Avram Grant To Jose Mourinho: My Chelsea Were Better

Jose Mourinho recently said that man who succeeded him as Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, did "nothing" for the club during his seven-month stint at the helm.
The Israeli led the Blues to their first-ever Champions League final, where they lost to Manchester United on penalties, but Mourinho claimed he would have gone one better had he stayed at Stamford Bridge.
Grant is confused by the Inter Milan coach's unprovoked criticism and has defended his efforts in resurrecting a Blues side that were in turmoil when he took over.
He told the News of the World, “What the fans need to remember is that Jose did not leave me a team that were champions, that was Manchester United and we were in sixth position after a very poor start to the season.
“Everyone was in shock. The atmosphere in the dressing room was not good, critics were saying the football was boring and negative and we had just had a poor draw with Rosenborg in the Champions League.
“The supporters were booing the team after that match, the stadium was half empty and Jose knew his time was up.
“He then walked out a couple of days before an away match with United when Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ricardo Carvalho were all out injured and I agreed to step in.
“I was director of football and was enjoying my job. Jose agreed I should come and we worked for three months together. He did his job and I tried to help him. I felt it was a very important role. But things were not good. Morale was low and questions were being asked.
“With a lot of effort — and a lot of thinking and hard work — I started putting the team back together again.”
What's Stopping Mou?
Grant then launched a stinging counter-attack at Mourinho, insisting the Portuguese had plenty of chances to lead Chelsea to European glory.
“I don’t see how Jose can claim he would have won the Champions League if he’d still been in charge,” the 53-year-old continued.
“He was boss for more than three years and he didn’t even make the Champions League final once. What stopped him? He had the biggest budget in the history of football, some of the best players and an owner that gave him everything.
“But he got beaten twice in the semi-finals by teams with half the budget he had at his disposal.
“What he forgets is that we beat Liverpool with a team that had (Fernando) Torres in and only missed winning the biggest prize in football by inches — and that penalty shoot-out miss did not make us a bad side.”
One Of The Best
Nicolas Anelka's flubbed spot-kick doomed Chelsea to trophyless season and signalled the end of Grant's whirlwind spell in the Stamford Bridge hot-seat.
But people often forget that the Pensioners came agonisingly close to claiming a double last term, as they battled Man United right to the wire for the Premier League title - a remarkable achievement after the start they endured.
And Grant said, “Jose says that I did ‘nothing’ in the League. Perhaps his memory is failing him because my winning ratio of games was second to none. We won all the big games at home when I was in charge, beating Arsenal, United and Liverpool.
“I am told one of the best in their history. We won all the big games at home when I was in charge.
“If we hadn’t started the season so badly under Jose, we would have been champions — it’s a fact — but the dropped points cost us dearly at the end. We paid the price for a poor start under his guidance.”
Mike Maguire, Goal.com

Scolari urges Chelsea to give him more cash

Chelsea boss Phil Scolari has asked the club chiefs for money to spend on new players in the January transfer window.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon insists they will not spend any money in the January transfer window.

Scolari is desperate to bring in a new striker in January.

A source close to the Brazilian told the Sun: “Sometimes the best way to re-energise a team is to inject fresh blood, that’s all he asked for.

“Felipe was promised funds to buy before he joined. Everyone knows he wanted Robinho and what happened there.

“He knows financial situations have changed. But he is not asking for £20million, just a reasonable amount to get a new player in.”

[Source: The Sun]

Xabi Strike Smashes Chelsea's Unbeaten Run

A deflected goal from Xabi was enough to see Rafa Benítez's side rack up a victory over Luis Felipe Scolari's charges.

After 86 league games without tasting defeat at Stamford Bridge, something finally gave as Xabi's deflected effort silenced the home crowd.

After that early goal the Reds went on to remain the better side for the most part, and Pepe Reina was given relatively little to do between the posts.

That was largely down to a spirited defensive showing from the Scousers that endured in the face of sustained possession from the hosts.

On a rare break forward, in fact, Liverpool managed the lead. With Chelsea dithering over a clearance after an offensive throw-in, Xabi Alonso attempted to rifle the ball past Cech. His shot lacked conviction, but Bosingwa's body deflected it so that the helpless 'keeper could only flail at it with his legs.

Chelsea tried their best to build from the back, but time and again their moves broke down on the edge of the area, allowing the likes of Gerrard to respond with swift counters that saw Cech tested with long-range efforts.

Further back Mascherano and his back four were looking increasingly comfortable as Chelsea ran out of ideas heading into the second half.

Still, Chelsea had the occasional spell of dominance that called for physical play from the visitors. As early as the 22nd minute Riera had picked up a merited yellow for hacking down Bosingwa, and Reina, too, could have joined him in the book for bringing down Malouda, but the Blues' forward was already offside.

