Chelsea Fc Thread

[EastSaxCol]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

[Seapok]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Its all about being good enough, SWP shone when he played with a bunch old doughnuts,

playing alongside superstars makes him look very ordinary! If Sidwell does the business in training he will play, simple as that!

[farangconnection]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Its all about being good enough, SWP shone when he played with a bunch old doughnuts,

playing alongside superstars makes him look very ordinary! If Sidwell does the business in training he will play, simple as that!

That is not really true..............if the player is that good, how can you sideline him. SWP, had the chance to go to Arsenal. Right colour, wrong nationality. Normally Chelsea buy from overseas clubs, a few times they haven't. If you are going to have a pop at managers sidelineing players, then Ferggie must be at the top. He used to buy anyone that played well against United, then sideline them, so they were not a threat any more.

[Seapok]

boo, sorry Seapok, couldn't resist

No worries jjp, there is another thread were you can vent your anger against any team other!!

[EastSaxCol]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Its all about being good enough, SWP shone when he played with a bunch old doughnuts,

playing alongside superstars makes him look very ordinary! If Sidwell does the business in training he will play, simple as that!

That is not really true..............if the player is that good, how can you sideline him. SWP, had the chance to go to Arsenal. Right colour, wrong nationality. Normally Chelsea buy from overseas clubs, a few times they haven't. If you are going to have a pop at managers sidelineing players, then Ferggie must be at the top. He used to buy anyone that played well against United, then sideline them, so they were not a threat any more.

SWP could have gone to Arsenal true. But the reality is that his step father advised him that he do better at Chelsa in terms of experience. So there you 'ave it. That it hasn't worked as Ian Wright supposed is another thing.

To be fair , Ferguson used , and still uses, a rotation system. Not exactly sidelining them as is the case with Chelsea.

The rest of your post I find a conspiracy too theory too far.

[scousemouse]

So it looks like Mrs. Schevchenko wears the pants in Scheva's household , another man under the thumb , what's the world coming to !!!!! :

Andrei Shevchenko's American model wife has told an Italian fashion magazine "Milan is our city and where we want to be. It would be wonderful for him to go back and play with Ronaldo" (Mirror).

[Seapok]

So it looks like Mrs. Schevchenko wears the pants in Scheva's household , another man under the thumb , what's the world coming to !!!!! :

Andrei Shevchenko's American model wife has told an Italian fashion magazine "Milan is our city and where we want to be. It would be wonderful for him to go back and play with Ronaldo" (Mirror).

Sheva bosses play down talk

Milan's invitation for Andrei Shevchenko to attend the UEFA Champions League final has no hidden motive, the Ukrainian's management company have insisted.

Rossoneri officials have invited the Chelsea striker to Athens for the final against Liverpool, further fuelling speculation about a possible return to the San Siro in the summer.

Shevchenko has failed to live up to expectations in his first season in the Premiership and Milan have continually been linked with re-signing the 30-year-old.

However, Shevchenko's management company, WMG, have rejected suggestions the front man could be set for talks with Milan about a return after just one year away.

WMG are also adamant that Shevchenko has not been getting any special treatment from the Italian club in a hope of luring him back over the summer.

"Andrei is not in talks of any kind with Milan," said a WMG spokesman in a statement. "He has a contract with Chelsea and that is the end of the matter.

"Milan have invited a whole host of former players to this showpiece match and Andrei is just one of those players.

"There is nothing else to it and he will decide whether to attend."

[Seapok]

Makelele wants Euro glory

Claude Makelele has set his sights on UEFA Champions League glory after completing his domestic medal collection.

The midfielder helped Chelsea to FA Cup success on Saturday to go with the Carling Cup and Premiership trophies won previously.

Makelele, who has one year remaining on his contract, believes The Blues have the talent available to make another run in Europe next season.

The Frenchman is confident Chelsea can get over the final hurdle having fallen twice in the past three seasons at the semi-final stage.

"I came to Chelsea to give some history to the club and now I have won all the English trophies," Makelele said.

"Now it is only the European trophy left. Chelsea have big players and young players for the future and have time to win the Champions League."

[Seapok]

Drog not going for a walk

Didier Drogba has played down speculation he could leave Chelsea this summer.

Juventus are the latest club rumoured to be interested in signing the prolific Ivorian, with suggestions the Bianconeri are putting together a £28million bid.

Drogba, who claimed a 33-goal haul last term, is under contract with Chelsea until 2010 and has no intention of parting company with the FA Cup winners just yet.

Drogba hinted that he may seek a fresh challenge in the future and would have no qualms about informing Chelsea of his intentions, if and when the time is right.

"I am a Chelsea player until otherwise, which is not now, so nobody should start speculating if I will stay or not," Drogba told the Sun.

"Where am I going? There has been speculation from the start of the season when I was waiting to finalise my new contract.

"When I want to leave I will tell those who are in charge - not outsiders.

"At the moment, I am satisfied with what I am doing at Chelsea.

"If I disagree with my manager, I know how to tell him."

[Seapok]

Jose: Nowhere better for duo

Jose Mourinho does not believe John Terry and Frank Lampard would feel the same 'love' away from Chelsea.

