While Chelsea have backtracked on their latest dossier of “evidence” that they wanted to hand in to the FA on the exact reasons why Stephen Hunt kneed Petr Cech on the head we are now getting the official story of what went on with the actual ambulance crew who came to ferry Cech to hospital after his condition deteriorated in the dressing room.
(more…)
Only 4 games into the new season and the first major crunch point is just around the corner. Reigning champions Chelsea face off against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, while Manchester United entertain Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Chelsea v Liverpool ? 1330 British Standard Time
Jose and Rafa will have to put their hand-shaking feud behind them when they kick off Sunday, at 1330. Rafael Benitez will be looking to get a good result against a star studded Chelsea team, after losing to them twice in the league last season.
Jose Mourinho is also out for revenge having suffered defeat in the Community Shield and FA Cup finals, losing 2-1 on both occasions. Joe Cole is still out for the blues after he renewed his knee injury in the Champions League game versus Werder Bremen. On the other hand Arjen Robben returns to the squad following his calf injury.
Liverpool?s John Arne Riise being out injured is the only definite thing about the line-up. Benitez has different options all over the pitch especially his front men with such strikers as Kuyt, Crouch, Bellamy or Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler.
Expect a feisty game, Chelsea?s exceptional home form under Mourinho should give them the edge, but with Liverpool you never know.
(more…)
It was only a matter of time before the most highly paid trade union boss in Britain stuck his nose into one of football’s hottest topics of discussion and, unsurprisingly, Gordon Taylor has came down on the side of one his member’s in the dispute.
I’m talking about the Chelsea statement “explaining” William Gallas’ transfer to Arsenal and the behaviour exhibited by the player while at Chelsea which prompted the move.
We’ve been thorugh this whole subject and the rights and wrongs of both Gallas’s supposed threats to sabotage a Chelsea game if selected and Chelsea’s inability to avoid washing their dirty linen in public but now with the storm cluds beginning to dissipate a little over the issue we have Gordon Taylor of the PFA wading in and planting his flag firmly in William Gallas’ corner. What a shock that is.
(more…)
Another twist and turn in the increasingly spiteful “divorce” proceedings between Chelsea and their former centre back, Arsenal man William Gallas, and it looks like this one could be annoying us all from the back pages for a while yet.
Chelsea, now infamously, released a statement early in the week alledging that Gallas had threatened to concede own goals, make deliberate mistakes and get himself sent off if selected for Chelsea, both towards the end of last season, over preseason and in the opening games of this season. Chelsea further claimed that the player was simply trying to engineer a big money move away from the club which had lifted him to his current exalted position as a top world player and Premiership double champion and went public with the allegations to show their fans why he was sold.
Gallas has, of course, denied that he made such threats and is ready now to mount a legal battle to clear his name and show Chelsea up for the bully boy kings of spin that they really are. He’s even roped his dad into some press interviews to say that his boy never would have said those things:
“I know my son through and through - and he is totally incapable of doing any of the things Chelsea say.
“I am a father who likes to stay in the background and let William do his own talking when he has to.
“But, when it comes to an attack on his honour and that of the family, like this, I can talk of my belief in him.
“I have already spoken to William about what Chelsea are saying about him. But I am not worried for him. He is a man who can stand up for himself.”
The whole episode just further drags the game’s name through the mud and it’s no surprise to see Chelsea at the forefront of it all. Their heavy handed approach to “outing” Gallas backfired as a PR stunt and I’m sure there are a few red faces at the club surrounding the main protagonists who clamoured for the statement’s release.
If it was Jose Mourinho then in what light does it show the increasingly under pressure “Special One” and his man-management skills? If it was Peter Kenyon then does it not further highlight the man’s complete inability to follow any morally righteous path inthe execution of his duties and if it was neither of those two, just who is speaking for Chelsea Football Club these days?
I think we all demand some honest answers.
And I’m not talking about the year’s supply of jellied eels they’ve got in front of them either. The deal to take Argentina stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham United hasn’t officially been confirmed yet but football discussion forums are white hot with the news and the potential implications, not only for West Ham but for the premiership at large.
What would attract two of the world’s most sought after, young, talented international stars to Upton Park and the waiting arms of Alan Pardew? At first glance there is no logical explanation. West Ham had a great season last year after their promotion and surprised a lot of people (me included) with their classy football and solid defence that not only gave them a respectable league finish but also took them to the FA Cup Final.
I doubt that their Cup Final defeat in one of the liveliest and most enjoyable Cup Finals in many years will have been enough to tempt the two Argies though and despite having a foot in European competition with the UEFA Cup, I doubt that’s the real pulling factor either.