Both sides made their changes in an attempt to inject life into their play, Babel replacing Keane to hold the ball up and run onto counters while di Santo and Belletti replaced Kalou and Malouda.

This had the desired effect for both sides as first the Reds came close with a low drive from an Alonso free-kick, and then an increasingly frantic Chelsea created a chance of their own. Ashley Cole inexplicably fired off-target after Di Santo directed Lampard's cross towards him for a golden opportunity.

Although Liverpool started to panic a bit and defend deeply, they may have known in their heart of hearts even with ten minutes to go that they'd done enough, and the match ended 1-0 in their favour.

Chelsea launch £16m legal fight over John Mikel Obi transfer deal

Chelsea have began a legal battle against Lyn Oslo and their former chief executive Morgan Andersen to recoup the £16million transfer fee they paid for midfielder John Mikel Obi.

The move follows the criminal conviction of Andersen by a Norwegian court last March for falsifying documents in relation to Mikel's sale in June 2006 for which he was given a suspended one-year jail sentence.

Chelsea claim the entire transfer deal was based on the "fraudulent misrepresentation" that Mikel had an employment contract with Lyn and are now demanding their money back.

Mikel was at the centre of a major row at the time with both Chelsea and Manchester United claiming to have agreed to sign the Nigerian.

The dispute dragged on for more than a year and was eventually settled when Chelsea agreed to pay £16m in compensation - £12m to United and £4m to Lynn.

The club,however, stressed today that their refund claim is against Lynn and Andersen and has nothing to do with United.

Spot the difference: John Mikel Obi was paraded in United shirt before he changed his mind and signed for Chelsea

A Chelsea spokesman said: 'The club have issued a claim at the High Court in relation to the transfer of Jon Obi Mikel.

'The claim is against FC Lyn Oslo and Morgen Andersen and follows the criminal conviction in Norway of Lyn's former Chief Executive Officer Morgan Andersen.

'At the time of the transfer, Chelsea, Lyn and Manchester United agreed that the fees paid would be in final settlement of the transfer, any claims related to it and that no further action or comment regarding the transfer would be made.

'Chelsea has written to Lyn to make clear that because the transfer was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation, now proven by a court of law, the settlement previously agreed is not binding.'

After a slow start, Mikel has emerged as a key player at Stamford Bridge and has cemented a first-team place this season in the absence of Michael Essien.

Roman Abramovich loses £12billion in Russian share plunge

Roman Abramovich has lost £12billion on the Russian stock exchange, it was revealed today.

The Chelsea FC owner has seen his fortune shrink as Russia's Micex Index has gone into freefall.

The decline in value of two of his companies on the Moscow-based index, steel maker Evraz and mining company Highland Gold, has left the 41-year-old tycoon £11.9billion worse off.

It comes just four days after details emerged of the £200million super-yacht Abramovich is having built - set to be the largest private yacht ever constructed.

The massive bill for the boat amounts to just a 60th of today's gargantuan losses for the Russian oligarch.

Abramovich's woes come on a disastrous financial day for London's Premiership football clubs, with the owners of Arsenal and West Ham also suffering from the effects of instability in the markets.

Arsenal's part-owner Alisher Usmanov has lost £7billion on the Micex index, which has declined 61 per cent since its peak in May.

West Ham's Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson also said he may sell the club after losing £230million.

Chelsea open legal proceedings against Lyn and Andersen over Mikel transfer

Chelsea have issued a high court claim for £16m against the Norwegian club FC Lyn Oslo and their disgraced former chief executive, Morgan Andersen, over the controversial purchase of John Mikel Obi, though there seems little prospect of the Premier League club being able to recoup all the money they paid for the Nigeria midfielder.

Mikel arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2006 in a complicated deal that saw some £4m paid to Lyn Oslo and £12m to Manchester United, who believed they had originally signed the player on professional terms. However, Andersen was convicted in an Oslo court earlier this year of forging contracts relating to Chelsea and Mikel, which enabled the Norwegian club to gain a slice of the player's transfer fee. Chelsea duly informed Lyn that the deal was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation that the player had an employment contract at the Oslo club and that they would seek full repayment.

Chelsea have privately stressed that they are not attempting to put Lyn Oslo out of business, and it appears unlikely that the Norwegian club, currently mid-table in their domestic league, would have the funds to pay anything close to the £16m compensation demanded. With that in mind, the two clubs are involved in "positive discussions" in a bid to reach some kind of compromise over the case, the pursuit of which has fast become a point of principal for the Premier League leaders.