The England internationals are in negotiations for contract extensions and have pledged to stay with the FA Cup winners.

But reports have suggested that Terry and Lampard want parity with the top earners at Stamford Bridge, with Mourinho accepting the size of the wages is an obstacle to overcome.

Mourinho, though, remains convinced that the players will be best served by staying with Chelsea, rather than looking for another club.

"They are very important to all of us and I don't think they can find a better club than us," the Blues boss told Chelsea TV.

"There are big clubs in the world, I am not trying to disrespect those, but to feel like they feel here, I don't think they can find better.

"It was not an issue for a week before the FA Cup final. It is an issue to be solved quietly, no press, just communication between them, the club, agents and families, arriving at a conclusion.

"The love the players have for the club is easy to see. The love the club has for them is also very easy to feel.

"Our public never stops showing them how much they love them and the board also wants to show them the love, respect and how much we need them.

"When the players love the club and the club loves the players, I think they will arrive at a conclusion.

"When you are talking about players getting small salaries, you can solve it in two days. When the players are on a different level of salaries, you cannot solve it in two days."

[Seapok]

Makelele not looking to leave

Claude Makelele insists he is not looking to quit Chelsea over the summer.

The French midfielder has just a year remaining on his Stamford Bridge contract and has been heavily linked with a move to Villarreal.

His compatriot, and former Arsenal ace, Robert Pires has urged Makelele to join him in Spain next season.

Makelele's supposed agent also confirmed the interest from Villarreal, but the former Real Madrid anchor man has played down the reports.

He insists his agent is not responsible for the comments and has outlined his intention to stay with the FA Cup winners next season.

"I have one year to run on my contract with Chelsea FC and I am not looking to leave," said Makelele in a statement on the club's official website.

"The comments that have been made on my behalf have not been authorised by me and the individual making them is not my agent."

Chelsea have also confirmed that no offers have been received for the 34-year-old, and nor are any being encouraged.

The club said: "We have not had any offers for Claude and we are not looking for any offers."

[Seapok]

Chelsea in first Africa visit

Chelsea Football Club is embarking on our first humanitarian visit to Africa with our Global Charity Partner, Right To Play.

Manager José Mourinho, Chelsea FC Player of the Year and Ghanaian international Michael Essien and several young players will be in Ghana from May 29 until June 3 to visit projects run by Right To Play.

The visit is the first major initiative in the six-year partnership announced between Chelsea and Right To Play at the House of Commons in January 2007. Chelsea will also be bringing several coaches on the trip, headed by Academy manager Neil Bath.

Chelsea will be conducting play sessions for children in Accra and Tamale as well as holding coaching demonstrations for the Right To Play coaches who are integral to the charity's purpose of raising awareness about disease, war and poverty through sport.

Mourinho said: 'Everyone at the club is fully behind the work of Right To Play and we are all proud to support them. I'm sure our relationship will benefit thousands of kids throughout the world, starting with this visit to Ghana.

'Sport, particularly football, has a certain power. It is a world language, something where cultural difference does not matter. If you are in London, Lisbon or Accra, if you put down two pieces of clothing for a goal and wrap some paper into a ball and start to kick it, everyone knows what you are doing, there is no need to explain it.

'Because it is the world language you can reach everybody and if you have a big status in the game you have a big responsibility to use that power properly. And what better way to use it than for kids around the world to be healthier, fitter, fight disease, war, poverty. Football can and should help with this. It also reminds you that there are more important things than football.'

Essien, who is one of the Chelsea/Right To Play Ambassadors, added: 'As a Chelsea and Ghana player it is great to make a commitment to helping children in Africa and other areas of the world. I am particularly looking forward to getting involved in my home country.'

Chelsea chose Right To Play as our Global Charity Partner because of its approach to global citizenship. It is also a "recognised organisation" by the International Olympic Committee.

It works not only with disadvantaged communities and countries around the world but also with those who can use their position in society to become advocates of the charity's aims and raise awareness about them by using the positive power of sport.

Chris Robinson, Right To Play's UK Director, said: 'It shows how serious Chelsea are about our long-term partnership that this visit to Ghana to see our work in the field was one of the first things we discussed. It is going to be inspiring for our local Right To Play coaches and, of course, the children to have Chelsea players and coaches showing such direct interest in them.

'I am sure the week will have a tremendous positive impact and we are really impressed how enthusiastic everyone at Chelsea have been about the trip particularly because it eats into precious close-season personal time.'

The trip has a dual role for Chelsea. As well as being a major initiative in the club's Corporate Social Responsibility Programme, it also serves as part of our young players' education in what is expected of them as first team players of the future.

[Seapok]

Chelsea set to be top seeded at last

Chelsea seems set to be seeded in the top eight of the Uefa Champions League teams for the first time in 2007/08, and should thus miss out on facing a top seeded side in the Group phase.

