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BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

'Chopper' still looks like he could do a job

This week I had the pleasure of catching up with one of my old sparring partners, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris.Ron, who made a record 795 appearances for Chelsea during a Stamford Bridge career spanning a staggering 19 years, has been visiting the Island on vacation.On Wednesday night Ron was the special guest at a football quiz at the Swizzle Inn in Bailey’s Bay, where I met up with him for a good old chat about the old days.As you would expect, the Bermuda Blues turned out in their droves to see Chelsea legend, Ron. It was a great night had by all and I‘d really like to see more of Bermuda’s pubs put evening like this.To be fair to Ron, who’s 67 now, he looked like he could still go out there and do a job.I played against him quite a few times and he had quite a fearsome reputation, although he never worried me as thankfully I was on the opposite side of the pitch!It was a bit of a shocker to see Arsenal humbled by AC Milan in the Champions League.I just think Arsenal came up against a better team, and to lose 4-0 well, I can’t see them reversing that at the Emirates Stadium.You have to remember AC Milan are a very experienced team with many players who are in their early 30s, compared to the Gunners who are still such a young side.People say Arsene Wenger should have started Thierry Henry and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but I don’t think it would have made any real difference. After all, Oxlade-Chamberlain is still a kid although I must say he looks a promising player.I don’t think the pressure is mounting on Wenger; he’s a great manager and I’m sure this Arsenal team will get better. They’ve got some lovely youngsters and their fans just have to remain patient.In professional football, as a manager, you are judged on one thing and one thing only: results.These days most managers don’t get time to build a team and one man who I believe is under pressure is Chelsea’s Andreas Villas-Boas.I know he did a great job at FC Porto, winning stacks of trophies in a very short space of time, but it’s a different kettle of fish when you come to England.And it’s especially difficult when, like Villas-Boas, you’re younger than several of your players.Chelsea seem to play at far too slow a pace and their circulation of the ball just not quick enough.Old women can play against that, and while that type of tempo is okay on the continent it’s never going too earn results in the Premier League.It enables the opposition to get behind the ball and put pressure on them, like Manchester United did when they came back from 3-0 down to draw in their recent match against Chelsea.The problem is Villas-Boas doesn’t know his best team and for some reason he’s still sticking with Fernando Torres who has forgotten how to score goals.They need to finish in the Champions League spot but that’s not going to be easy. If they don’t, I really fear for Villas-Boas’ future at the club.It was a shame to see Mick McCarthy get the axe from Wolves this week and I’m sure he will pick up a job somewhere else. Wolves haven’t got the biggest of transfer budgets so it’s always going to be difficult for them in the Premier League.For me, they haven’t got enough quality players and that’s why they are struggling at present.Mick managed to just about keep them up in the last two seasons so the writing was probably on the wall for him.I gather my former West Ham team-mate, Alan Curbishley, is in the frame to replace Mick. I know Alan very well and I think he has all the credentials to go and do a good job and keep them up.