Although Chelsea are technically seeking the return of the entire fee, the most likely result will be an out-of-court settlement between the clubs, given their willingness to maintain dialogue. "The claim is against FC Lyn Oslo and Morgan Andersen and follows the criminal conviction in Norway of Lyn's former chief executive officer," said a Chelsea spokesman. "It is for the entire £16m fee paid by Chelsea for the player as it is now clear, following Andersen's conviction, that the transfer was based on the fraudulent misrepresentation that Mikel had an employment contract with Lyn.

"Chelsea has written to Lyn to make clear that because the transfer was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation, now proven by a court of law, the settlement previously agreed is not binding. Chelsea is in contact with Lyn and looks forward to working positively with them to resolve the claim promptly. Chelsea would like to make clear that this legal action is against Lyn and Morgan Andersen."

That reflects the reality that Manchester United, who declined to comment, are not involved in any way in Chelsea's pursuit of the money they paid two years ago. Indeed, Chelsea are not intending to involve their Premier League rivals in the high court case. However, this should prove the final twist in a saga that infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson who, along with United, had been convinced that Mikel was bound for Old Trafford rather than Stamford Bridge some two years ago.

Mikel claimed to have signed a youth contract with Lyn in 2005 but, within a week, United announced they had agreed to sign him on professional terms at the end of the Norwegian season in January 2006. The player was even photographed wearing a United shirt, only for Chelsea also to claim to have reached an agreement to sign the player. That prompted United and Lyn to report the London club and the player's agents, John Shittu and Rune Hauge, to Fifa and it was not until June 2006, some 14 months after the saga first flared up, that Chelsea agreed a compromise deal to pay both Lyn and United for the player's services.

That decision was made on the basis that Mikel was under contract in Oslo, the reality of which was dispelled when Andersen — the chief executive at the Norwegian club at the time — was convicted of making false accusations and fraud over the agreement that apparently existed between his club and the midfielder. He was given a one-year suspended sentence after a court decided the professional contract Mikel subsequently denied ever signing and which committed him to the club actually carried a signature cut out from the amateur agreement to which he had previously been tied.

Chelsea gamble on 'player with three lungs' to fill Essien void

Luiz Felipe Scolari expects to have Mineiro, a 33-year-old Brazilian midfielder, available for the Premier League game against Aston Villa a week on Sunday. Chelsea are set to sign the former Brazil international, who left Hertha Berlin in the summer, to provide backup in midfield after the injuries to Michael Essien and Deco.
"Mineiro is a player I need because I lost Essien for six months and only John Mikel Obi is there for us," Scolari said. "He won't play this week but maybe after 10 days he will play. He needs to play in the reserve team and needs some time but that is good for me because he gives me some options."
Arsène Wenger had considered a move for the Brazilian but after watching him in a behind-closed-doors friendly the Arsenal manager said this month that nothing would happen "at the moment". Birmingham were reportedly also interested in Mineiro, who was offered an extension to stay at Hertha last summer but felt the offer was not good enough. He made 36 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha Berlin, scoring twice in an 18-month spell.
Liverpool fans may remember him from their Club World Championship final in December 2005 when the midfielder scored the only goal of the game, beating Liverpool's offside trap and slotting calmly past José Reina, to win the trophy for Sao Paulo. He was a late call-up for Brazil in the build-up to the 2006 World Cup, replacing the Barcelona midfielder Edmilson who suffered a serious knee injury, but did not play in Germany.
A year later, however, he was Dunga's first choice in midfield together with Arsenal's Gilberto Silva - keeping Manchester United's Anderson on the bench - as Brazil won the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela. He is highly respected in Brazil and Scolari knows him well, having given him his first cap in 2001. His tireless running makes him an ideal back-up for Essien - who is unlikely to play again this year - and his coach at Sao Paulo, Muricy Ramalho, once said: "The guy is incredible. He runs so much at times it makes you wonder whether he has got three lungs, not two, like the rest of us."
Salomon Kalou has said that more goals will follow from him after he scored the equaliser against Manchester United on Sunday. "It's my first goal against Manchester United so I hope it is the start of a lot of goals and it has given me a lot of confidence," he said. "It is a good feeling to come off the bench and score."

Kalou prepared to leave Chelsea

Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou admits he is prepared to leave the Blues if he fails to get back into the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge.

Kalou has not started a single Premiership match this season, under new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

He told Setanta Sports: “Of course I practice hard to have opportunities, but the manager’s decisions must be respected, even if I’m here to play.

“It’s up to me to work twice as hard at training, and to be honest I try to give my best in order to improve my football and hopefully it’s going to pay off.

“I don’t know what my future consists of, the season is still long. It’s too early to take a decision right now.

“When a young player arrives at Chelsea he’s happy to learn, and then you can have the opportunity to grow in another club or in here.

