Blackburn

Rejected by Mourinho, McCarthy has now what Chelsea are so desperately lacking

By Matthew Day ⋅ September 16, 2007 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Benni McCarthy has never attracted more than a 6m euros transfer fee, but with three years left on his contract with Blackburn and goals coming with spectacular ease for the South African, it would surely take a 15m euro bid to pry him away from Ewood Park as Europe’s biggest and best continue to monitor the striker’s progress.

A year after signing for Blackburn for under 4m euros, Chelsea must now be regretting a missed opportunity to sign the 29-year-old, who has shone in the Premier League, guiding his side into the Uefa Cup once again along with a journey to the FA Cup semis. McCarthy scored 24 goals last campaign – 18 in the league – including six in the last seven matches of the season as Blackburn battled on three fronts. The departure of Craig Bellamy ought to have stopped Rovers’ impressive progress in its tracks, but instead his exit seeped out of the supporters’ memory vaults quicker than a swing of a golf club.

Blackburn’s previous heavy-handedness, from the early days of Mark Hughes’ reign, has long been gone from their game, despite the insistence of the media that it remains. A reputation that has proven hard to drop, but as Hughes’ side continue to over-perform and confound the critics, more have come to admire Blackburn’s tenacity and verve. The likes of Tugay, David Bentley and Morten Gamst Pedersen, who light-up the midfield with their creativity, ensure entertaining, and eminently watchable football at Ewood Park. Hughes’ well-rounded squad has few weak spots in the starting eleven – from the experienced Brad Friedel in goal to the mammoth Ryan Nelsen in defence via tough man Robbie Savage in the middle. However, it is McCarthy taking all the plaudits.

Chased by Liverpool and Chelsea ever since he won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, Blackburn was a startling choice of move when the Portuguese club finally dispensed with McCarthy after the player made it patently clear he wanted out. He had accumulated 57 goals in 129 matches – his best ratio since spending a year at Ajax in 1998/9 when he netted 21 in 36 games – and played a key role in the club’s marvellous continental triumph. Not only did he score twice against Manchester United while also setting up the last-gasp equaliser at Old Trafford in the first knockout round victory, McCarthy managed four goals in eight Champions League starts.

If Mourinho had had the luxury of Drogba and McCarthy up front against Aston Villa, would Chelsea have lost?

But when José Mourinho went, it looked as if McCarthy would join him, or at least sign with one of Europe’s top clubs.

Porto subsided dramatically following Mourinho’s exit, and McCarthy fell into the wilderness somewhat. Interest and rumours lingered, but no club was prepared to take a gamble. Despite taking Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira along with him from Porto to Chelsea, Mourinho didn’t seem to believe McCarthy could cut it for his new club.

Chelsea have scored just twice in their last four matches and none in their last two, leaving them with just one point from winnable fixtures at Aston Villa and at home to Blackburn. Their quest to find a predatory forward was supposed to end with Andriy Shevchenko’s expensive arrival, but instead Didier Drogba stepped up as the Ukrainian failed to flow with the English style. Mourinho of course understands the problem with relying too heavily on one striker, but nevertheless decided to stick with Shevchenko for the 2007/8 campaign, while also believing he could rely on free transfer import Claudio Pizarro and Salomon Kalou, who has only just turned 22, to score regularly. If he’d had the luxury of Drogba and McCarthy up front against Aston Villa, would Chelsea have lost? And with the Ivorian injured for the Blackburn encounter, would McCarthy have found the net in place of the misfiring Shevchenko? The answer could be worth five points, and even a league crown.

Chelsea’s loss, though, is Blackburn’s gain. Unbeaten since the April FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea – a run that has lasted 15 matches in all competition – draws with Mourinho’s side and Arsenal this season have drummed up excitement and expectation once again. Another stab at the Uefa Cup is imminent and with forgotten man Roque Santa Cruz – who has been a revelation so far – joining McCarthy up front, perhaps Blackburn will show Chelsea just how to win a European crown. It’s simple, really – just get yourself two in-form strikers.

Should Chelsea have moved for McCarthy? Share your views by leaving a comment below.

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