Let's get the contradiction right out in the open:

I love Chelsea the football team. Winning the Premiership title last season was a thrill i'll never forget. Watching a live match and seeing Lamps, JT, and the boys work their magic never fails to get my adrenaline flowing.

I hate Chelsea the business. With each much-publicized foible, i loathe having to make attempts to defend my affection for the team. Illegal approaches to players and executives, slanderous claims about cheating opponents, the perception that the team plays by no one's rules but its own ... it's exhausting. And indefensible.

Am i happy that Roman Abramovich has pumped his millions into the club, transforming them into one of the elite of the footballing world? Of course. Would our renaissance have happened without him? Who knows? We were moving in the right direction, and let's not forget that our gritty fourth place Premiership finish and ensuing Champions League qualification in 2003 was what attracted Abramovich in the first place. Of course we were also horribly in debt and in danger of being forced into a fire sale to avoid bankruptcy.

There is plenty in the new regime to like. Of course no one can complain about success. The new leadership has placed a focus on youth, and it has paid off considerably with the emergence of players like Arjen Robben and Joe Cole. We are a young team with a great future, and no longer dote on older (and invariably fading) superstars in the transfer market. What i hate is that the success on the field should in no way be coupled to the arrogant antics off it. Abramovich and Peter Kenyon don't need to conduct these Get Smart-esque maneuvers to attract the best players, coaches, and executives. And José Mourinho the pressure-diverting attention grabber is one thing, while José Mourinho the plain old jackass is quite another. I don't think anything's broken yet, but the ship needs to be righted soon or it's going to flip right over.

Chelsea's off-season dealings have been slow so far, especially when compared to those of the past two summers. Scott Parker and Mikael Forssell have left for Newcastle and Birmingham City respectively, while Italian loaners Juan Veron and Hernan Crespo look set to remain on the continent for at least another year. We managed to sign primary left-back target Asier Del Horno from Atletico Bilbao, but as yet have no other players coming in. We STILL need a killer striker, although we've already been rebuffed by Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o (not surprising) and warned by AC Milan that any approach for Andriy Shevchenko will be futile. Lyon seem to think Chelsea are still in a giving mood, as they've set a £25 million price tag on earlier Blues target Michael Essien. Unlike seasons past, it seems the clubs of the world are no longer willing to let Chelsea buy everyone they please. And maybe this will be a good thing ... we already have strength in depth, and with the squad having been together for over a year we may be even more solid next season.

I'll never abandon Chelsea Football Club, but that benevolence definitely does not extend to the execs at Stamford Bridge.