“As a young player I am aware of the fact that I have to make the perfect choice and at some point of my career I’ll have to accept to fly with my own wings.”

The Cote D’Ivoire international joined Chelsea from Feyenoord in 2006 for an undisclosed fee.

[Source: Setanta Sports]

Why Chelsea will win the Premier League

Before the season started I predicted that Chelsea would win the Premier League title. I should make it clear that I am writing this article prior to this weekend’s games and I may look a bit silly if Chelsea have lost 5-0 to new title contenders Manchester City.

There are several reasons why I think Chelsea will win the league and although I am going to explain them here, please don’t think for a second that I am a Chelsea fan. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I am just giving an objective opinion.

Petr Cech is still probably the best keeper in the world. He didn’t have a great season last year following his horrific head injury and a further nasty injury to his mouth seemed to set him back even further. A decidedly dodgy Euro 2008 saw him make a horrendous mistake that led to the Czech Republic being eliminated.

Despite all of that there are signs that he might be getting back to his best which is very, very good indeed. (If he made another horrendous mistake on Saturday I will accept all of the ridicule!)

Bosingwa seems to have settled in quickly and immediately solved one of the few problem areas that the side had last season. He looks to be a high quality player who can defend and get forward to get effect.

John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho are certainly a pairing that would challenge Ferdinand and Vidic as being the best central defensive partnership in the Premier League. They can both play a bit and they can both be no-nonsense defenders when the need arises.

Ashley Cole is a player who it is hard to like. I’ve read his autobiography and believe me, that doesn’t help! Having said that, he has the ability to be one of the best in the world in his position and if he can fully recapture his form he will complete a formidable looking back five.

Deco has settled in really well to life in the Premier League and goals in his first two matches were confirmation of that fact. I was one of the people who said that he might struggle to come to terms with the pace of the game in England. I am almost prepared to say that I was wrong. We’ll need to see a few more games yet but the signs are that he is going to be a superstar in the Premiership.

Frank Lampard is a man who has suffered more than his fair share of abuse over the years. Hated by the West Ham fans for, well I’m not sure really and hated by the England fans because, well I don’t know that either. Averaging over ten league goals a season from midfield for the last seven seasons. Sixty four international caps and fourteen international goals. Described by Jose Mourinho as follows; “Lamps is Lamps. When he plays well he is best in the game, when he plays bad, he is the second or the third best.” He’ll do for me.

Michael Ballack is still one of the worlds finest midfield men. He has dragged an average Germany team to the latter stages of the last couple of tournaments almost single handedly. Towards the end of last season he was starting to show that sort of inspirational form to the Chelsea followers.

Joe Cole is a bit of an enigma. He has an abundance of talent and skill but has failed to establish himself as an automatic starter under several managers. His time has finally come now and I expect him to be one of the stars of the season.

Didier Drogba is probably the forward that Premier League defenders would vote as the man they least like having to mark. He has strength, pace, skill, movement, ability in the air, he can shoot, dribble, pass and finish. Not a bad player really. Obviously I wish he wouldn’t fall over so much and cry quite so often during games but none the less, he is one of the best.

Nicolas Anelka is the exception to the rule. He is Chelsea’s version of Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher, Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt and Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue. You just wonder how they get a place in such a great team.

Add to them the injured Michael Essien, undoubtedly one of the best players of his type in the world, young Scott Sinclair, maybe an even brighter prospect than Theo Walcott, Wayne Bridge, the second best English left back in the country, Carlo Cudicini, some would say the second best keeper in the country, Obi Mikel, Salomon Kalou, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Belletti and Malouda, (ok, maybe not Malouda) and you have a pretty formidable squad.

Oh yes, there’s one person I forgot to mention. Luis Felipe Scolari. It’s early days, but he doesn’t seem to have done too much wrong yet does he?

Chelsea Chase ‘The New Theo Walcott’

According to the People, the Blues are preparing a £2 million offer for the teen who comes with a huge reputation despite his tender years.

Whilst Wolves will be desperate to keep hold of their hot prospect, they are unlikely to be able to resist an offer from Chelsea although it might take a record bid for a teenager to prise him away from Molineux.

Ismail’s searing pace and skill on the ball has earned him comparisons to Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. The young Gunner, who is four years older than the Wolves player, hit the headlines this week after scoring a hat-trick for England against Croatia.

Walcott, made his name at Southampton, becoming the youngest player even to pull on a Saints jersey when he appeared for the first team when he was just 16.

He spent two seasons at St Mary’s before Arsene Wenger snapped him up for an initial fee of £5 million, potentially rising to £12 million, a record at the time for a teenager.

The Wolves star, meanwhile, has been earning rave reviews for his performances in the Milk Cup which has brought him to the attention of scouts at Stamford Bridge.

The 15-year old was voted player of the tournament despite his side losing in the final of the competition. The Milk Cup is a prestigious under 16s tournament and clubs including Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Maccabi Tel Aviv all took part this year with Everton triumphing in the final 3-2.

Scolari: Robinho worth huge price tag

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari believes Robinho is worth every penny of the £32.4million Manchester City paid for the Brazilian - even though his bosses thought otherwise on transfer deadline day.

The former Real Madrid player is set to make his City debut this evening against the club that had been negotiating for weeks to buy him.

In the end Chelsea refused to meet Real's asking price and City - having just been taken over by the ultra-wealthy Abu Dhabi United Group - then astonished the world by securing his signature in next to no time.

Asked if City had paid too much, Scolari replied: "No. He's a very good player. If I have money to buy a fantastic house, I buy it."

Robinho was the one player Scolari wanted to bring to Stamford Bridge after his initial primary target, Portugal midfielder Deco, had been signed with relative ease from Barcelona.

But the Brazilian insisted he had played no part in the Robinho negotiations and was content to leave that role to chief executive Peter Kenyon.

He said: "It was a technical decision and when it is about money the board makes the decision. The coach needs to say, 'If I want this player, this is why.' If that didn't happen, the club would buy this or that.

"I am the coach and manager, but I have zero influence on money. It's a job for Peter, not me. My job is on the pitch and that's the way I work. For 27 years as a coach I've worked like that.

"Chelsea offered what they thought was correct but they didn't want to pay for what they thought wasn't correct for the club, the agent, the player.

"This is the correct philosophy for Chelsea. It's not because we have money or don't have money. We have one project and we follow that."

Just as Robinho had been close to joining Chelsea, Scolari revealed he might have been managing City, who had made an approach while he was still Portugal boss.

He said: "They came to Portugal and we discussed this. But, at the time, I said what I said to all clubs, Valencia and the others, that I needed time.

"I was Portugal coach and if I had had an agreement with the Portuguese president, I would have said yes.

"But when the president did say he would give me time to negotiate with other clubs, it was then that Chelsea came.

"They [City] had a big project. It was fantastic and if they follow it, maybe they will arrive as one of the 10 biggest clubs in the world. But now they are my opponents so I wish them all the best after Saturday, not on it."

Didier Drogba returns from a knee injury but midfielders Michael Essien and Michael Ballack are out.

Essien will be missing for at least six months and Scolari could take the unusual step of bringing in a loan player to fill the gap.

He said: "It is a problem and I'll try to solve it this week."

Scolari Claims He Turned Down City

Due to the multi-million pound takeover of  Manchester City by ADUG, this weekend's Premier League match-up between the Citizens and Chelsea has been dubbed the 'clash of the cash'.

The two richest sides in the Premier League, possibly in world football, meet at Eastlands in a game that promises to be intriguing.

The presence of Robinho in a light-blue shirt will be a cause of consternation for Chelsea fans; the Brazilian did everything but sign for the Stamford Bridge side this summer before accepting the offer of eye-watering wealth from the Abu Dhabi Investment Group.

However, one Manchester City target who did end up at Stamford Bridge this season is Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Chelsea boss has claimed that he was approached while still in charge of the Portugal national team by City with the intention of adding him as manager.

Mark Hughes is the current incumbent at the City of Manchester Stadium, but it could have been Scolari, according to the ex-Brazil manager.

In the wake of Sven Goran Eriksson's dismissal from Eastlands, the City board cast the net far and wide for a replacement. Talks were held with Scolari about the club's future, and terms were offered by the club.

Scolari described the offer as tempting, but decided against taking up the reins at Eastlands. He stated that a change of his circumstances led him to accept the offer of managing Chelsea in July, during Euro 2008.

He told Sky Sports News: "Yes, they offered it (the manager's job) to me. It was a very good offer but at that time I was with Portugal and I said I needed time to think. They came to Portugal and they talked to me about their ideas for the team in the next three or four years."

Peter Staunton

Spalletti: Good Luck Chelsea! Scolari: Arrivederci Roma!

The Giallorossi clash with the Blues on match day three of Europe’s elite club competition next month.

Spalletti has hailed ‘Big Phil’ and the Chelsea man repaid the compliments as both managers shared their excitement ahead of the big date. In true Scolari fashion they began by joking around before moving to the big talk.

“Good luck Chelsea,” said Spalletti, which then brought a reaction from Scolari who replied, “Arrivederci Roma.”

Both coaches then began speaking about Group A’s most anticipated fixture as they begin cranking up the tension.

“Scolari is a great man,” said Spalletti.

“It was so nice to be involved in the manager’s forum with all the other coaches and it has made me appreciate the human qualities of top tacticians like Scolari.

“He has won everything and when you speak to him about football you always learn something new.

“Chelsea are a great team and we have to work hard from now until October 22nd in order to go there and face them.

“Scolari’s team can be intimidating but we will go there with courage and the will to do well.”

It was then the Chelsea boss who spoke of Roma and he admits that he admires the Giallorossi and their coach.

“Roma are a team to be feared and Spalletti is an excellent coach,” said Scolari.

“I know Spalletti well and we are good friends. I like talking with him because he has humility amongst many other qualities.

“I have seen Roma play and you can tell the coach has interesting ideas and I believe they will go far.”

The Giallorossi have a poor record against English teams in the Champions League but they will be hoping their luck changes on October 22nd when they travel to Stamford Bridge in search of three points.

Scolari's Robinho Rage

The Blues had been odds-on to land the Brazilian superstar after he declared his desire to leave Real Madrid sign on at Stamford Bridge.

Los Merengues had accepted a £28.4million bid and the deal was all but complete when Chelsea's impatience effectively scuppered the transaction.

The London giants jumped the gun to disastrous effect when they began selling shirts emblazoned with Robinho's name through their online shop last week.

That was enough to tip the Spanish champions over the edge in what was already a tense negotiation process, and the initial deal fell through.

Scolari made no secret of his admiration for Robinho and singled out the 24-year-old as the one player he hoped to sign this summer after landing Deco from Barcelona.

The former Brazil coach attempted to play it cool, insisting it made no difference if he captured the ex-Santos prodigy or not, but Chelsea sources suggest otherwise.

“He is too professional to make a fuss but this is a blow,”  an insider told The Sun.

Further fuelling Scolari's wrath is the fact Chelsea turned down the opportunity to land Robinho on deadline day.

Los Blancos had accepted a bid of £32.5million from newly cashed-up City and challenged the Blues to match it - but the Premier League powerhouses were not willing to stump up the extra £4million.

Hence, the Selecao star made his may to Eastlands instead in an English record transfer, while Scolari was left demanding answers from chief executive Peter Kenyon and owner Roman Abramovich.

The source added: “It’s no secret that Chelsea has paid a lot of money for players in the last few years.

“Some of those players have been successful and others not so.

“Felipe understands the budget has a limit but feels that he did not ask too much of the club.

“He bought Deco for £8million and made it clear how important Robinho was to his plans for the season.

“So he is entitled to feel let down that the club would not increase its offer by £4m to get the player.”

Cecil Braun

Chelsea warned of Roma threat

Uefa's president, Michel Platini, has warned Roma that the Champions League final may be taken away from their stadium if there is any serious violence when they host Chelsea in their group match.

Roma's games against Manchester United in the past two seasons were marred by serious crowd problems and by knife attacks outside the Stadio Olimpico and Platini said Uefa would not accept further problems when Chelsea visit the Italian capital on November 4.

"We can't tolerate this level of violence," he said. "If we have any more violence we could withdraw the Champions League final from Rome. It's not an ultimatum, just a message that we are keeping an eye on it."

The draw in Monaco placed Chelsea, last season's beaten finalists, in a group that also includes Bordeaux and the Romanian champions CFR 1907 Cluj. The most intriguing draw, however, will see United play Celtic for the second time in three seasons. The holders will also meet the Danish champions Aalborg and the Spanish side Villarreal, against whom Wayne Rooney was sent off three years ago.

After a ceremony that saw Cristiano Ronaldo win Uefa's striker and overall player of the year awards and three Chelsea players - Petr Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard - pick up the individual honours for goalkeeping, defending and midfield play respectively, Fernando Torres can look forward to an emotive return to his former club after Liverpool were pitted against Atlético Madrid. Liverpool will also face PSV Eindhoven and Marseille.

"It's not an easy draw for us and the overwhelming feeling after Wednesday's game [against Standard Liège] is that we are just happy to be involved," said Liverpool's...#65279; chief executive, Rick Parry. "The tie against Atlético Madrid is the one that stands out and will inevitably generate a lot of interest. It will mean a lot to all the Spanish players but especially Torres."

Of the Premier League sides, Arsenal will believe they face the most testing challenge, taking on FC Porto, Fenerbahce and Dynamo Kiev. But all four clubs will be grateful to have missed out on facing Bayern Munich and Juventus, both of whom were among the second seeds, and United will regard their opening group as a relatively moderate assignment.

"The pleasing aspect is that there will not be an awful lot of travel involved," said United's chief executive, David Gill, looking ahead to a tournament that begins on September 16-17. "Given that our next two league games are away at Liverpool and Chelsea, we're particularly pleased that the game that falls between those two is at home [against Villarreal]."

