Andriy Shevchenko - how the mighty have fallen
Andriy Schevchenko has been a great player by anyone’s reckoning. Nearly 200 goals in just under 400 league appearances at Dinamo Kiev, Milan and Chelsea.
He was European footballer of the year in 2004 and has been in the top ten on five other occasions. Six times he has been in the top ten of FIFA World footballer of the year. On three occasions he has been the top scorer in the Champions League tournament. 36 goals in 79 International appearances for Ukraine is also an impressive record.
At 31 years old he should still be near the top of his game. So whilst his old teammates prepare to take on Arsenal at the San Siro and his current team look to progress against Olympiakos in the Champions League, where do we find Andriy?
Well the answer was hidden in the back pages of the sports papers this morning. Griffin Park, Brentford.
Schevchenko completed ninety minutes for Chelsea reserves last night at the ground of the League two London side. He made what the Chelsea website describes as a ‘low key performance’ as captain of the side going down 2-1 to Reading reserves.
The £30 million man was trying to prove his fitness following a back injury, but failed to shine with his abiliy or his attitude. Reserve team coach Brendan Rogers said: “It is difficult for senior players to come in and show a great attitude because of where they are normally playing at.”
When a 29 year-old Shevchenko signed for Chelsea prior to the 2006 World Cup it was heralded as a magnificent signing for the Blues. To prise him away from Milan, at what appeared to be the peak of his prowess was regarded as a masterstroke by many. A partnership of Drogba and Shevchenko would certainly be the dream team to take Chelsea to European glory.
Of course, it was never totally clear whether Jose Mourinho had wanted to sign him or whether the orders had come from above.
Schevchenko had famously missed good chances and the losing penalty against Liverpool in the Champions League Final in 2005, but had recovered in the following season to score all four goals in Milan’s 4-0 group-stage drubbing of Fenerbahçe, and to become Milan’s second highest goalscorer of all time.
His immediate future at Chelsea looked as though it couldn’t go wrong for him or the club.
Inexplicably Shevchenko finished his first season at Chelsea with fourteen goals, only four of which came in the Premier League. His season was cut short by injury, but even his greatest admirers would have to admit that even when fully fit, he was a shadow of the player Chelsea thought they had signed.
This season has again been interrupted by injury but he has failed to impress on the occasions he has made it on to the field of play. He has added four more league goals including two in the 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on December 26th.
Mainly due to injury he hasn’t appeared in the first team since then and is clearly becoming frustrated with the club, himself and the injuries. “My game was getting much better and then again, another injury. I understand this is life, but it’s important to be involved in the team. I try to help the team, and give my contribution.”
Rumours abound that the Ukranian striker will be moving on from Chelsea. The most likely destination is back to Milan, where Shevchenko would be happy to finish his career. Abramovich would be sorry to see his friend leave but even he will probably be prepared to cut his losses at the end of this season.
When he arrived in England I truly believed we would be adding him to the list of great overseas players to play in the Premier League, Bergkamp, Vierra, Van Nistleroy, Zola etc. It just hasn’t happened.
I don’t understand why this wonderful striker has not been a success in England and I’m sure he himself doesn’t understand how he came to be playing at Griffin Park.
What do Chelsea fans think? Do you have a soft spot for him? Do you think he’s been unlucky? Or is he just a £30 million flop?
Graham writes at Views of a fan
Poor lad. It’s not been for lack of trying, but…
No pace. Hardly any finesse. Can’t play in a 4-3-3. We should have spent the money on Pato.
He’s proabably still got it in him. He was on a great run of form before this latest injury. He’ll probably never be the player he was before, he’s not that fast anymore, but he still has an incredible shot.
