Billionaire Roman deserves credit, says Megson (From The Bolton News)

Billionaire Roman deserves credit, says Megson

9:55am Friday 9th May 2008 in

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PILLORIED for using his roubles to "buy" two Premiership titles and sending football's finances out of kilter, Roman Abramovich is regarded as little more than a here-today-gone-tomorrow foreign interloper on the Premiership scene.

Outside his particular corner of West London, the mega-wealthy Russian has been vilified by many as a scourge on the game.

Even now, there are reports that he's ready to splash another £80million this summer.

But Gary Megson believes the Tsar of Chelsea deserves credit for raising the bar, not just at Premiership level but throughout Europe.

He believes even the giants of Spain and Italy have profited from his input with Real Madrid, Barcelona and the Milan clubs now striving to keep up with England's finest.

"Abramovich has come in with his multi-millions and what he's done is raise the level for everybody," Megson said. "Not just the ones that they are competing with, but he's raised the level for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Ajax.

"And in the domestic leagues it's raised the level for everybody else."

Playing at Stamford Bridge on "Super Sunday," Wanderers could influence the destination of the Premier League title with Chelsea locked in a dramatic last-day duel with Manchester United.

The odds are on Sir Alex Ferguson's Reds winning at Wigan and leaving Chelsea in runners-up spot for the second successive season. But the fact that they have run their rivals so close again after Jose Mourinho's departure in September, is a testimony to the job Avram Grant has done, even though then Israeli's future is by no means secure.

Megson, however, is not surprised to see Chelsea giving United such a good run for their money.

"Not when they've got that quality," he said. "They've got some of the best players in the world down there."

Barring a disaster of biblical proportions, Megson will be competing again next season in what he regards as the best league in the world. And there is no disgusing the pride he has in the English Premier League, despite the detractors who claim the dominance of the so-called "Big Four" have made it all-too predictable.

Kevin Keegan caused a stir on Monday after Chelsea ensured the title race would go to the wire with a 2-0 win at St James' Park.

He meant to issue a reality check to Newcastle supporters running away with the idea that they might be challenging for honours next season and give a wake-up call to the club's billionaire owner Mike Ashley by claiming the Magpies were "a million miles away" from, the top four. But, while making his financial point, he also said the Premiership had become boring, which caused a few eyebrows to be raised.

Megson, for one, has not found it boring, highlighting the fact that Wanderers are going into their last match still not mathematically safe and that Chelsea could pip United for the title.

"I can't remember a finish where you've got one game to go and it's not been decided who wins it (the title) and there are still two of the relegation spots to be decided," he added.

"I don't really think Kevin would have meant it was boring in that context.

"I think he would have said that you can say who is going to win it, but if you look at every league in Europe it's nearly the same.

"I wouldn't be too far off if I tried now to predict who woud win the Eredivisie in Holland next year, who would be top of the Spanish League, and who will be top of the Itailan league, because that is the way that it is going.

"But it's certainly not boring."