A blog of two halves

Where's super Mario?

With all the ballyhoo out in Baku, it’s been easy to lose sight of the more important things in life.

29 May 2019
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Mario Pasalic (left) of Atalanta BC celebrates his goal with team-mate Duvan Zapata. PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES

With all the ballyhoo out in Baku, it's been easy to lose sight of the more important things in life.

Such as 'Whatever happened to Mario Pasalic?' For those unable to sleep with worry, here's an update.

Signed in 2014 by Jose Mourinho, the 19-year-old Croatian midfielder had the world at his feet.

"I'm very happy because I am now a Chelsea player," he said, revealing he modelled his play on Frank Lampard. He added that he was looking forward to starting pre-season training. And that was the last anyone heard.

Like a wandering nomad he appeared in the ranks of Spanish second division side Elche. Then he joined Monaco, then AC Milan, then Spartak Moscow, then Atalanta, where his silky touches and occasional goals (five in 33 appearances) helped the Italian side to finish third behind Juve and Napoli... with a Champions League place!

It was his late header that pipped mighty Milan to the third European spot.

So, hold on. Why isn't this Chelsea player of five years playing for Chelsea?

If the transfer ban is enforced, and it almost certainly will be, we need him back. And what about Tammy Abraham, the 9ft 7in spindly striker who has just got JT's Villa back to the top flight?

Or Mason Mount, who nearly made promotion for Derby? Time to locate the club's on-loan talent list, and start ringing round.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

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Tim Harrison

Tim is our Chelsea FC blogger.

He also writes our Shepherds Bush Cricket Club match reports during the football close season.

Tim has been writing Chelsea match reports since the late 1980s for newspapers and, more recently, websites.

When he first reported on the Blues, the press box was a metal cage suspended over the lip of the old west stand - and you reached it via a precarious walkway over the heads of the fans.

But he has been a Chelsea fan since his father took an excited seven-year-old to watch Chelsea v Manchester United in the mid 1960s... and covered his ears every time the chanting got too ripe.

In July 2005 he wrote The Rough Guide to Chelsea, published by Penguin, which sold 15,000 copies.

His favourite player of all time is Charlie Cooke, the mazy winger who lit up Chelsea's left wing in the 60s and 70s.

When he isn't watching the Blues, Tim acts, paints, writes and researches local history.

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