Bless him
Age has finally caught up with him like it did with Ronaldo n Inzaghi
Sheva has put himself in soccer history with his performances at dynamo kiev and milan. But i just dont think that he is fit for the english style of play, most of his goals for chelsea were in champions leage against other teams from europe. It something about the epl that can make or break a player and sheva is just to old to survive in this demanding league. His best bet would be to return to kiev, or milan
Roman Abramovich is the bad guy in this situation. He foisted Sheva on Mourinho, when it was obvious that Chelsea didn’t need him. Drogba was always going to be Jose’s first choice. When I heard that Chelsea had done the deal, I immediately tried to picture a Drogba-Sheva Partnership…until I remembered that there is only one spot for strikers like them in Mourinho’s system. Neither striker is suited for playing out wide. They both could play out there, in theory, but Sheva/Drogba are always going to be ten times more effective up top.
I believe Sheva, as well as Ballack, were, financially, disastrous moves for Chelsea. While Ballack has improved this season, that has come out of the need to replace Lampard when he is hurt. Both players were near 30 at the time of the signing and they got the two richest (at the time) contracts in the league. For the money, it was a bad decision. I still think both players have it in them, but quite simply, they were put onto a team where they weren’t needed; rather, Abramovich simply wanted to add more sparkle.
Yeah Sheva for all his spectacular record seems to be a confidence player and losing his pace has destroyed his game. I wouldn’t blame his age, as players as old as Zola have dominated the English game.
hi,
Major cause that Sheva don’t perform lays down on the coaches,
Maurinjo and Grant don’t qualify to be a coach for Sheva,
They just don’t know how to utilize and deal with Superstar.
Sheva is Superstar, he was and he is now.
It’s just mental, as any other sport.
He will not move to Milan,
He will prove to his all enemy one more time that he is the best,
It happened already in with Aston Villa game, he will recover soon
And put minimum 6-10 goals on the show this year –
You will remember my comments.
Gary
Drogba,Kalou doesnt cost even 25 % of Sheva
Form is temporary and class is permenant. And I believe Sheva still got it cos he’s one heck of a player.
To his fans : ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS CLASS & TREMENDOUS ACHIVEMENT SINCE HIS DAYS AT DYNAMO KIEV ‘TILL NOW. NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM. NOT THE BRITISH MEDIA WHO HAS BEEN SAYING ALMOST 90% NEGATIVE THINGS ‘BOUT HIM SINCE HIS MOVE TO CHELSEA, NOT CHELSEA’S FANS, NOT DROGBA, NOT ANELKA & NOT EVEN THE SO-CALLED ‘SPECIAL ONE’.
If he decides to move back to Milan, then we’ll support him. All the best luck in the world.
Love to see him back in San Siro and hopefully next year we’ll see him as Rossonerri and they beat Chelsea in 2008/09 Champs League final and….. more importantly he scores the winning goal. Oh… what a dream!!
They can send him off to a 10th tier English team. Not good enough for Milan. You’d be kidding yourself if you thought so.
hes lost it, and there is no way he will get it back either. Hes just going to sit on 130 grand a week and then he will be sold for about 8-10 million, such a waste.
Sheva is the best in my books, hes my hero and i will never forget him, he still has more to give and if chelsea give him away they will lose more than what they bargained for, the diamond just needs to be polished.
I don’t think shecxhenko has lsot it,You can’y become a bad player overnight. he is just no suited to the english game.and if he moves back to Milan or any othe European club(and not to MLS) i am quite sure we will see the old shevchenko back in action.
Shevchenko was never wanted by Mourinho that is a big reason why he isnt doing so good. In the middle of last season Sheva scored against Portsmouth and had a pretty good game and Mourinho said it was time to try something new and put him on the bench for the next few games what a confidence booster that is? He scored important goals against Porto and Valencia and Mourinho just didint give him the respect and support as he did to other players. If not for the latest injury he would be doing good now and chelsea wouldnt have baught Anelka, before the injury he scored like 5-6 goals in 4 games. Injuries have killed him and now I think his time has ran out he will go back to Milan or MLS next year unless Drogba leaves then maybe he will stick around and be given a chance to play. As for now he needs to be given a chance to play against Barnsley tomorrow