There is only one season left, 2002/03, of Uefa Cup failure on the club's co-efficient ranking now, and that is followed by a very impressive three Champions League semi-finals in four years. We have climbed from 14th to seventh equal with Manchester United in the rankings.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona, both above us, still to qualify for the Group phase next season, we could climb even higher in the seedings. But as it stands, this is enough to put us in the first seeded basket.

The first seeds we have faced in the Group stages so far have been: 1999 Milan; 2004 Lazio; 2005 Porto; 2006 Liverpool; and 2007 Barcelona.

The current Uefa Club Coefficient Rankings Top 32

1 Milan; 2 Barcelona; 3 Liverpool; 4 Inter Milan; 5 Arsenal; 6 Real Madrid; 7= Chelsea, Manchester United.

9 Valencia; 10 Lyon; 11 Newcastle; 12 Juventus; 13 Porto; 14 Seville; 15 PSV Eindhoven; 16 Roma.

17 Villareal; 18 Bayern Munich; 19 Benfica; 20 Ajax; 21 AZ Alkemaar; 22 Werder Bremen; 23 Espanyol; 24 Celtic.

25 Parma; 26 Auxerre; 27 Deportivo La Coruña; 28 Schalke '04; 29 Monaco; 30 Stuttgart; 31 Middlesbrough; 32 Panathinaikos.

Teams to have qualified for the Group Stage of the 2007/08 Champions League so far

Milan

Inter Milan

Roma

Man Utd

Chelsea

Lyon

Marseille

Stuttgart

Schalke '04

Porto

Sporting Lisbon

PSV Eindhoven

Olympiacos

CSKA Moscow.

Teams to have qualified for the Third Qualifying Round so far

Lazio

Liverpool

Arsenal

Werder Bremen

Benfica

AEK Athens

Spartak Moscow

Dinamo Bucharest

Celtic

Anderlecht

Fenerbahçe.

Teams to have qualified for the second Qualifying Round so far

Steaua Buchaest

Rangers

Genk

Besiktas

Levski Sofia

Beitar Jerusalem

Rosenborg

Salzburg

Crvena Zvezda.

The 2008 Uefa Champion Clubs' Cup Final will be held in Moscow at the 84,745 capacity stadium shared by Torpedo and Spartak.

[scousemouse]

Chelsea set to be top seeded at last

Chelsea seems set to be seeded in the top eight of the Uefa Champions League teams for the first time in 2007/08, and should thus miss out on facing a top seeded side in the Group phase.

There is only one season left, 2002/03, of Uefa Cup failure on the club's co-efficient ranking now, and that is followed by a very impressive three Champions League semi-finals in four years. We have climbed from 14th to seventh equal with Manchester United in the rankings.

With Real Madrid and Barcelona, both above us, still to qualify for the Group phase next season, we could climb even higher in the seedings. But as it stands, this is enough to put us in the first seeded basket.

The first seeds we have faced in the Group stages so far have been: 1999 Milan; 2004 Lazio; 2005 Porto; 2006 Liverpool; and 2007 Barcelona.

The current Uefa Club Coefficient Rankings Top 32

1 Milan; 2 Barcelona; 3 Liverpool; 4 Inter Milan; 5 Arsenal; 6 Real Madrid; 7= Chelsea, Manchester United.

9 Valencia; 10 Lyon; 11 Newcastle; 12 Juventus; 13 Porto; 14 Seville; 15 PSV Eindhoven; 16 Roma.

17 Villareal; 18 Bayern Munich; 19 Benfica; 20 Ajax; 21 AZ Alkemaar; 22 Werder Bremen; 23 Espanyol; 24 Celtic.

25 Parma; 26 Auxerre; 27 Deportivo La Coruña; 28 Schalke '04; 29 Monaco; 30 Stuttgart; 31 Middlesbrough; 32 Panathinaikos.

Teams to have qualified for the Group Stage of the 2007/08 Champions League so far

Milan

Inter Milan

Roma

Man Utd

Chelsea

Lyon

Marseille

Stuttgart

Schalke '04

Porto

Sporting Lisbon

PSV Eindhoven

Olympiacos

CSKA Moscow.

Teams to have qualified for the Third Qualifying Round so far

Lazio

Liverpool

Arsenal

Werder Bremen

Benfica

AEK Athens

Spartak Moscow

Dinamo Bucharest

Celtic

Anderlecht

Fenerbahçe.

Teams to have qualified for the second Qualifying Round so far

Steaua Buchaest

Rangers

Genk

Besiktas

Levski Sofia

Beitar Jerusalem

Rosenborg

Salzburg

Crvena Zvezda.

The 2008 Uefa Champion Clubs' Cup Final will be held in Moscow at the 84,745 capacity stadium shared by Torpedo and Spartak.

I do like the way uefa seed the top teams for the champions league.

So I bet you'll be happy then seapok that you wont be meeting Liverpool that early in the competition , we'll save that match up for the semi's .

[scousemouse]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Wasted potential ala Scott Parker.

[Seapok]

Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell has agreed to join Chelsea on a free transfer after his Royals contract expires on 1 July.

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Wasted potential ala Scott Parker.

Scott Parker was given his chance, not good enough for the blues and too injury prone!

[EastSaxCol]

The beginning of the end?

