Chelsea´s Ancelotti shrugs off talent drain

January 3, 2010

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti shrugged off losing Didier Drogba, John Mikel Obi, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou to the African Nations Cup, claiming the tournament may have come at the right time.

The Premier League leaders tackle Watford in the FA Cup third round on Sunday before games against Hull, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burnley during January when the African event takes place in Angola.

Despite the three-week Nations Cup, Ancelotti said he would not be put off signing another African player in the future.

He said: “I think that when they have to play for their national team, it’s not a problem. It’s like the European players.

“Every top player can go to the national team. It’s not a problem for the Africans. It’ll be a great opportunity for the young players now to show their quality. I hope they will do a very good job because I trust in these players.”

Ancelotti will have his first taste of FA Cup football this weekend and the Italian is already aware it has a markedly different flavour in England compared to his homeland.

There, domestic knockout competitions are all but ignored, with even clubs like AC Milan and Juventus, who have both had spells with Ancelotti at the helm, going through the motions in front of sparse crowds.

Many believe the FA Cup no longer has the place in English hearts it once enjoyed but, nonetheless, Ancelotti knows the famous trophy remains worth fighting for, as Chelsea proved last season when they came back from behind to beat Everton in the final.

“It is a very important competition in England,” Ancelotti said. “In Italy, the Italian Cup is not so important.

“We want to do our best and it is one of our objectives, our aim, to win it. Last year we won it. We want to do the best again this year.”

Championship side Watford are the visitors to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and Ancelotti will not need reminding that a stumble at this hurdle precipitated former Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari’s exit almost a year ago.

Chelsea were held at home by Southend United, a third tier, League One, team and although the replay was negotiated successfully the Brazilian was dismissed in February, just a month later.

Ancelotti admitted he knew little of Watford save he is a big fan of their former chairman, pop star Elton John, but promised he would step up the research soon.

“Watford are a good team,” he said. “I don’t know them very well but I have an opportunity to watch a DVD. Every team can give you problems if you don’t stay focused.”

Watford, whose manager Malky Mackay became a permanent appointment before the season started when former Chelsea Academy coach Brendan Rodgers left for an ill-fated spell at Reading, are mid-table in the Championship.

But as well as hoping to cause an upset they will also be using the fixture as an opportunity to bring in much-needed funds after the club almost went into administration earlier in December.

This was avoided when former chairman Jimmy Russo and his brother Vince received a repayment of a loan of almost five million pounds.

LONDON (AFP)

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Friday’s Transfer Rumors

July 10, 2009

‘Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has met with John Terry and believes the defender is happy to stay at Stamford Bridge despite talk of a £30m offer from Manchester City. The Blues plan to make Terry their best-paid player.’ – The Sun

‘City are increasingly confident of tempting Terry to Eastlands despite Chelsea’s offer of a new contract which would make the 28-year-old England captain their highest-paid player.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Meanwhile, City have given Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o 24 hours to sign for them or miss out on becoming the best-paid player in English football.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Barcelona have stepped up their pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas after club president Joan Laporta claimed signing the £40m-rated Spaniard is high on their agenda this summer.’ – The Sun

‘Fabregas is at the centre of a potential bidding war between Barcelona and Real Madrid.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has attempted to quell speculation over the futures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano by insisting both players “owe Liverpool a lot”.’ – The Sun

‘Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has made a club record £12m bid for Darren Bent.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has no intention of joining Birmingham.’ – The Sun

‘Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill is facing a battle to keep John Carew as Tottenham prepare a £5m bid for the striker.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Everton are preparing a new £4m bid for Sheffield United right-back Kyle Naughton, who is also attracting interest from Aston Villa.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Stoke are willing pay a club-record £6m for Rennes midfielder Stephane Mbia.’ – The Sun

‘Stoke boss Tony Pulis will offer the French club £10m to beat off competition from Everton and Marseille for Cameroon international Mbia.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes is joining St Etienne in a £2m deal.’ – Daily Mail

‘Wigan manager Roberto Martinez looks set to beat off competition from Hull for the signing of Swansea striker Jason Scotland.’ – The Sun

‘Blackburn want £3m for Fulham target Keith Andrews – more than double what they paid MK Dons for the midfielder’s services. – Daily Mirror

