I think the biggest problem with this whole transfer was iirc Chelsea only started to show interest in him when it seemed he could be on his way to Arsenal. Imo they signed him to stop a rival getting him, which to me signals he wasn't really going to figure as much as he likes.

Hopefully he will see sense and try to engineer a move away from Stamford Bridge. Like I said the rw spot is free at Anfield

Jivin Turkey

KdjaC wrote:

Because hes not playing and most fans knew he wouldnt play

How is this?

Judging by the responses here people are saying that he should have known better and that he would be behind Robben and Duff. Do peopel not realise that Robben and Duff are both naturally left sided and SWP is right sided?

dirkey_wynne

i remember at the time of the move, laughing to my friend in here who supports Chelsea, saying that it was a silly move for both club and player. He was overpriced for a start, and was never going to get into the team on a regular basis. Perhaps next season he will prove me wrong, but I really doubt it.

Jivin Turkey

There is no doubt he was over-priced but that is not his fault, just the way Chelsea do business.

And how could you possibly say that there was no chance he was going to get into the team? That is just ridiculous. He had just come off a fantastic season at Man City, and Chelsea had no recognised right winger. Cole had been deployed there but didn’t provide natural width, he had also had a few run-ins with Mourinho during the year, and while he had had a decent season he had not set the world alight, and was nothing compared to his form this year.

super_furry

Prior to going to Chelsea Shaun Wright Phillips was one of the hottest up and coming players in the Premiership, he was turning in some great performances in a Man City shirt and making a name for himself in international football. Fast forward a year and a stupidly overpriced £21million transfer and he's gone backwards and will be watching the World Cup from his sofa.

The reason people are happy with this situation is because it might put other tallented young players off from moving to the Russia mafioso's club, and will mean that ambitious young players will steer clear of Chelsea knowing that a move there - as lucrative as it may be - will do their career no good at all. That and that fact that Chelsea basically offered double what SWP's worth was, meaning that no other club stood a chance of competiting with them for his signing financially. However in the future, other clubs can now point to the example of Wright Phillip's when it comes to tempting up and coming stars to join them. Theo Walcott for example, who Chelsea were chasing.

Of course there are players who are happy just to take the money, look at Carlo Cudicini. Ranieri brought him in and he was one of the best goalkeepers in the league, now he's sitting on his arse and getting paid stupid money to do so. If he's happy with that fair play, I would be myself, but then again, I'm not meant to be a professional footballer.

bohsman

KdjaC wrote:

Because hes not playing and most fans knew he wouldnt play, and (the real big reason) he didnt go to the club the people who lambast him support.



kdjac

Yea, I was hopeing the money from the sale of Dalymount would come through before Chelsea got him.

I brought him up as a case in point why I would rather see players like George O'Callaghan playing regular first team football and deserving a call up to the national team for these performances than having him sitting on the bench in the Premiership and getting a call up because hes a premiership benchwarmer - Clinton Morrison being a good example.

dirkey_wynne

Jivin Turkey wrote:

There is no doubt he was over-priced but that is not his fault, just the way Chelsea do business.

And how could you possibly say that there was no chance he was going to get into the team? That is just ridiculous. He had just come off a fantastic season at Man City, and Chelsea had no recognised right winger. Cole had been deployed there but didn’t provide natural width, he had also had a few run-ins with Mourinho during the year, and while he had had a decent season he had not set the world alight, and was nothing compared to his form this year.

Ok, I was wrong. He got into the first team, and set it alight. How could I possibly say something back then, which then went on to be proven right. I take it all back.

iregk

Well i think the big word here is hindsight. Its great when you have it.

Put yourself in his position last season. You've had a great season and your now in the england squad and three of the top teams in the land are looking for you. A team agrees a ridiculous fee for you, which has nothing to do with you btw, and its also obvious that they do not have an out and out right winger. Your extermely high on confidence and have the chance to go to a team that has just paid over 20m for you, the chance to live in london and get paid well over double your current wage and have a clear shot at the title in a team where it appears you don't really have any direct competition for your place.

What would you do?

As I said on a previous post, if some bought me for that price which was more than Robben, Duff or Cole cost I'd think I've obviously got a serious chance of getting in the team and I'd have jumped at the chance myself.

If didn't work out for him so far but neither did Ronaldo, Pireas, Ljundberg etc... first season at their clubs. I don't blame or have any bad blood for the man. He has given it his best shot but will need to do better next season.

dirkey_wynne

I have no bad blood for him either. However, I don't think he's as good as people say, I never thought he was as good as people said, and I said to my mate at the time in here that I thought it was a bad move for both club and player. I've been proven right this season, there's every chance I'll be proven wrong next season.

iregk

Well I agree with you. I don't think and didn't think that he was anywhere near as good as everyone made him out. To me he is and was always a sub 10mill player. A mancity mate of mine was going on about how I will fall in love with him as he is just incredible. I never seen the fuss that was created and still don't. I think a lot of it was due to the English public getting fed up and having enough of Beckham on the right and starting to look for an alternative. They found that in SWP and so media fever started to run away with itself.

Like that maybe next season he will turn it around. I still don't blame him for going to Chelsea though, I know I would have done the very same thing.

dirkey_wynne

iregk wrote:

Like that maybe next season he will turn it around. I still don't blame him for going to Chelsea though, I know I would have done the very same thing.

Yes, but you're a Chelsea fan. If I was him, I wouldn't. I either would have gone to Arsenal or Liverpool, or perhaps even stayed put for one more year.

jester77

Arsenal were after him as well and it would have been a good option for him as I think he would hold down a place. Plus there was also the Ian Wright influence which I thought might tip the balance to favour Arsenal. But money won out, Arsenal could never match or justify the Chelsea fee or salary. Don't know if it was him or Man City (because of the fee) that would have pushed the deal but I guess ultimately it would have been him. I think he made the wrong choice, Arsenal are a good side that will always be pushing for the title and he would do well there.

gracehopper

jester77 wrote:

Arsenal were after him as well and it would have been a good option for him as I think he would hold down a place. Plus there was also the Ian Wright influence which I thought might tip the balance to favour Arsenal. But money won out, Arsenal could never match or justify the Chelsea fee or salary. Don't know if it was him or Man City (because of the fee) that would have pushed the deal but I guess ultimately it would have been him. I think he made the wrong choice, Arsenal are a good side that will always be pushing for the title and he would do well there.

agreed.

I thought he was set for Arsenal myself. Wrong decision on his part. He'd be playing in the WC this summer and would have played a lot of CL football this year too.

Necronomicon

Hindsight is a wonderful thing...
I think had he chosen not to go he'd always think 'what if'. I'm sure a lot of players at a mid-table club would find it difficult to turn down the chance of joining the champions. Although it was even riskier with the World Cup looming.
It's not as if it's the end of his career though. If he does move away from Chelsea (and who knows, he could still make it there) I'm sure there won't be a shortage of clubs in for him. He's 24 (or is it 25 now?) and I doubt this is the last World Cup he'll be in contention for.