Frank Rijkaard, along with his glorious locks, is coming to Chelsea. No, he's not. Oh, maybe he is. Now, not so much.
The media have been all over the place this week regarding the Barcelona manager. First, a host of outlets said he was open to a move. Then, Rijkaard's brother -- also his agent -- said forget it. Now it appears Barcelona, in the midst of a solid run of form, may in fact keep the Dutchman instead of reeling in The Special One.
It's a fragile situation, such as the one both clubs find themselves in at the moment. Barcelona could, with some help from the collapsing Real Madrid, lead La Liga by the end of Saturday. Still, a poor start to the season has seen Rijkaard become expendable --highlighted by the supposed meeting between Mourinho and the Barcelona suits earlier in January. Like Rikes, Avram Grant is under intense observation. The League Cup final defeat bolstered negative opinion (myself included), most of which centers on Grant's lack of guile and tactical innovation. However, he easily could win the majority over with a run of good results -- similar to what Rijkaard has done -- and a trophy or two (or three).
As for Rijkaard and the possibility of him taking over Chelsea in the summer...I think he would be a solid, but not my first, choice. He brings the free-flowing style of play Roman -- and much of the fan base -- craves. He also has a proven track record of being able to work with massive stars and massive egos. He's got a Champions League title as a manager and two as a player. His fashion sense makes me skeptical, though, as does his mop. But whatever, nobody can be as chic as The Special One.