Do I want Yuri Zhirkov to leave Chelsea? Of course not.
Do I respect the man's point of view. Most assuredly.
The Russia international fullback recently spoke on his inability to break into the first team at Chelsea. He went as far as admitting he may well have to reassess his future at the club if he fails to secure significant playing time over the coming months.
"I'll certainly get a chance in the next few months and I'll try to use it completely," Zhirkov said. "Then, in the winter, everything will probably depend on whether I got this chance and how I used it.
"We are currently in brilliant form and getting past Malouda and Cole is problematic. Everyone understands about the competition: once you are on the bench you can be there for a long time. But I will definitely get a chance.
"The thoughts when you are watching your team play are always the same: you support, worry and your soul wants to be on the pitch to help."
Refreshing stuff from a professional footballer. No blame laid, just an honest assessment of his current situation - all the while with a positive slant. With that kind of outlook, I find it hard to believe he won't find a way to make an impact over the next couple of months.
To be honest, from the little we've seen of him, Zhirkov does appear too good for our bench.Then again, this is Chelsea Football Club. We are expecting to have elite players making up our substitute list. Here's to hoping Zhirkov, as well as us supporters, get what we want.