Wayne Bridge Squeaks; Will He Get the Grease?

January 13th, 2006 | by: Shawn | Comments Off

(Before I begin, let me apologize for the continuing Chelsea-centric nature of these posts. But the fact is, however much some people may not want it recognize it, that the Blues have as many as six likely England players on the pitch or the bench at any given time, so….)

Wayne Bridge might be itchin for a transfer or loan to Tottenham so he can get some showcase playing time in before Sven makes his final selection. Like Glen Johnson, Bridge languishes on the Chelsea bench behind continental fullbacks, and, as Sven has made clear, a man’s gotta at least be able to play for his club if he hopes to play for his country.

But Jose Mourinho seems unwilling to let Bridge scamper off: “I know Wayne Bridge needs to play football, but Chelsea need to win matches.”

You’ve gotta feel a little sympathy for Wayne, whose injury last season led Chelsea to court Asier del Horno as a replacement. But I ask the same question about him that I did about Johnson: Is this as good as England’s got for its back line?

(PS: the likely Chelsea six: Terry, Lampard, Joe (”Midnight Sprinter”) Cole, Bridge, Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips)