Wilkins salutes Chelsea´s focus

February 14, 2010

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins praised his side’s professionalism after they put aside off-the-field distractions to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Championship club Cardiff.

Blues captain John Terry was absent for the match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday after flying to Dubai to see his wife in a bid to solve his marital problems following reports of an affair with the ex-girlfriend of England teammate Wayne Bridge.

Ashley Cole was also missing through injury, but his private life has been thrust into newspaper headlines too over reports of text picture messages which were sent from his phone to a glamour model.

While those issues could be a problem for a less experienced squad, Chelsea are showing no signs that any of it will hinder their push for trophies as they bounced back from a midweek defeat at Everton.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are already top of the Premier League table, and soon resume their Champions League campaign with a two-leg clash against Inter Milan, led by former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

They were far too strong for Cardiff and goals from Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack, Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou clinched a fifth round win.

“It’s not so much about their class, more their professionalism,” Wilkins said.

“Some people think a game like this will be straight forward and easy, but those players took the game by the throat and helped us pull through. I’d put Frank Lampard in there too.

“We have a wonderful squad that helps our aim to win every game. We have a wonderful challenge coming up against Inter Miilan, it is massive. We know they will be an extremeley tough couple of games.”

Drogba moved Chelsea ahead within two minutes, yet their defensive performance left much to be desired and Cardiff deservedly drew level before half-time when Alex was out of position and Michael Chopra headed home.

Eventually Cardiff ran out of steam as three second half goals left them feeling hard done by.

Ballack’s goal came after a Drogba pass cup open the back four, Sturridge’s fourth FA Cup goal of the season fell to him after a ricochet, while Kalou’s header four minutes from time after a Paulo Ferreira cross was fantastic.

“It was tougher than we thought,” admitted Wilkins. “We knew they would work their socks off but thankfully we increased the tempo in the second half. In the end it became a tad easy.

“Every now and then we do have a lapse in concentration at the back though, and people score. It is a slight concern.”

Wilkins confirmed Terry will fly home to prepare for their next game with Wolves, but also brushed off worries that midfielder Joe Cole is struggling to recapture the form that once made him an England regular.

Cole was substituted at half-time against Cardiff after an ineffective performance.

“Joe wasn’t injured, it was a tactical decision,” Wilkins said. “There is no concern over his form, it just takes time to come back after an injury like he had. Going forward we see no problems. He will get there.”

Cardiff manager Dave Jones gave credit to his players for their efforts and will now focus his attention on an attempt to win promotion to the top-flight.

“Chelsea are the best team in their division, because they are top,” Jones said. “I think my lads can take great credit that we gave it a real go for an hour.

“I have told them we will go over the game on Monday, but there are just small mistakes you get punished for at this level.

“Getting attracted just half a yard towards the ball cost us. But it was certainly a good experience for us that will help in the future.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alex, ashley cole, captain john, cardiff, cardiff blues, carlo ancelotti, Cole, Daniel Sturridge, Dave Jones, defensive performance, didier drogba, Dubai, fa cup quarter, frank lampard, glamour model, inter milan, Joe, Joe Cole, john terry, jose mourinho, league campaign, london, marital problems, Michael Ballack, michael chopra, Milan, premier league, ray wilkins, Salomon Kalou, stamford bridge, Terry, wayne bridge

Inter edge Palermo in eight goal thriller

October 30, 2009

Inter Milan ruined Walter Zenga’s homecoming by beating Palermo 5-3 in an eight-goal thriller at the San Siro on Thursday.

Zenga had threatened to upset his former employers as his battling team fought back from a 4-0 half-time deficit to within a goal with a quarter of the game remaining before Diego Milito settled things late on.

Former Italy goalkeeper Zenga, who spent 12 years as an Inter player, was given a standing ovation when he arrived but his team was then ripped apart in a painful first 45 minutes, seemingly making a mockery of his pre-match claims that his side would challenge for the title.

And while the first goal was due to some horrible home-team refereeing, thereafter Palermo simply could not handle Inter’s bristling attacking play as Samuel Eto’o and Mario Balotelli each bagged a brace.

Inter boss Jose Mourinho admitted he was annoyed at his team’s second half performance.

“Obviously I was a bit angry and a bit worried because the game should have been over,” he said.

“That can happen if a team loses concentration, it was a great comeback by Palermo.

“Away to a big team at 4-0 you’d have thought they’d be trying to keep the score down but instead they went going for it.”

Zenga was left rueing an uncharacteristic defensive performance.

“At the end of the first half we conceded three goals that shouldn’t have, that were unusual for us,” he said.

“But we did great to come back into the game, we showed great personality and desire.”

Inter are now four points clear at the top of Serie A ahead of Juventus who thumped third-placed Sampdoria 5-1 on Wednesday.

The lead came on 7min when the referee laughably awarded the hosts a penalty after Balotelli tried to run through an inexistent gap between two defenders and fell over.

The teenager then tried to take the penalty off Eto’o only to be dragged away by captain Javier Zanetti and he threw a mini tantrum as Eto’o lashed home the spot-kick.

If that goal had been unfair on Palermo, the Sicilians could have no complaints about what happened in the rest of the half.

After Palermo goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who played very well, had tipped a deviation off defender Dorin Goian from Eto’o’s cross onto the post, Esteban Cambiasso’s driven centre came too quick for Balotelli who headed wide with his eyes closed.

Sirigu made saves from Maicon (twice) and Eto’o before Julio Cesar pushed away a fierce Fabrizio Miccoli free-kick up the other end.