My suspicions lead me to a somewhat shadier deal being cooked up between the players’ club Corinthians, their owners MSI and another club with shady links to MSI and their owners. It’s long been rumoured that Roman Abramovich is the money man behind MSI and the reason that a broke Brazilian club like Corinthians could afford players like Tevez and Mascherano in the first place. It leaves no doubt in my mind that Chelsea and Roman are behind this proposed season long loan deal for the two Argentinians to West Ham and it’s only for one purpose - to acclimatise the players to London and the Premiership and see whether they are worth signing for Chelsea properly next summer.
There can be no other reason for this transfer to take place. Yes, West Ham are a good, homely club with some good players but for a club to sign Carlton Cole this summer and turn around and also get Carlos Tevez, it leaves me wondering what the motives are. I think I’ve worked out the obvious answer and it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the Premiership.
We’ve seen Chelsea’s strange buys and loan deals in the past with players like Smertin and Jarosik but this moves things to another level completely. Chelsea don’t outright own these players or their club but their guiding hand can skew the transfer market that they can prevent any of their near rivals in the top five from having these players while they park them at a safe and respectable club, close but not too close, for a season to let them mature in the English game.
Something stinks around here and the smell is increasingly eminating from Roman Abramovich’s direction.
Chelsea were back to winning ways at Ewood Park on Sunday defeating Mark Hughes? Blackburn Rovers side 2-0. A Frank Lampard penalty and outstanding goal by second half substitute Didier Drogba gave Jose Mourinho?s men just their third away win in twelve games on the road.
After the midweek defeat to Middlesborough it was a much needed victory for the Blues after Manchester United kept their 100% record going against Watford on Saturday afternoon.
New signing Khalid Boulahrouz made his first start at right back whilst Petr Cech and Michael Ballack returned from injury.
(more…)
Chelsea and Champions League holders Barcelona will renew their rivalry after they were drawn together in the first phase of this year’s competition. The two sides, who have now been paired for the third time in three years, also face Werder Bremen and Levski Sofia.
Manchester United will meet Celtic in Group F with Benfica and FC Copenhagen.
Last year’s finalists Arsenal take on Porto, CSKA Moscow and Hamburg while Liverpool face PSV Eindhoven, Bordeaux and Galatasaray.
British teams in bold and the top seeds in CAPITALS.
(more…)
Chelsea?s group stage opponents in this season?s Champions League will be determined today (Thursday) when the draw is held in Monaco at 5pm BST.
The 16 winners from this week?s qualifying matches join the automatic qualifiers to make up the 32 teams in the group stage. They will be divided into four pots for the draw according to a coefficient decided by past European results.
Chelsea will be in Pot 2 and will be drawn against a team from each of the other three pots. The fact that we cannot draw another Premiership side means we are guaranteed to play either Spanish or Italian opposition from Pot 1 containing the top seeds.
Jose Mourinho?s men went into their match against Middlesborough at the Riverside Stadium hoping to avenge last season?s mauling at the hands of the North-east outfit.
Confidence would have been high in the Chelsea squad after Sunday?s home win against Manchester City and it didn?t take long for the visitors to continue where they left off. 16 minutes on the clock to be precise when great work from Wayne Bridge down the left hand side saw him produce the cross for Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko to stab home and score his first goal of the season. Bridge was once again showing Mourinho he doesn?t need to fork out unnecessarily for the services of Ashley Cole.
Chelsea kick-off the new season aiming for a third consecutive League Championship under Jose Mourinho.
Once again there have been transfers flooding in and out of Stamford Bridge over the summer. Out has gone fans favourite Eidur Gudjohnsen to Barcelona. Other players who have left the Club include Damien Duff to Newcastle, Carlton Cole to West Ham, Jiri Jarosik to Celtic, Asier del Horno to Valencia and Hernan Crespo to Inter Milan. Glen Johnson has also been shipped to Portsmouth on loan for the season.
But Jose Mourinho has added yet more World class talent to the Chelsea ranks. In Andriy Shevchenko they have landed one of the World?s most potent strikers from AC Milan. Germany Captain Michael Ballack has also arrived from Bayern Munich with a formidable reputation and in addition to that they have snapped up Ivorian striker Salomon Kalou from Feyenoord, Nigerian midfielder John Mikel Obi from Lyn Oslo / Manchester United, Portuguese goalkeeper Henrique Hilario from CD National and Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz from Hamburg.
(more…)