Aargh the old Gus chestnut!
First of all I fully admit Gus made a massive mistake at White Hart Lane, and though I obviously don't know how he thinks, my guess is he knows it too and he also knows he was expressing his emotions toward the wrong people.
I do understand why a lot of people no longer have any time for Radio, especially people like bjd and Just who were there on the day. Gus got nothing but adoration from the Chelsea fans whilst he was at the Bridge and to react in that way smacked of ingratitude.
However I do truly believe that his overall intention was not to stick the fingers up at the Chelsea fans, but more at certain people within the club (anyone who was around at the time knows who that was).
If anyone thinks Gallas was badly treated by Chelsea over his contract renewal, trust me, this wasn't a patch on the way Gus was treated. Gus never wanted to leave Chelsea, he loved the place and he treated every game as if it was a cup final, few players can be said to have put more effort and passion (and no shortage of ability) into every appearance made in a Chelsea shirt. Gus had more than earned a new contract and he must have been heart broken (and absolutely stunned, as I was) when the offer was not forthcoming (actually I can't remember if iot was that he was not to be offered one or that it was to only be a single year one, think it may have been the latter).
It was a kick in the teeth of no uncertain ferocity and Gus reacted by slapping in an immediate transfer request - when I say immediate I mean he wrote it right there in Hutchinson's room (rumour has it he wrote it on a napkin).
There is not a doubt in my mind that had he been offered a 2 or 3 year contract he would have signed it in a heartbeat (and for me he not only deserved it but he still had a good 2-3 years left in him).
So yes Gus was wrong, he was wrong to make his protest toward the Chelsea fans, a protest of some sort was probably justified but this one was clearly ill judged.
However I can't hate Gus for it. Gus gave everything he could in a blue shirt for four years and he woud have happily done it for longer if given the chance he deserved. I can't just flick a switch and forget all of that because of one second of emotional madness.
I find it strange that Gus can be hated for making a single rash judgement in the blink of an eye yet Dennis is still adored whilst making a conscious decision to manage Millwall and then Leeds!!