‘Sheffield Wednesday striker Marcus Tudgay has pleaded with the Owls to let him talk to newly promoted Premier League side Burnley.’ – The Sun

‘Coventry left-back Danny Fox is being chased by Celtic, West Brom, Reading and Nottingham Forest.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Barnsley could beat Norwich to sign out-of-favour Crystal Palace striker Alan Lee.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Bolton manager Gary Megson is planning to secure defender Gary Cahill on a new long-term contract before the start of the new season amid interest from Arsenal.’ – Daily Mirror

‘Plymouth manager Paul Sturrock is poised to smash the club’s transfer record with a £1m bid for Ipswich striker Danny Haynes.’ – Daily Star

‘Reading boss Brendan Rodgers is planning to raid former club Chelsea with a double loan swoop for defenders Ryan Bertrand and Jack Cork.’ – Daily Star

By: Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: Alan Lee, aston villa, Barcelona, Brendan Rodgers, captain patrick, captain Patrick Vieira, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, CITY, crystal palace, daily mail, daily mirror, Danny Haynes, Darren Bent, English Premier League, everton, fabregas, fulham, gelson fernandes, Jack Cork, Jason Scotland, Javier Mascherano, joan laporta, John Carew, Keith Andrews, LA Liga, Ligue 1, manchester city, Marcus Tudgay, Marseille, martin o neill, mbia, Norwich, patrick vieira, Paul Sturrock, Plymouth, rafael benitez, roberto martinez, samuel eto o, Serie A, sheffield united, st etienne, Steve Bruce, Sunderland, tony pulis, xabi alonso

Hiddink´s Chelsea seek Cup lift at Watford

February 14, 2009

WATFORD, England (AFP) – Chelsea travel to Championship strugglers Watford on Saturday in the last 16 of the FA Cup hoping to impress new boss Guus Hiddink and put their season back on track after a troubled week.

Chelsea axed manager Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday after only eight months in charge, with the Blues seven points behind Manchester United at the top of the Premier League.

Hiddink has been appointed Chelsea boss until the end of the season but is expected to allow Ray Wilkins, who was assistant to Scolari, to take charge against Watford while the Dutchman watches from the stands at Vicarage Road.

The FA Cup tie could prove tough for Chelsea despite the Hornets flirting with relegation to League One, English football’s third tier.

Watford manager Brendan Rodgers knows all about his opponents, having managed the Chelsea reserve side before coming to Vicarage Road in November. Rodgers is assisted in his new role by Frank Lampard senior, father of the Chelsea and England midfielder. Another twist to Saturday’s game is that Wilkins has been a coach at Watford.

However all eyes will be on the 62-year-old Hiddink, set to combine his Chelsea duties with his current job as manager of the Russian national side.

"He is a good coach and a fantastic man," Chelsea’s Brazilian defender Alex, who played under Hiddink at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, said on Thursday.

"I think he would play a similar system here to what we have seen, and when I was at PSV we played a 4-3-3 system – we had some very exciting times there.

"In my three years in Holland, two of them were with Guus Hiddink and we won the title both times, and the double once, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in my first year."

Alex has been back in the Chelsea starting line-up in recent weeks owing to an injury to Ricardo Carvalho.

Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou meanwhile said the club’s players needed to show Hiddink they merited a place in the side.

"Chelsea think he is the right man and as a player, I am looking forward to working under him and I will do my best for the team and for him.

"We know he can do it because he did it before, and as a player you have to make the job easy for him."

Kalou insisted the west Londoners remain capable of winning any one of the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League trophies this season.

"I still believe that we can do that and we have the players and side to do it. We have to get back to positive thinking and try to win games. If you win, the confidence comes back and we have to do it as a team.

"We have a new opportunity to do that now. It starts on Saturday and we have to win."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, alex, Brendan Rodgers, CHELSEA, club psv eindhoven, dutch club, dutchman, Eindhoven, England, English, english football, English Premier League, FA Cup, fa cup tie, felipe scolari, frank lampard, Holland, Luiz Felipe, Manchester, manchester united, midfielder, new boss, ray wilkins, relegation, ricardo carvalho, right man, Rodgers, Salomon Kalou, semi finals, seven points, starting line, Vicarage Road, watford england, west Londoners

Chelsea aim to make good first impression on Hiddink

February 14, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Chelsea will be out to impress new manager Guus Hiddink when the Premier League club end a turbulent week with an FA Cup fifth round clash against Watford on Saturday.