Roman: The wallet's closed

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH will no longer throw his billions at Chelsea to make them successful.

The Russian owner has told the club they must operate without his money and run as a proper business.

Abramovich will remain as sole owner but has told club directors he is not interested in remaining as a key decision maker.

He made his decision known to directors Peter Kenyon, Eugene Tenenbaum and chairman Bruce Buck at a board meeting last Monday.

The summit was called to decide strategy for next season but boss Jose Mourinho was not invited to attend.

Abramovich’s move to pull the plug on his unlimited funds could now see Frank Lampard and skipper John Terry leave the club.

The two England stars have failed to agree new deals with the Blues and Abramovich has laid down the law that there has to be a wage cap.

Neither player is willing to accept a deal less than they think they are worth and could now sit out their current deals, which have two years left.

Lampard is currently paid £118,000 per week and could stay another season at Chelsea before they would be forced to sell him for a nominal sum with just a year left on his contract.

Chelsea’s only other option would be to try and cash in on him now — though so far no club has made a firm offer.

From now on, Chelsea will be limited the same as every other club and will have to generate its own budget.

The Russian owner has fallen out of love with the club and is intending to spend more time abroad and with his new girlfriend Daria Zhukova.

BLUE ARMY ... Terry, Lumps and Abramovich

It is unlikely he will attend as many games as he has in the past and wants only to be informed of important issues regarding Chelsea when it is thought necessary.

The club will sign three new players this season — but hardly a penny will be spent on transfer fees.

Steve Sidwell has signed on a free from Reading and Claudio Pizarro will do likewise from Bayern Munich. Brazil’s PSV Eindhoven defender Alex is already owned by Chelsea and will arrive for a fee of one dollar in July.

It is a far cry from the first days of Abramovich’s reign as the club’s owner when he spent £74m on seven players in his first two months.

Since then, more than £250m has been spent on transfers in total and the waste of money is partly to blame for Abramovich’s disinterest.

For instance, Hernan Crespo cost £18m from Inter four years ago but has spent only two years playing for Chelsea.

Half of his £90k-per-week wage is still paid by Chelsea while he has won two titles in Italy on loan at AC Milan and now Inter.

Players like Adrian Mutu and Asier Del Horno were signed for £12m and then sold on at a fraction of their original price.

And that is without even mentioning the likes of Juan Veron, Mateja Kezman, Jiri Jarosik or Khalid Boulahrouz.

[email protected]

[scousemouse]

Great. Another player of promise goes to Chelsea for money + the chance to play in Europe, but in reality will hardly get a game. Wasted potential ala SWP.

Wasted potential ala Scott Parker.

Sawadee cap Seapok , just wanted to know if you chelsea boy's think that Steve Sidwell will be a first team player for chelsea this year.

Granted he has had a decent debut season (the important season is always the second) in the premiership but I cant see him breaking into a chelsea midfield with the likes of Lampard ,Ballack , Makalele (for now) Essien and Mikel.

Maybe his signing signals the end of makalele's tenure in the premiership , but still both Essien and Mikel can do a better job than Sidwell.

I reckon he is just going to go stale at chelsea and in a few seasons will probably be picked up by a team like charlton or watford.

p-s..... He is an Arsenal reject and how they could have done with him after the departure of Vierra. Not as big a mistake as letting a certain Andy Cole leave when he was 18 though !!!!!!.

[scousemouse]

The beginning of the end?

Roman: The wallet's closed

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH will no longer throw his billions at Chelsea to make them successful.

The Russian owner has told the club they must operate without his money and run as a proper business.

Abramovich will remain as sole owner but has told club directors he is not interested in remaining as a key decision maker.

He made his decision known to directors Peter Kenyon, Eugene Tenenbaum and chairman Bruce Buck at a board meeting last Monday.

The summit was called to decide strategy for next season but boss Jose Mourinho was not invited to attend.

Abramovich move to pull the plug on his unlimited funds could now see Frank Lampard and skipper John Terry leave the club.

The two England stars have failed to agree new deals with the Blues and Abramovich has laid down the law that there has to be a wage cap.

Neither player is willing to accept a deal less than they think they are worth and could now sit out their current deals, which have two years left.

Lampard is currently paid £118,000 per week and could stay another season at Chelsea before they would be forced to sell him for a nominal sum with just a year left on his contract.

Chelsea's only other option would be to try and cash in on him now — though so far no club has made a firm offer.

From now on, Chelsea will be limited the same as every other club and will have to generate its own budget.

The Russian owner has fallen out of love with the club and is intending to spend more time abroad and with his new girlfriend Daria Zhukova.

BLUE ARMY ... Terry, Lumps and Abramovich

It is unlikely he will attend as many games as he has in the past and wants only to be informed of important issues regarding Chelsea when it is thought necessary.

The club will sign three new players this season — but hardly a penny will be spent on transfer fees.

Steve Sidwell has signed on a free from Reading and Claudio Pizarro will do likewise from Bayern Munich. Brazil's PSV Eindhoven defender Alex is already owned by Chelsea and will arrive for a fee of one dollar in July.

