The name of Michael Emenalo usually sparks a long debate among many Chelsea supporters. Yet while many of us hold an opinion on the man, few of us realise the extent of his role due to club’s lack of transparency behind the scenes.
Emenalo arrived at Chelsea in 2007 together with Avram Grant and initially was part of our scouting department. Thought to be a personal friend of Avram from their time in Israel, Emenalo managed to outlast his friend at the club. His meteoric rise up the ranks at Chelsea has been spectacular from a scout, to assistant first team coach during Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure and was finally announced as our sporting director when Andre Villas-Boas was appointed as the team’s manager in July 2011.
A statement on Chelsea’s website said the following:
“Michael takes on a vital role that will assist the overall long-term football strategy of the club.”
Whilst people on the British shores are not very used to the idea of a person working alongside a manager, mainland Europe is far more receptive. You will find that most teams from Barcelona to Udinese have a person in a supporting role, leaving the manager to concentrate on the coaching.
Michael Emenalo on his new role in 2011:
“I’m going to be supporting the manager and working with him in making sure that things run smoothly.”
“I have the responsibility to direct and manage our scouting structure internationally and domestically, and to keep an eye on and assist the academy.”
Indeed, much of Chelsea’s scouting department has seen a massive overhaul since, with the number of scouting staff being cut drastically by nearly 60%. Whilst since 2011, Chelsea have had 3 different managers in charge the strategy in place has remained largely the same, as we move away from the era of ‘Untouchables’ under Mourinho and focusing on the exciting bright talents of players like Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Oscar and David Luiz.
When I asked for the fans’ opinion of Emenalo on twitter, the response was largely negative:
@dannydoes The fact that he signed a torres just coming back from an injury and then paying 50M speaks for itself.
— SW6 Talk (@SW6Talk) May 28, 2013
@dannydoes Failure. Had a key role in multiple decisions, especially in the hiring of Benitez which has ticked Roman and the fans off.
— Desert Fox (@ZlatanDF) May 28, 2013
@dannydoes what are his credentials that make him fit to run one of the biggest clubs on the planet?
— Nurshaun(@Nurshaun) May 28, 2013
@dannydoes What’s his role, I mean, does he pick the teams or does he do the scouting, or does he control the transfers overall or what?
— Jacob T. (@jacobtucker_CFC) May 28, 2013
And there lies the problem. None of us are entirely sure at what he does and what he is responsible for. Whilst clearly he wasn’t the man behind the Torres transfer, we can perhaps question some of his recent decisions. The most glaring errors this season have proved to be the loaning out of Michael Essien and sale of Raul Meireles without getting any replacements. Whether Emenalo was behind those or not, he certainly should’ve been the man to recognise the need for a midfield replacement.
However, if we look at his overall tenure very few mention his successes. The recruitment of young Belgian talents such as Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Musonda brothers. Whereas Villas-Boas was ruthlessly sacked by Abramovich after failing to build a relationship with the dressing room, Emenalo is the man who has carried on moving us in the same direction in rebuilding our team.
Our youth teams’ recent successes have also impressed of late. Surely the coaching staff deserve most credit for this, but so does Emenalo. The loan system has improved, the kids are now going to teams and playing 30-40 games a season. It’s not perfect but we are heading in the right direction and it is certainly a major improvement on the work Frank Arnesen was doing during tenure.
Overall, perhaps Emenalo has been best summed up by the following tweet:
@dannydoes Certain decisions regarding transfers have been woeful but we’ve also signed some excellent players under him. Should be (1/2)
— Shayne (@CFCRants) May 28, 2013
@dannydoes asked to leave but I think the fact that he’s a scapegoat hides the inefficiency of the real men in charge i.e Buck, Ron. (2/2)
— Shayne (@CFCRants) May 28, 2013
The Nigerian was heavily criticised when reports suggested that he played a major part in recruiting the unpopular Rafael Benitez. But was Emenalo really the guy who was tasked by Abramovich and the board to find a replacement for Roberto Di Matteo or is he just a convenient stooge for Ron Gourlay and Bruce Buck?
Even if he was – he must be the same guy who realised his error and is attempting to make amends by bringing back fan favourite Jose Mourinho. There are too many questions and not enough answers. Can we really call Michael Emenalo a failure? I certainly wouldn’t.
Source: ChelseaFC.com
I really like this article on Emenalo, someone who does not get talked about much on cfc websites. He, like Roman doesn’t speak to the media, keeps a low profile and no one knows what his role is about. He probably is a stooge with Buck and Gourlay, except this guy deals with football. I am not saying he has a football brain because when we had so many games this season, and not enough bodies in the squad. There were too many out on loan, and key young prospects, Lukaku, KDB, McEachran, Chalobah should have stayed back and given a chance, that’s what fans want to see. Why buy all these youngsters and then sent them out? So he is a failure!
Be real Bob
he played in a world cup and who would these average players bench in this present cfc team?be logical
I think it’s his job to find them the loan moves if the player requires one or the manager tells him which players he won’t be using in the first team squad, so if they aren’t being used then it’s down to the manager.