Although Hiddink doesn’t officially take charge until next week, the Dutch coach flew to England to meet his new players on Thursday and will get a first look at them in action at Vicarage Road.

Just seven days ago Hiddink was preparing for a training camp with the Russian national team in Turkey. Now he has been catapulted into the Stamford Bridge soap opera until the end of the season following Luiz Felipe Scolari’s dismissal on Monday.

Hiddink, who will continue as Russia coach, arrives at a club struggling with a dressing room divided between those who supported Scolari and others who campaigned for his dismissal.

Brazil defender Alex, who worked with Hiddink at PSV Eindhoven, expects him to make an immediate impact.

"He is a good coach and a fantastic man," he said. "In my three years in Holland, two of them were with Hiddink.

"We won the title both times, and the double once, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in my first year."

Watford’s bid for a famous scalp could be helped by a little inside knowledge.

The Championship side are managed by former Chelsea reserve coach Brendan Rodgers, while Blues midfielder Frank Lampard will spot a familiar face in his dad Frank snr, who is a coaching consultant at Watford.

Hornets midfielder Lee Williamson insists Scolari’s departure doesn’t make his team’s task any easier.

"When you are playing against Premier League opposition it will always be a quality side lining up opposite you, so it will be a hard game no matter who the manager is," he said.

Swansea aim to follow their fourth round win over holders Portsmouth with another giant-killing against Premier League Fulham at the Liberty Stadium.

Roberto Martinez’s Championship side haven’t reached the last eight of the Cup since 1964 and Swans chairman Huw Jenkins urged them to make history.

"When you look at our history, we all talk about the run to the semi-finals in 1964," Jenkins said.

"I’m not old enough to have been there but my dad was and I think it would be a fantastic achievement if we could recreate that.

"Roberto and the players have got an opportunity to form their own piece of history."

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is well aware of the threat posed by Swansea.

"We’re playing a very much in-form team on Saturday," he said. "They’re a team that’s done very well and they deservedly won against Portsmouth.

"They’ve done ever so well since then and are just outside the play-off places so we know it’s going to be a tough game."

Also on Saturday, Championship outfit Coventry will bid to emulate their 4-1 victory over Blackburn in last season’s Cup third round when they travel to Ewood Park for a re-match.

Sheffield United, currently fifth in the Championship, will fancy their chances of an upset against a Hull team without a league win in seven matches.

West Ham host Middlesbrough in a repeat of the 2006 FA Cup semi-final won 1-0 by the Hammers.

On Sunday, Manchester United’s bid for a clean sweep of every competition they have entered this season continues at Derby.

United, who have already won the Club World Cup, are in the League Cup final, top of the Premier League and have reached the Champions League second round.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s team also knocked Derby out of the League Cup at the semi-final stage just a month ago.

Everton host Aston Villa in Sunday’s other fixture.

5th rnd fixtures

Saturday (1500GMT unless stated)

Blackburn v Coventry

Sheffield United v Hull

Swansea v Fulham (1245GMT)

Watford v Chelsea (1730GMT)

West Ham v Middlesbrough

Sunday

Derby v Manchester United (1630GMT)

Everton v Aston Villa (1430GMT)

4th rnd replay

Monday

Arsenal v Cardiff (1945GMT)

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, alex, bid, brazil, Brendan Rodgers, cardiff, CHELSEA, dressing room, Eindhoven, England, English Premier League, Ewood Park, FA Cup, familiar face, Frank, frank lampard, fulham, hiddink, Holland, HULL, huw, Huw Jenkins, Lee Williamson, liberty stadium, london, luiz felipe scolari, Manchester, midfielder, Portsmouth, premier league, Roberto, roberto martinez, roy hodgson, russia, russian national team, semi finals, Sheffield, sir alex ferguson, snr, soap opera, stamford bridge, swans, Swansea, Turkey, Vicarage Road, watford, watford hornets, west ham

Lampard Snr hoping to win family affair

February 13, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Frank Lampard Snr has spent the last eight years cheering his son whenever he pulls on a Chelsea shirt, but the Watford football consultant is plotting his downfall this weekend.

Lampard, 60, joined the struggling Championship club to assist manager Brendan Rodgers in November and goes head to head with his son, the Chelsea midfielder, in Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Vicarage Road.