The Uefa Cup draw will be made here today and Gill intends to speak to Tottenham Hotspur's delegation to see if he can reach a compromise over United's pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov. The delays surrounding the proposed deal are clearly beginning to frustrate Sir Alex Ferguson. "In last week's press conference I said I was less optimistic, and I'm even less optimistic today," said the United manager. "I've no idea what's going on. It's very hard to get communication with some people."

Source: Guardian

Lampard Excited By Robinho Signing

It seems only a matter of when, and not if, Robinho completes a £28million switch from Real Madrid following his public plea to leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old's capture will cap a summer of significant change at Stamford Bridge. New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has already recruited Portugal playmaker Deco, and the addition of his fellow Brazilian will make the Blues' attack one of the most dangerous around - on paper, at least.

Lampard is thrilled that Scolari has brought in another creative genius, and he tipped Robinho to take the Premier League by storm.

"He is a fantastic player, I saw a lot of him last season watching the Spanish games," he said in The Sun.

"He has great flair, and something that would be nice to bring into our team.

"We have flair players already but he is another option and he could light up the league."

There are question marks over whether Robinho will adapt to the pace and power of English football - indeed, it is the query that surrounds most big-money imports.

But Lampard is confident that a player of the Selecao star's calibre will have little trouble adjusting.

He added: "He will have to get used to it because it is different to Spain, but he showed he is a world class player both at Madrid and for Brazil, and world class players adapt."

CHELSEA CONFIDENT OF ROBINHO CAPTURE

Chelsea believe their pursuit of Real Madrid forward Robinho will go "to the wire".
The Brazilian featured, along with summer recruit Deco, on Luiz Felipe Scolari's shopping list when Chelsea's new manager pinpointed the players he wished to bring to Stamford Bridge this summer.
With Deco signed and already impressing in the Barclays Premier League, Chelsea are keen to bring Robinho to England from Real Madrid.
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said: "We are ever confident that it will get done but we have always said it will go to the wire.
"We will keep moving it on and we hope that he will be joining us here at Chelsea.
"There were two players Luiz Felipe Scolari identified. One was Deco and one was Robinho and we have already seen the impact Deco has made on the Premier League.
"I think the squad is strong and capable of competing in all competitions without Robinho, but with him it is an added dimension."
Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon insisted last night that he has not given up hope of staving off Chelsea's attempts to sign Robinho.
He told Spanish television channel La Sexta: "Robinho continues being a Real Madrid player and the coach counts on him.
"Those in charge of the sporting side of things want him to continue, and I've always wanted to follow the plans of those who really know about these things."
The transfer window will close after what is likely to be a frantic day of activity on Monday, however Chelsea appear to have no targets other than Scolari's younger compatriot.
There seems little prospect of another Brazilian, Kaka, leaving AC Milan to join the Blues, not least because the playmaker is happy at the San Siro.
Chelsea were linked with a world-record £80million bid for Kaka, but he told Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport: "Me going to Chelsea? I'm staying as a Rossoneri player.
"I should help Milan to win the trophies we're up for this season."
He added: "I've always said I'm happy at Milan and as long as my aims remain the same as Milan's I'll stay here. Until now it's always been that way.
"My goal is to win, Milan's is too. As long as we are like that, I'll remain at Milan."
One player who could still leave Chelsea is Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The winger's agent has insisted the 26-year-old England international wants to stay in London, however his opportunities at Chelsea this season could be limited and Manchester City are very eager to take him back, three years after selling him for £21million.
Wright-Phillips is also believed to interesting Everton boss David Moyes, who has had a quiet time in the transfer market this summer and is desperate to add to his squad with the transfer deadline imminent.
But the winger's agent Wayne Lindsay told www.skysports.com: "He [Wright-Phillips] doesn't want to join either of them and we are now discussing the next move to see what we do."
City manager Mark Hughes - a former Chelsea player himself - said yesterday: "We're obviously keen to bring him to the club if we can."

Scolari: No Pressure On Fergie & Wenger - Yet

The Blues followed up last weekend's dominant display against Portsmouth with a hard-fought win away at Wigan yesterday, Deco scoring the only goal with an early free-kick.

The west London club thus maintained their status as the pace-setters alongside Liverpool, who were also forced to fight for their 2-1 triumph over Middlesbrough.

However, the rest of the Big Four have not fared quite so well.

The Gunners were both outplayed and beaten by Fulham on Saturday, while United will hope to redress last week's disappointing draw against Newcastle when they travel to Fratton Park this evening.

But Scolari dismissed the notion that Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are already on edge, insisting it is far too early to make such judgements.

