Bridge Banter: Guus who's coming to town?

Happy anniversary to the 53rd richest person in the world! It is precisely eight years since Roman Abramovich checked his bank statement, took a deep breath, and bought Chelsea FC.

Eight years since one bearded football fan took the football club off the hands of another. Since then, Roman has spent an estimated eighth of his entire wealth on keeping the club at, or near, the top of the tree.

With Guus Hiddink lined up to ease his well-upholstered Dutch rear into the manager’s swivel chair at Stamford Bridge in three weeks’ time, the owner has authorised another summer spending spree on players.

Roman knows he needs to keep replenishing his asset, and he is well aware that his squad requires some rejuvenating, with Luka Modric one of the key targets as the kind of buzzy midfielder to keep Fernando Torres well supplied.

The plan of developing a team of new superstars in the Cobham academy simply hasn’t worked out, with only Josh McEachran making a real breakthrough.

That has been a disappointment for Abramovich, but the owner has to accept some of the blame. His yearning for speedy success rather than steady empire-building has denied more young hopefuls the chance to prove themselves over time.

Roman is in one of his hands-on phases at the club, taking a personal interest in selecting the chess pieces for the next grand master to use.

It’s a mixed blessing. All managers like the freedom to be able to choose their weapons, and fire them in the way they want. But when someone else holds the key to the armoury, they have to accept that compromise is needed.

Carlo Ancelotti, now wealthy enough to never work again, was well aware of that balance having worked first for Silvio Berlusconi and then Roman.

Guus knows the score too. Hiddink and Abramovich are said to get on well. For Chelsea’s sake, that relationship has to keep working. As with all couples, each must learn to give and take.