Chelsea and Man City a gaping difference.

It is easy to forget the negative public reaction to Roman Abramovich and his money when the Russian rode in to Stamford Bridge hailing a new era of success.

It is easy to forget because by comparison Man City have had a far easier time of it.

When Abramovich started funding Chelsea the media went in to overdrive, any search of the archives of almost any UK national newspaper will confirm this and it was not just the press that were quick to critisize the money involved.

I recall Chelsea going after Michael Essien, Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson and even Blatter at Fifa stated that Chelsea’s money was distorting the transfer markets and making it unbalanced.

It is not Chelsea though that have paid in excess of £80 Million for one player (Ronaldo) but Real Madrid, it was not Chelsea that paid in excess of £60 Million for Kaka and neither was it Chelsea that offered over £100 Million for the same player but Man City.

In fact it seems to be the players that join Man City that get the stick, take Gareth Barry as an example when he returned to Villa Park earlier this season, almost the entire crowd waved £10 notes at him.

Of course Chelsea do have their own little mercenary in Ashley Cole or at least perceived mercenary but that comes from one team only and thats Arsenal.

Gareth Barry is seen across football as someone that moved for the money, Cole is not viewed like that, for most he moved to win trophies, something he has achieved.

So why is it that Man City who are far more grotesque in the market than what Chelsea ever were get such an easy ride in comparison.

The fact that for the most part the media world is based in London has something to do with it, also Chelsea were really the first team that was able to spend 10s of Millions in a single season on more than just a single player.

Yes Man Utd can spend £30 Million on Rio Ferdinand or Rooney or Berbatov but not in a single season, Chelsea could and still can spend that sort of money on three players in a single season.

Is it jealousy? Is it fear? Was it because they brought in a Champions League winning manager at the first chance?

Who really knows, but it is very interesting that when it is Chelsea the managers, pundits, TV and press are up in arms, when its Man City it is a different ball game entirely.

Maybe it is true that Chelsea are the team everyone loves to hate for no more reason than its Chelsea FC.