"It is only two games - if it was the last games of the season, maybe there would be pressure but now? No," the Brazilian told the press.

"I think teams have time now to lose some points."

Scolari brings up the past to drive Chelsea to tedium

One-touch passes, liquid movement and carousel creation seduced the eye as Chelsea's Brazilian manager directed his team to the most emphatic opening-day victory of the Roman Abramovich era. Something more pragmatic may be needed to extract three away points from Wigan in match two.

Dead balls killed Chelsea last season - goal after goal conceded from corners and free-kicks as training-ground preparations were neglected and better organised opponents took advantage. Luiz Felipe Scolari is driving his players to the point of tedium rather than letting such fatal negligence continue.

In the latter stages of pre season, Scolari devoted two consecutive days to training solely on set pieces, doggedly schooling his players on marking and defensive positioning. By the second day, one senior international, accustomed to getting his way with coaches, decided enough was enough, brashly informing his new boss that the team 'had got it now'. Reminding the midfielder that Chelsea had lost 19 goals from dead balls over the past 12 months, Scolari returned him to work. The sessions have continued this past week.

'I know we have problems with this,' Scolari says. 'The staff told me what happened last season. I'm training on this and I'm training many times because we have some different positions for marking now than before. I asked in the meeting before the Portsmouth game if they agreed about some positions. They understood, they trained and they agreed, and we were better in that game than in the training.

'This week we've been training again and they have good positions now for free-kicks, corner-kicks and fouls against us. For sure if we have good positions at these balls we have more chance to win games.'

The same reasoning explains Scolari's request for Chelsea to prise Robinho away from Real Madrid, regardless of the Spaniards' high-priced resistance. For all his pleasure at the manner in which his team controlled the midfield and passed their way to the 4-0 victory over Portsmouth, Scolari is aware such an approach alone will not garner sufficient points to return the Premier League trophy to west London.

A striker who manufactures as well as he finishes and can play through the centre or out wide, Robinho offers the unpredictable - and with it another way of playing. 'We have a system we play and to change this system we need different players,' Scolari explains. 'Now we have one player who isn't a wing, but when he plays on the wing, he plays very well - Deco. You think he's going to cross, but he does not cross. You think he stops the ball, he crosses. That is the style I want in Chelsea for many games because if we have only one system it is easy for the other teams. I like Robinho because his style is different. He tries dribbling many times, he's a different player and we need one more player inside the pitch who makes a difference.'

Though Robinho has tried to force Real into selling him by publicly stating his desire to join Chelsea, the Brazil international will not be at the club in time to play Wigan, whose draw at Stamford Bridge in April helped direct the title to Old Trafford. Muscular and direct, Wigan will test the value of Scolari's set-piece lessons and are likely to pair their newly acquired, bullish Egypt striker, Amr Zaki, in attack with Emile Heskey, scorer last season of their last-minute equaliser at Chelsea.

'I don't think that ended their [Chelsea's] chances, they still had a chance you know,' Heskey says. 'When we went to Stamford Bridge they expected to win. But it's a good mentality we have at this club, we never give up and we always go to the 90th minute.

'I don't know if they fear us, but I don't think they will be that happy to be coming to us so early on. I don't think anyone's that happy to come to Wigan because they know we don't just lie down and give up, not any more. You have to be physical against any of the top four, you've got to try and put them off their game a little bit.

'Chelsea are used to that so much now they just get on with their game. Against Portsmouth they just popped it off with one-touch football and it just looked so nice. We've got our own tactics the manager wants us to apply and we'll try and do that. On our day we are capable of beating them. We showed last year that we never give up.'

They showed it again in a stirring second-half display in their opening Premier League match against West Ham last weekend. The Latics trailed by two goals after only 10 minutes before pulling one back to lose 2-1. But their manager, Steve Bruce, warns his side against such early complacency against Chelsea.

He says: 'Our defensive organisation wasn't there in the first game of the season and it had better be there on Sunday, otherwise we'll be in trouble.'

It Feels As If I've Won The Champions League - Sheva

Andriy Shevchenko made his first comments as a 'new' Milan player. The Ukrainian ace has made his return to the club he played for between 1999 and 2006, when he left for Chelsea. The player compared his satisfaction to winning a Champions League.

"I'm doing well," he said to Milan's official website, "and I'm happy. I had been hoping to come back for a while and already yesterday I imagined this negotiation could end well.

"For me, it's as if I've won a Champions League. There were some complications, but now that everything has been resolved I am truly happy."

Milan initially only wanted the player back on loan, but Chelsea only wanted to sell him permanently. However, it seems the negotiations were unblocked after a meeting between billionaire owners Silvio Berlusconi and Roman Abramovich, and Shevchenko is now a Milan player 100% again.