It is a far cry from the first days of Abramovich reign as the club's owner when he spent £74m on seven players in his first two months.

Since then, more than £250m has been spent on transfers in total and the waste of money is partly to blame for Abramovich disinterest.

For instance, Hernan Crespo cost £18m from Inter four years ago but has spent only two years playing for Chelsea.

Half of his £90k-per-week wage is still paid by Chelsea while he has won two titles in Italy on loan at AC Milan and now Inter.

Players like Adrian Mutu and Asier Del Horno were signed for £12m and then sold on at a fraction of their original price.

And that is without even mentioning the likes of Juan Veron, Mateja Kezman, Jiri Jarosik or Khalid Boulahrouz.

[email protected]

Maybe Steve Sidwell will be a first team player after all .

[Seapok]

Thats another big headed Ref we have put out to pasture!!

Retiring ref Poll hits out at FA

Referee Graham Poll says the Football Association is undermining officials' authority after they failed to back him in a row with Chelsea last November.

He is angry FA chief executive Brian Barwick did not step in after Chelsea disputed Poll's reasons for sending off John Terry in a match at Tottenham.

Poll, who retires in June, told the BBC's Inside Sport that Barwick ignored his pleas for the FA to support him.

However, Barwick said he was "very disappointed" by Poll's comments.

Poll, 43, dismissed Chelsea skipper Terry for two yellow cards in the Premiership match against Spurs at White Hart Lane, which the Blues lost 2-1.

Terry was later reported as saying Poll had changed his story over why he had been sent off.

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard and manager Jose Mourinho also waded into the row, amid suggestions Poll had sent Terry off to teach the Blues a lesson.

Poll said: "I pleaded 'You must sort this Brian, it's something you must do'. He chose to ignore that."

And the Tring official said he felt that Terry's position as England captain had influenced the FA.

"Unfortunately, in this case, John Terry was - and still is - England captain," he said.

"So they're left with the confrontation of England captain versus English referee.

"It shouldn't be that. It should be that whoever the player is, if he has done something wrong, he should be dealt with properly."

Poll added that he felt the clubs and managers were being shown too much leniency in the way they were allowed to criticise referees.

"What clubs will do is push, see if they get away with it, push harder, push further and see how far they go before the custodians come down and say 'That's too far now'," he stated.

Speaking about managers, Poll said: "Because our standing is gradually being eroded away, why should they have respect for us?

"Because they can say whatever they want about us with no comeback."

Barwick, who was supportive of Poll after he was criticised for showing Croatia's Josip Simunic three yellow cards in a match during the 2006 World Cup, said he was disappointed with the comments.

"I have always been fully supportive of both Graham Poll and referees in general," Barwick insisted.

"I actually spoke to Graham after the World Cup to offer him my support and my firm belief that he remained one of the best referees around. I also said so publicly and Graham Poll acknowledged this.

"Improving respect towards our match officials has been one of my priority areas ever since I became chief executive.

"I have always said referees do a very difficult job objectively, professionally and very well. Without a referee, there is no game.

"I did speak to Graham Poll at the time of the Tottenham-Chelsea Premier League game.

"I explained how the FA's disciplinary system worked, even though I am not, understandably, directly involved in individual cases and how we could not comment publicly while a case was ongoing to avoid prejudicing the outcome.

"I am extremely disappointed that Graham does not feel the system supported him.

After all, in the case he has highlighted, John Terry was charged with improper conduct and fined by an independent commission who did say, publicly, that they were disappointed that the integrity of a referee had been called into question."

Keith Hackett, general manager of Professional Game Match Official Limited, the body which oversees refereeing, distanced himself from Poll's remarks.

Hackett said: "I am disappointed by his comments, especially in light of the commitment shown to the training and resourcing of match officials by the football authorities over recent years.

"The Premier League, FA and Football League are all an integral part of the refereeing structures in this country from top to bottom.

"Their involvement in the development of a group of professional referees has taken standards to a new level."

The Euro 2008 qualifier between Finland and Belgium on 6 June will be the last game Poll will referee.

Graham Poll's interview with Inside Sport will be shown on BBC One at 2305 BST on Monday 4 June.

[Seapok]

Be afraid, be very afraid!!

Abramovich hints at more spending

Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has dismissed reports that he will no longer spend heavily to bring players to Stamford Bridge.

Recent newspaper reports have suggested that Abramovich, who took over at Chelsea in 2003, would be spending less in the transfer market in future years.

But he told radio station Ekho Moskvy that such claims were "nonsense".

He added: "Everything will remain the same. My relationship with Chelsea has not changed. I don't want to change."

Rumours have persisted that Abramovich - who is Russia's richest man with an estimated £9.5bn fortune, according to Forbes Magazine - is to reduce his spending.

That has led to speculation that key players like Frank Lampard and skipper John Terry could leave.

Abramovich has spent about £250m on player transfers since buying Chelsea, including shelling out a British record £30m for AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko in 2006.

[Seapok]

Mourinho mobbed by fans in Ghana

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was mobbed by Ghanaian fans as he arrived in the country for a five-day visit.

