Alex McLeish explains about Mineiro
ALEX McLeish has explained the circumstances to the one that got away, Brazilian free agent Mineiro.
The former Hertha Berlin schemer has been reunited with Luiz Felipe Scolari at Chelsea, having first trained with Blues three weeks back.
“We were hoping to play him in the Man United reserve game [on September 9], we got clearance for him,” said McLeish.
“But he had been approached by a Spanish club and had to go back to Berlin to meet them over the weekend before and that really scuppered his chances of playing in the United game.
“In training, the first day, he struggled a wee bit to get into the pace of things. But I think that was down to the travelling and we, quite rightly, waited to the next day when he looked very impressive on the ball, terrific, and that was definitely the player we had been alerted to rather than the tired looking one of the day before.
“So then we agreed to see him in the Man United game and it couldn’t have worked out with the Spanish club as Arsenal then had a look at him, but Scolari obviously knows him. I think he gave him his debut, from what I understand.
“And Chelsea can hand out short-term deals like confetti if they want. We had to be a bit more sure.
“He looked a good player, very decent with the ball, exactly what we were looking for. But maybe he was more the same type as Carsley, Johnson, Mutch and not as dynamic as such from middle to attack.
“So that was probably in our minds also, whereas Chelsea would use him as cover for the likes of Mikel and they have Essien out for six months.”
Mineiro, who has 24 caps for Brazil, signed until the season’s end at Stamford Bridge.