I think he is probably a failure, because the squad has been under par for the past 4 seasons. Since we were runners up to Man Utd. we have never had the best team/squad in the league, whilst managing to not bring through any youth products. He has got a good eye for talent, although Courtois and Lukaku are the only ones he has brought in that could be true world beaters. Compare this to a lot of mediocre talent we have signed and then never seen. Difficult to judge. I don’t mind a technical director, clubs can be very successful with them, but Mourinho needs to be given X amount of funds (where we have already taken away money spent on talent search. Don’t sign Torres, or players of that ilk if Jose doesn’t want them, but would he have a huge problem being given Courtois? Probably not, let him give Emenalo a position where he feels he can incorporate a youngster and let him go out and find one, along with the current work he does.
James can you mention the mediocre talents signed under Emenalo?
”although Courtois and Lukaku are the only ones he has brought in that could be true world beaters. Compare this to a lot of mediocre talent we have signed and then never seen.
and your mediocre talents signed by Emenalo are Hazard, Oscar, Mata, KDB, Romeo, Azbi and others.
I think he’s recruited some fine young talent but his work only extends so far. He can’t force the manager to play the youngsters so the loan route is often the one he will take.
Almost all of the best young players that aren’t already in the first team squad have had successful loans, so as far as his own responsibility goes he has been a success.
Michael Emenalo has done great jobs @ chelsea , but he should try more especially next season well done mr Micheal keep the good job up.
If most of the supporters gave him negative marks,that does not make him a failure to me,just the same way booing and name calling by the fans to Benitez,did not make him a failure either.
If one truly want to judge Emenalo it would be utterly wrong to judge him one sided,you have to credit him also with the achievements that Chelsea club have made so far from 2007 or from whatever year you start to make your judgement!
Couldn’t answer it! Ever since he came its been down hill, the sacking of ray Wilkins and di Matteo then the appointment of Rafa certainly didn’t please anyone but when you look at the players his helped find like mata oscar hazard azpilcueta each playing a big part this season I think if he had a bit more of a back seat it might help his popularity maybe just sticking to the scouting rather then him being involved with the management
I think he gets blamed for a lot of the board’s decisions that prove to be unpopular. I don’t know what to make of him as his work is behind the scenes, so don’t know how he could take more of a back seat.
I’d actually like to hear more from him. Obviously not what he’s up to as club wouldn’t want anyone to divulge too much information. I just would like to know a bit more about the man, his opinions & the sorts of things he would do day-to-day.
He’s a bit of an enigma, really.
If a manager is sacked for doing a bad job, why should Chelsea be lumbered with his bad choices in players? Emenaloo ensures that players Chelsea buy are CHELSEA players, not those of any number of transient managers who come and go. The job of the manager at Chelsea is to coach what he is given. He’ll be asked for his opinions of course, but instead of just asking the owner for money, he will have to discuss it with the technical director. That’s good. We don’t need a manager for two or three years who totally revamps everything, then leaves behind “his” players who the next manager won’t want. With Emenalo maintaining the pool of players, a new manager knows what he’s getting in advance and can take the job or not. If he does join the club, he knows the situation and will need to explain his needs for additional players to the technical director, not lord it over the owner.
People should get off Emenalo’s back. He’s doing a good job. When Morinho was left to his owen devices, he bought rubbish like Kezman, Jarosik and Del Horno. Has Emenalo chosen worse than that? I’d say Mata, Hazard, Azpilicueta, Courtois, Luiz, De Bruyne, Lukaku and Oscar show that Emenalo’s judgment is to be trusted. We should be praising him!
Good points. It seems as though people perceive that sporting directors work against the manager rather than with them, but it’s commonplace throughout Europe and we can assume the next manager is happy with the setup if he agrees to be part of it, as you say.
I will say he is a success. it’s a shame some of the peeps making negative comments here doesn’t know when he started his current role. 2 seasons in his current role CFC has won CL, FA cup, EL cup that is not bad for someone without football brain. He has also helped bring young talented players to CFC and on the verge of bringing the fans favourite back. His achievements far eclipse what the much respected Frank did in almost 3 or seasons. Shame some fans keep hammering on the hiring of Rafa as if it’s worst thing to happen to mankind. Do we really need plastic flags to create an atmosphere? Passion should be about singing your lungs out throughout the game and being the 12th man.
He has been WONDERFUL! Reasons:
1) Marquee signings: if you want to blame him for signing Torres, then you must PRAISE him for getting Mata, Ramires, Hazard, Luiz, Oscar, winning the battle with the likes of Fergusson, Wenger & Mancini
2) If you blame him for Sacking RDM, then you must PRAISE him for Hiring RDM in the first place (convincing a manager of an EPL club to come in as Assistant here) then his wisdom to Elevate him (instead of sacking him with AVB) and winning Champe.
3) If you blamed him for Hiring Benitez, you must now Commend him for what he achieved, but most importantly striking a deal of “Interim Manager” with Guadiola/Jose in mind!
4) Credit goes to him for the TRULY wonderful talents he has signed for the club, evidenced by the youth team winning several trophies in the last 4 seasons, and our players doing tremendously well while on loan!
5) Cutting down the scouting staff by 60% yet achieving better result than the previous person!
6) Laud him for keeping a low profile but doing his job effectively! Remember how he was intelligent enough to sign Cahill, Moses, Azpi, Ba to plug gaps & with none costing up to 10million!
KUDOS to Him please!!!