Mourinho is leading a delegation from the club on a visit to Ghana inspecting projects run by Right To Play, Chelsea's global charity partner.

It took him over an hour to leave the Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Tuesday night.

Mourinho said: "I'm thrilled to be here for the charity, as my life is all about supporting the less privileged."

The fans turned up to greet the Portuguese coach and the rest of the delegation despite the fact that local hero Michael Essien was not on the same flight.

Essien is expected to join the delegation on Wednesday in the club's first visit to Africa.

"It's also great to come to the country of Essien, who is a very important for us," Mourinho added.

"It is a good feeling to come to Africa as I believe I am part of the continent because my wife comes from Angola.

"I hope that this visit can bring a lot of hope of many under-privileged children not only in Ghana and Africa but across the world."

During his trip Mourinho is expected to conduct training sessions for children in Accra and Tamale.

He will also hold coaching demonstrations for the Right To Play coaches who are integral to the charity's purpose of raising awareness about disease, war and poverty through sport.

[EastSaxCol]

Mourinho mobbed by fans in Ghana

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was mobbed by Ghanaian fans as he arrived in the country for a five-day visit.

Mourinho is leading a delegation from the club on a visit to Ghana inspecting projects run by Right To Play, Chelsea's global charity partner.

It took him over an hour to leave the Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Tuesday night.

Mourinho said: "I'm thrilled to be here for the charity, as my life is all about supporting the less privileged."

The fans turned up to greet the Portuguese coach and the rest of the delegation despite the fact that local hero Michael Essien was not on the same flight.

Essien is expected to join the delegation on Wednesday in the club's first visit to Africa.

"It's also great to come to the country of Essien, who is a very important for us," Mourinho added.

"It is a good feeling to come to Africa as I believe I am part of the continent because my wife comes from Angola.

"I hope that this visit can bring a lot of hope of many under-privileged children not only in Ghana and Africa but across the world."

During his trip Mourinho is expected to conduct training sessions for children in Accra and Tamale.

He will also hold coaching demonstrations for the Right To Play coaches who are integral to the charity's purpose of raising awareness about disease, war and poverty through sport.

I like Mourinho. Anyone got a link to a picture of his missus?

[Seapok]

HH why do you wana see Jose's missus?

Inter keep striker Crespo on loan

Chelsea's Argentine international striker Hernan Crespo will remain on loan at Inter Milan for second season.

Crespo helped Inter win Serie A last season, with the Nerazzurri strolling to the title, 22 points ahead of Roma.

"I'm very happy," the 31-year-old striker, who scored 14 goals in Serie A last season, told the Inter website. "Staying at Inter was what I wanted.

"I would like to thank Chelsea first of all for their help, and Inter for confirming their faith in me."

Crespo originally signed for Inter from Lazio in September 2002, before moving to Chelsea the following year.

He failed to adapt to England and returned to Italy on loan in 2004/05 season, this time with AC Milan.

After a successful season he was recalled by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and made more of an impact but, unhappy in London, he went back out on loan to Inter in August 2006.

[Seapok]

Terry determined to save McClaren

England skipper John Terry has admitted coach Steve McClaren could lose his job if they lose in Estonia.

England face Brazil in a friendly on Friday before a must-win Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia five days later.

"Will there be a question mark over him if England lose? Possibly. But we are not thinking like that," Terry said.

"We need to go there and get a win. It is as simple as that. We are fully behind the manager and we are going to do our best to keep him in his job."

England head to Estonia for Wednesday's game in fourth place in Group E and knowing only a win will do after some disappointing results.

Terry added: "We need to go there and perform. The Brazil game is a chance for us to get our sharpness back and make sure we are ready for the game on Wednesday."

Terry is pleased to have David Beckham - the player he replaced as skipper after the World Cup last summer - back in the squad.

He said: "It is great to have him back. We all know his quality and he has brought that into training and we look forward to seeing him training.

"It is not strange for me. We are all important players in the squad and it is just great to have him back.

"I had a few chats with Steve and the form he has been in is exceptional since he came back from injury. It couldn't go unnoticed. The manager has brought him in and rightly so."

McClaren has praised David Beckham for earning a recall to the national squad.

Real Madrid midfielder Beckham, 32, was named in a McClaren squad for the first time - his first inclusion since the 2006 World Cup.

McClaren said: "He showed great hunger and desire to get back. He didn't moan, just got his head down and worked hard.

"I have not made this decision for anyone, it is about form. He is the fittest I have seen for a long time."

Beckham last played for England in the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Portugal last July, after which he resigned the captaincy and has not been selected in any of McClaren's nine previous squads.

He was also dropped by Real Madrid in January after agreeing to join Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy when his contract with the Spanish side runs out at the end of the season.

But coach Fabio Capello eventually recalled Beckham and he has produced some stunning displays to lead Real to the top of La Liga, with two games left.

McClaren added: "You've got to respect the work Fabio Capello is doing at Real Madrid.

"He has had the same problems as me. He had no hesitation about bringing David back when he was on form and that has changed the fortunes of Real Madrid.

"I would be very foolish to ignore that.

