Gullit wins battle of the imports

Walking into Stamford Bridge on Saturday one half-expected to see one of those big signs they have at the Channel ports: "Welcome, Bienvenue, Wilkommen, Buon giorno."

Even by the standards of the Premiership, Chelsea's match with West Ham needed more linguistic skills than most: between them they fielded 12 different nationalities in the starting 22. Another four nations' representatives were injured or dropped. As London derbies go, it reflected the capital's cosmopolitan nature rather than traditional rivalries.

Four years ago there were just two foreigners in this fixture - Ludek Miklosko and Ken Monkou. Including Vinnie Jones, who had not yet realised he was Welsh, 15 English-qualified players started. Saturday's figure was six, and even that was high given both clubs have 14 non-English players on their books.

Without being xenophobic, it is clear that this is too much of a good thing to be good for the national side. Whether it is bad for the English game as a whole is less clear-cut. Supporters of Chelsea, 3-1 winners, would say no; West Ham's may not be so convinced. Their foreigners cost pounds 10m less than Chelsea's Continental collection, and it showed.

As Ruud Gullit agreed afterwards, the key is getting good players who can adapt. "When you talk to them you say it is a different ball game," he said. "But I know exactly what I want. I don't buy a foreign player because he is foreign and I must go with the fashion. I buy players I need. I think, `I need a midfielder, what skills do I want from him? Who can do that? Then, is he available?'

"It is incredible the phone calls I get. Really great players are offered. I think `That's not possible' but you have to check everything. But it must also be someone I can use. If I already have three strikers why buy a fourth?"

Harry Redknapp's buying policy does not look so considered. Paulo Futre, Dani, Florin Raducioiu, Ilie Dumitrescu. . . big names, little impact. Futre and Dani have gone, Dumitrescu is leaving (a year and very few appearances after West Ham made a huge fuss about his being refused a work permit). Raducioiu is already said to be available having been signed in the summer for pounds 2.6m. Meanwhile Redknapp is being linked with Jurgen Klinsmann.

Raducioiu was awful on Saturday and, though Hugo Porfirio capped a good first half with a fine goal, Miklosko, Marc Rieper and Slaven Bilic were all poor - but so were the English, Welsh and Irishmen.

"I was crap, we were crap," said the Croat Bilic, demonstrating a better command of slang English than the ball. "We are trying to be all individuals and it brings no profit. We are not a team and do not look like one. We have to work as a unit and fight together."

West Ham, without a win in nine games, were booed off by their fans. The board, already at odds with Redknapp over the money he has spent - "a lot", according to them; "you get nothing with pounds 3.5m", says Redknapp - may be pondering the impact fresh faces had at Blackburn and Nottingham.

West Ham were never in the game once Mark Hughes and Gianfranco Zola combined superbly to put Chelsea two up in 10 minutes. First Zola produced a bewitching flick through his legs from Petrescu's cross to set up Hughes. Then Hughes released the Italian with a raking pass, Zola bamboozled Julian Dicks and scored.

Porfirio immediately replied from 20 yards but Hughes' fine header, from another Petrescu cross, settled it. Dicks apart, West Ham became dispirited as well as disorganised. With better finishing and more fortune, Chelsea could have had six. Craig Burley was the pick of a fine midfield while Hughes and Zola dovetailed so well in attack one wonders what will happen when Gianluca Vialli is fit. "That is not something I think about now," Gullit said. "Every coach would like that problem." Especially Redknapp.

It was Zola's first win in his sixth and best game for Chelsea. "He has had to adapt," said Gullit, "but his way of playing stole the hearts of the people. These players add something to the Premiership."

They certainly do. Watching Zola and Gullit was a pleasure but it goes deeper than that. Though Chelsea have bought heavily abroad, they are also producing their own.

Four of Saturday's side were youth products - more than most Premiership teams - and the likes of Michael Duberry and Burley have clearly benefited from being alongside Gullit and company. So will Neil Clement, son of the late Dave Clement, of Queen's Park Rangers and England, who made a promising debut at left wing-back.

This steady assimilation of foreign quality and British potential has produced an effective amalgam of styles. Chelsea moved the ball about with comfort, equally at home probing in numbers or breaking at speed. By contrast, West Ham's main creative source was Julian Dicks' left boot. With Mike Newell looking rusty, Iain Dowie's ability to win the ball and hold it up was missed.

"We're short in attack," Redknapp said. "I've only got one striker at the club." Perhaps Gullit will loan him Vialli.

Goals: Hughes (4) 1-0; Zola (10) 2-0; Porfirio (11) 2-1; Hughes (35) 3-1.

Chelsea (3-5-2): Grodas; Duberry, Gullit, Clarke; Petrescu, Burley (Sinclair, 83), Newton, Di Matteo, Clement (Myers, 59); Zola, Hughes. Substitutes not used: Hitchcock (gk), Johnsen, Nicholls.

West Ham United (3-4-2-1): Miklosko; Reiper, Bilic, Dicks; Bowen, Moncur (Williamson, 77), Bishop (Lampard, 83), Rowland (Raducioiu, 46); Porfirio, Hughes; Newell. Substitutes not used: Sealey (gk), Potts.

Booked: Chelsea: Duberry, Clement, Petrescu. West Ham United: Rowland, Porfirio.

Referee: A Wilkie (Chester-le-Street).

Man of the match: Zola. Attendance: 28,315.