Guus Hiddink’s appointment as successor to sacked Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari will take most of the headlines as the Dutchman watches his new team for the first time. But the clash of the Lampards is an intriguing sub-plot.

Lampard admitted his son has been asking for an easy ride but he has no intention of going easy on the England star, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2001 from West Ham, where Lampard Snr made his name as a player.

"When the draw was made, Frank rang me within four or five minutes and we had a chat about it and he’s quite happy about it," he said.

"When he rang me, he said, ‘Dad, make sure their midfield don’t run with me, let me have a free run.’

"I can’t repeat what I said to him as it won’t go down too well but that is not going to happen.

"They’re still a fantastic team. They might not be playing as well as they can but on their day they can take most teams apart anywhere in the world.

"It’ll be a good test for our lads here at Watford. They are a good set of lads who work very hard and they are looking forward to putting themselves up for the test.

"As long as we give a good account of ourselves we’ll be happy. And if we can pull off a shock and get a result, then even better."

Although Watford have won just one of their last seven league games, Lampard believes they can rise to the occasion and take advantage of a turbulent week for Chelsea.

"We are still in a relegation battle in the Championship so coming up against Chelsea means we can’t really lose. I certainly can’t, personally anyway, given my links with Chelsea," he said.

"Brendan and I had a feeling it was going to be Chelsea funnily enough and that’s how it worked out. It’s turned into a massive game for them as well now and it might be a good time to play Chelsea.

"I’ve been in football a long time and Scolari’s sacking didn’t surprise me. These things happen all the time. Football is a results business and if you’re not getting the results then you know what will happen.

"But that is Chelsea’s concern, not ours. We will be prepared for them and will give them a proper game.

Written by: AFP

Tags: account, AFP, Brendan, Brendan Rodgers, CHELSEA, Dad, day, dutchman, England, england star, English Premier League, FA Cup, fantastic team, felipe scolari, five minutes, Frank, frank lampard, guus, lads, Lampards, league games, london, Luiz Felipe, midfield, midfielder, quot, relegation battle, seven league, snr, stamford bridge, Vicarage Road, weekend, west ham

Hiddink appointment not a panic move says Wilkins

February 13, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins insists the club’s decision to sack Luiz Felipe Scolari and hire Guus Hiddink as the Brazilian’s replacement was not a panic move.

Wilkins will be in charge on Saturday for Chelsea’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Watford before Hiddink officially takes over on Monday.

Hiddink, who will watch from the stands at Vicarage Road, has been installed as manager until the end of the season and will combine the role with his other job as coach of the Russian national side.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich axed Scolari after just seven months in charge following reports of dressing room unrest at his tactics and laid-back training regime, as well as a series of increasingly underwhelming performances.

The sight of fans protesting against Scolari after a goalless draw against Hull last Saturday was the final straw for Abramovich, but Wilkins is adamant Hiddink’s impressive CV makes the decision understandable.

"I don’t think it’s a panic measure, he’s a world class coach," Wilkins said.

"Roman knows him from the Russian situation and they’ve gone for the guy they want to get us to the end of the season. And I think that’s as far as Guus will go anyway.

"The mood is very good, very buoyant. It’s football and footballers get over situations very quickly. There’s another guy coming in and we have to make the best of this situation.

"I think we are still in the race for the championship. There is a long way to go and we have every opportunity."

Wilkins only joined the club earlier this season to help Scolari get his message across. Despite the Brazilian’s failure, Wilkins will stay at Stamford Bridge to work with Hiddink.

"I’ll be working alongside Guus for the immediate period," said Wilkins. "He isn’t bringing anyone in for the time being. So it will be Guus and myself and then we’ll see where we go.

"I’ll assist Guus as much as I possibly can. I’m employed by Chelsea and not by the new manager. But if he wants me to disappear I’ll have to disappear."

Watford, who are managed by former Chelsea reserve team coach Brendan Rodgers, are struggling towards the foot of the Championship and Wilkins admits even that a draw would be a disappointing result.

"I’m sure Brendan is looking forward to the game," Wilkins said. "From the outside it looks as though there’s a lot of upheaval but it’s the FA Cup.

"Our players will be striving very hard to make sure we get through. We go into every game to win. A draw would disappoint me."

Written by: AFP