"After one match, Capello said David ran 15 kilometres and the next highest figure was 12km. In another he ran 80 yards in the last minute to create a winning goal.

"I will stand or fall by this decision but anyone who has watched David closely over the last few weeks and months must understand why he is in the squad."

Also returning to the England squad is Michael Owen, who has been ruled out since the World Cup after injury.

The Newcastle striker is delighted to be back playing for his country and taking on the might of Brazil at Wembley.

He said: "I feel fine. It feels great to be back in the fold. I played in the England B game last week but obviously this is the real stuff now.

"The way Brazil play, the stars they produce, their kit - everything about them means you couldn't wish for a more exciting game to start off with at Wembley.

"I have played against them a couple of times and scored both times."

Owen scored in a 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in one of the last England's last games at the old Wembley stadium in 2000 and in their World Cup quarter-final defeat in 2002.

He also scored against Brazil for England Under-15s on his first ever appearance at Wembley.

[Seapok]

Chelsea sign Latics starlet

Chelsea have beaten off competition from a host of clubs to land Oldham Athletic striker Danny Philliskirk.

The 16-year-old, son of Latics youth team coach Tony, has put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge.

Philliskirk will complete a two-year scholarship with The Blues before moving onto a professional contract for the final two seasons.

The young front man is thought to have attracted the attention of many Premiership clubs, including Bolton where his father had a stint as a player.

However, Philliskirk has opted to join Chelsea and will link up with the West London club on a contract until 2011.

"We're delighted for Danny - he is joining a massive club with fantastic resources which will help him develop his game," Oldham chief executive Alan Hardy told the club's official website.

"Talking with Tony, I know he has been impressed with the facilities. Danny has four years of security and time is now on his side to develop into an excellent player.

"Also, we may have an opportunity of taking him on loan at some stage."

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Oldham are expected to benefit from numerous add-ons which could lead to a lucrative deal.

As part of the deal, Chelsea have agreed to send some of the club's top youngsters out on loan to Boundary Park.

Meanwhile, Gareth Owen could also be heading out of Oldham after a nominal fee was agreed with Stockport for the defender.

The 24-year-old, who has expressed a desire to move to Edgeley Park having spent last season on loan at the League Two club, has been given permission to discuss personal terms with Stockport.

[muckypups]

Interesting article from The Times, Seapok:

Mourinho: Roman can keep his money, Chelsea are no spent force

As the purse-strings tighten at Stamford Bridge, the manager reveals his ambition to win back the title without spending a penny

It seems appropriate that Chelsea’s new era of thrift should have begun with an act of charity. The club’s sudden restraint in the transfer market was given a sense of perspective this week with the coaching clinics conducted by José Mourinho in the dusty streets of Accra.

After claiming five leading trophies in three extraordinary seasons, Mourinho will start next season back at Stamford Bridge, but in some respects he will be managing a different club on returning on July 9 from a five-week holiday in Portugal, one shorn of the extravagances of the past. With the exception of Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizarro and Alex, all signed on free transfers, the Portuguese has been told that he must work with what he has got.

Mourinho, though, is not complaining. Indeed, after three years of his club being castigated as the Barclays Premiership’s spendthrifts, he is relishing the opportunity to prove that he can be just as successful on a more modest budget, mischievously asking whether Manchester United or Liverpool will be crowned “champions” [the biggest spenders] of the transfer window.

Another joke doing the rounds among Mourinho’s inner circle is Chelsea’s desire to make history by becoming the first team to win the Premiership without spending a single penny. Such parsimony is a source of pride.

“The change in philosophy is not because Mr [Roman] Abramovich [the owner] turned off the tap,” Mourinho said. “The philosophy is we spent money before, built the squad for a long time and don’t need to make big investments season after season.

“Last season to this season, we will have basically the same squad. If you forget ‘old [Claude] Makelele’, the squad is still young, still has a lot to give. The squad can be together for a few more years so we don’t have big needs. If you don’t have big needs, why spend big money?”

Chelsea’s summer spending has been largely going down since the crazy days that followed Abramovich’s takeover four years ago – from £110 million in 2003 to £91 million and £53 million before rising again to £66 million in 2006 – but this year’s dramatic drop is mainly because the club got their fingers burnt 12 months ago. The underperforming figures of Michael Ballack – signed on a free transfer but paid £130,000 a week – and Andriy Shevchenko, who cost £30 million from AC Milan and is on the same wage, loom large.

Would he sign the pair again? Mourinho hinted that he might not and confirmed that he had had little to do with the recruitment of Shevchenko.

“Last season we felt we needed a midfield player and a striker,” Mourinho said. “We had a chance to sign a big player like Michael Ballack on a free transfer and we did it. Michael had in my opinion a good season, not an extraordinary season, but with some important moments for the club, some important goals.

“Shevchenko did not have a good season. When we signed him we were searching for a top striker and he is a top striker. The club decided to invest that money on a big player and last season we did not get a big Shevchenko, with big performances and a big contribution. But when we did the deal, in spite of knowing it’s difficult to move to English football as a striker, we did it thinking things were going to happen.