Just past the hour mark Cambiasso lashed a close range shot over the bar but on 34min it was two as Balotelli rose above Australian Mark Bresciano to head home Maicon’s corner.

Palermo collapsed just before the break as Sirigu and Simon Kjaer got in each other’s way leaving Cambiasso free to head goalwards before Balotelli got the last touch on the line.

And two minutes before the break the 19-year-old teed up Eto’o to beat Sirigu at his near post.

At 4-0 at the break the game seemed over but Palermo came out after the restart in determined mood and showed just why Zenga has so much faith in them.

Miccoli started the comeback on 49min as he latched onto a long Simplicio through ball, held off Ivan Cordoba and chipped Julio Cesar.

That seemed to be little more than a consolation but just past the hour mark teenage Uruguayan substitute Abel Hernandez tapped home a Mattia Cassani cross at the back post.

And midway through the half a stunning reverse ball from Cassani with the outside of his boot and without looking — much like Ronaldinho almost copyrighted during his Barcelona days — released Miccoli between Cordoba and Davide Santon to again dink the ball over Julio Cesar.

But seven minutes from time a tired-looking Palermo defence wilted and Maicon teed up substitute Milito to tap home the eighth goal of the night from close range.

ROME (AFP)

Tags: defensive performance, diego milito, four points, goal thriller, great personality, half time, homecoming, inter milan, italy goalkeeper, Javier Zanetti, jose mourinho, juventus, mockery, Palermo, samuel eto o, san siro, sicilians, standing ovation, tantrum, Walter Zenga

Writing on wall for Moscow as Grafite hits hat-trick

September 16, 2009

Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg got off to a winning start on their Champions League debut in Group B as Brazil striker Grafite scored a hat-trick to seal a 3-1 win here on Tuesday over Russian side CSKA Moscow.

The German champions brushed off defeats in their last three league games to begin their campaign in style.

The hosts will face bigger challenges ahead in their quest to get out of Group B, where they are also up against 2008 champions Manchester United and Turkish champions Besiktas – who were beaten 1-0 aty home by United – but they had few problems here at the Volkswagen Arena.

“It was not exactly an intoxicating match to watch, but that was part of the plan,” said Wolfsburg coach Armin Veh.

“We didn’t want to deliver a spectacle, we wanted to put in a good defensive performance and win.

“We were the better team, we created and took a few good chances and deserved to get the victory.”

The Wolves got the early breakthrough they needed when playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic put Grafite in the perfect position and the Brazilian drilled his shot through the legs of Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev on 36 minutes.

The Brazil hot-shot then slotted home a 41st minute penalty after he was held back in the penalty area by Moscow defender Deividas Semberas by his shirt and he scored with his spot-kick.

Moscow pulled a goal back when Russia defender Alan Dzagoev smashed home his shot past Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio on 77 minutes.

But the night belonged to Grafite, the Bundesliga’s top scorer last season, when he put the result beyond doubt by netting after being set up by Marcel Schaefer in the 87th minute.

It was a bad European start for Moscow’s former Tottenham and Real Madrid manager Juande Ramos, who replaced Brazilian legend Zico as coach of the Russian side last weekend.

The Spaniard, 54, has been out of work since his contract at Real expired at the end of last season.

Both sides are next in action again when Wolfsburg travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on September 30, while Moscow are home to Besiktas the same night.

WOLFSBURG, Germany (AFP)

Tags: Alan Dzagoev, Armin Veh, brazil, Bundesliga, cska moscow, defensive performance, diego benaglio, german champions, Germany, Goalkeeper, grafite, hat trick, igor akinfeev, juande ramos, MADRID, Manchester, Marcel Schaefer, Moscow, old trafford, russia, russian side, schaefer, striker, wolves, zico

Stuttgart blank hapless Timisoara in Romania

August 19, 2009

Stuttgart took a giant leap towards a place in the Champions League group stages after defeating Timisoara 2-0 in Romania on Tuesday night.

Youngster Timo Gebhardt gave Stuttgart the lead from the penalty spot in the 28th minute before a fine individual goal from Alexander Hleb two minutes later sealed the win.

Timisoara looked for a way back into the game, but a well organised defensive performance from Markus Babbel’s men made the task difficult, who with two away goals are close to joining fellow Bundesliga sides Wolfsburg and Bayern Munich in the main lucrative group stages of the Champions League.

Stuttgart had a good chance to go ahead in the 15th minute when Sami Khedira’s long-range shot was tipped over the crossbar by Timisoara goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon.

They did take the lead in the 28th minute after Ciprian Marica was brought down inside the penalty area by Pantilimon, who was only shown a yellow card.

Gebhardt, the youngest player on the field at the age of 20, took full responsibility to calmly dispatch the spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

The Bundesliga side doubled their lead with a moment of magic from Hleb just moments later.

The Belarus international dribbled his way past at least five Timisoara defenders before lifting his shot delicately over the onrushing Pantilimon and into the far corner.

Lukas Magera almost replied immediately for the Romanians, but he placed a free header wide of Jens Lehmann’s post before another header from Dare Nibombe was headed behind by Serdar Tasci.

Stuttgart were riding their luck as they chose to shut up shop early with 45 minutes still to play and Timisoara did all they could to break them down in the second half.

But the best chances fell to the visitors on the break with Pavel Pogrebnyak and Marica both testing Pantilimon with shots from outside the area.

They didn’t need to do much more than that to take a comfortable lead back to Germany with them for the decisive second leg next Wednesday at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Abhimanyu Rajput