“Next season we hope it will be better. It’s very important that Sheva is not happy and wants to fight to recover the prestige he had. We’re there to help him.”

Although reluctant to admit as much publicly, the tightening of the purse-strings has been linked to the decline in Mourinho’s relationship with Abramovich, which has not fully recovered from a row over Shevchenko’s contribution in January. The Russian has let it be known internally that he will be less involved next season, to such an extent that he has yet to meet his manager for the customary postseason debrief.

However, most of the problems between the pair have been resolved by intermediaries such as Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, and Eugene Tenenbaum, a fellow director and close associate of Abramovich, and both have been forced to compromise, with Abramovich offering new contracts to the backroom staff and Mourinho reluctantly accepting the recruitment of Avram Grant, from Portsmouth, as an additional sporting director.

“Roman is the boss, that doesn’t change,” Mourinho said. “He’s the owner and the top man in the club. He has the power to decide which way he wants or enjoys being involved. There’s no problem. He was in the dressing-room after the FA Cup Final. People were very happy because he was there, but if after the next game he is not there we accept it as a normal situation. He’s the top man at the club.

“The problem with my staff is solved. They would have had their contracts renewed for one more year automatically and there are discussions to extend their contracts for three more years to end in 2010, when I end my contract. This will be solved at the beginning of the season.

“Everybody is going in the same direction. The club’s philosophy is to become more self-sufficient and as a manager I don’t need big money to spend. I don’t have to show my commitment to the club, my commitment is very clear. Over the last two years I have had many possibilities of leaving and never wanted to leave. I commit to the club and give my best to the club.”

Mourinho’s confidence springs from his belief that Chelsea will not suffer the same injuries they experienced last season, when Petr Cech, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben were all sidelined for significant spells. Although the absence of Cech and Terry was most crucial, it might please Chelsea’s critics to discover that Mourinho was equally pained to be without Joe Cole and Robben and plans to play them from the start next season. A return to the more entertaining system of two wingers playing off Didier Drogba – disrupted by the Ballack/Shevchenko axis last season – could be on the cards.

“If you tell me we have exactly the same squad as last season without injuries, I accept immediately,” Mourinho said. “I don’t need one single more player or one single more pound. I accept it. Our squad is good. It’s impossible to have such a difficult season as we just had.”

For all those problems and the work involved in taking charge of 63 competitive matches, Mourinho appears remarkably fresh, to such an extent that he wishes the new season started tomorrow. “I don’t feel exhausted,” he said. “I don’t need holidays because I need a rest or need to stop with football, but because I need to be with my family. I need my wife and kids to be with me 24 hours a day, I need to see my family in Portugal because I go there very rarely. I have five weeks until the beginning of the season, but it could be tomorrow. I am ready.

“I look forward to next season and want to enjoy it as much as in previous seasons. And if possible I want to win trophies again as it’s what I have in my career, five consecutive years with trophies.”

Such energy is demonstrated by his willingness to spend four days in Accra with Chelsea’s global charity partner, Right To Play, an unusual undertaking from an elite coach the week after the Cup Final. Mourinho gave his all in several coaching sessions with awestruck Ghanaian youngsters and even smiled through a reception at the British High Commission. Diplomacy has never been his strongest suit.

“My work is to win trophies, but it’s also important to help Chelsea with this kind of initiative,” he said. “It’s very important for the club to show the human dimension. This is a beautiful continent but there are also a lot of problems here and I think they need our help.” After a troubled season, the same could be said of Chelsea.

[Seapok]

Thanks for the article MuckyP, all the speculation at the moment is starting to annoy me already, I just want the season to start again!!

Chelsea complete Pizarro signing

Chelsea have completed the signing of Bayern Munich's Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old joined Jose Mourinho's side after agreeing personal terms and undergoing a medical.

Pizarro told Chelsea TV: "I think it's very important for me to win titles and I have the chance here to win them.

"The most important thing is the Champions League, which I was looking to win with Bayern but we didn't have the chance."

Pizarro added: "I think we have a good team, a good trainer and a chance to win it.

"I had some interesting offers, but the most important thing was that I talked to the coach, I talked to the people here and they were very interested. We have many chances to win titles here and that's what I want."

Pizarro joins Danny Philliskirk and Steve Sidwell as Chelsea's summer signings.

[Seapok]

Lampard is out in the cold

Chelsea have left Frank Lampard out of their new kit launch — sparking fresh fears over his future.

The England midfielder has been the face of similar campaigns for four years, with his No 8 shirt outselling all others at Chelsea.

However, Lamps, 28, does not feature in the launch of the club’s controversial fluorescent yellow strip.

Kit maker adidas even requested his involvement, given he is the player they pay the most to endorse their products.

Chelsea’s website yesterday stated: “The new kit shots will feature Chelsea stars John Terry, Michael Ballack, Petr Cech, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben.”

Boss Jose Mourinho’s kit recommendations were also rejected. He wanted an update of last season’s white strip — but Roman Abramovich overruled him.

[EastSaxCol]

oops

failed photo link

Edited June 2, 2007 by Happy Hammer