Latest Chelsea News

Terry: You Can Still Count On Me
John Terry looked like a man that just had a heavy load taken off his shoulders after making such a terrific impact in his first match since his miserable night in Moscow

The Chelsea captain suffered one of the worst weeks of his decorated career after missing a crucial penalty in last Wednesday’s Champions League final, dooming his side to defeat against Manchester United. But Fabio Capello showed faith by handing him the armband, and Terry did not disappoint as he scored the opener and marshalled his defence brilliantly during the Three Lions’ 2-0 over the USA."I'm a big man, I like the big games and it was great to score," boomed Terry."It was a great boost for me. It was a relief really to have the England game with the USA rather than the whole summer to dwell on what happened in Moscow."Terry can more than likely all but officially count himself on summer holidays, as Capello has already declared that the Chelsea and Manchester United players in his squad will now be afforded a well deserved break and will not be utilised against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.
Derek Wanner, Goal.com

Terry: 'This shows I am a man for the big games'
By Glenn Moore at WembleyThursday, 29 May 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/internationals/terry-this-shows-i-am-a-man-for-the-big-games-835933.html

Fabio Capello last night refused to reveal which players would be released from this morning's flight to Trinidad for Sunday's friendly, but he did let slip that John Terry would now be allowed to go home and continue his rehabilitation. Terry's Moscow penalty miss appears to have shattered his normally ebullient mood and Capello said: "It was important for him that he scored. It made me happy, he is a good captain and it was a good performance. I saw from him on the pitch what I asked for before the game. He has good charisma for other players, he is a natural leader. Now he goes on holiday happy."
Terry admitted he had been dreading this week but ends it feeling much more at peace with himself. "If I'm being honest this is the last place I wanted to come," he said, "seeing all the Manchester United players, but it has done me a huge favour. I've shown I'm a big man. I take full responsibility for what happened in Moscow but I've shown I'm a man for the big games."
David Beckham, who is in a better position to understand Terry's state of mind than most, said: "He's disappointed by last week and still going through that, but on the pitch you see the man and the player he is. He's going to be hurting but he's got character, one of the strongest I've seen in football. Tonight he tackled, he headed every ball, and scored the goal. I think every one of us was happy when he scored. I think he deserved that tonight."


Of the match Capello said: "We played without fear which is very important. We scored two goals and had a lot of chances to score more, that was also important." The England manager added: "I am very happy because I saw a lot of things I tried during training. We did a lot of good movement. When we play long ball it was when we had to. When it was possible to pass we passed the ball. I liked the pressing of the ball and that we won the ball back quickly. It is a step forward. You have to move on every game."
Capello insisted he did not know who will captain the team in Port of Spain on Sunday, which is not very plausible, but underlines his determination to keep his players – and the media – guessing.
The US team were made to look very ordinary by England, but they recently won convincingly in Poland, who are going to Euro 2008. Their coach Bob Bradley was asked how he could explain that. "Sometimes football is a crazy game," he said. "Everyone in the soccer world recognises the talent England possesses, some of the individual performances for England raises the bar for our team. We have players in Europe but we didn't have seven players starting who played in the European Cup final." It was an observation which again prompted the question of how a team with so much individual talent could come third in qualifying behind Croatia and Russia.


Ballack says Chelsea experience "fantastic"
tribalfooball.com - May 28, 2008

Michael Ballack is feeling good about his status at Chelsea.

"If you play for a club like Chelsea, everyone wants to beat you and it is much harder," the midfielder told Chelsea TV.

"But this is always a good feeling and a good motivation. So you improve your game every year and that's why I went from Bayern Munich to Chelsea. I wanted to learn something about English football, because I used to watch it on TV and I thought it was fantastic.

"It is fantastic to play in these stadiums, it is always a good atmosphere and that is a big part of the football in England."


Cech Nose Ronaldo's Secret
http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=715027

Chelsea keeper Petr Cech believes he has figured out Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty technique, claiming he bears the bruise to prove it

The Blues shot-stopper kept out the Manchester United winger’s spot-kick during the penalty shoot-out in Moscow last week, although it was not enough to prevent the Red Devils triumphing.

The shot may have hit Cech squarely in the face, but he insists the save was no accident.

“Ronaldo’s kick hit me on my nose, it gave me an awful smack,” he said.

“The main thing was that I didn’t want to move so as to make it easier for him. I was prepared for the fact that he might hesitate.

“I waited for that and, as soon as Ronaldo paused, he didn’t have much time to do something. I went the right way and saved the penalty.”

No Reason

The Czech Republic No. 1 will face the Portugal international again during EURO 2008, as both countries have been drawn together in Group A, along with Turkey and co-hosts Switzerland.

Ronaldo has failed to convert his last two penalties on the European stage, having shot wide from the spot during the first leg of United’s semi-final against Barcelona.

But Cech believes the incumbent PFA Player of the Year should with his unique, stuttering approach, pointing to his success from 12 yards prior to the miss at Camp Nou.

“Ronaldo has always paused before taking his last few penalties,” said the 26-year-old. “So I think he will take it the same way again in the future.

“He has no reason to change it. Moreover, he has scored most of them. He only missed the one against Barcelona and the one in the Moscow final.”

Mike Maguire


Clarke fancies sticking with Chelsea
tribalfootball.com - May 28, 2008

Steve Clarke fancies staying on at Chelsea.
The Times says assistant coach Clarke is due to meet chief executive Peter Kenyon, but not until later in the week as he is away on a fishing holiday.

With Avram Grant out of the way, Clarke would like to stay at the club temporarily to see if he has any future under the new manager, but would not hesitate to leave if he was offered a manager's job, even in the Coca-Cola Championship.

Grant: Chelsea would've won league with me in charge from start
tribalfooball.com - May 27, 2008

Sacked Chelsea boss Avram Grant feels proud of the way his team played in the closing months of last season.

"In the last three months in which I was manager people no longer called the team Boring Chelsea," he said. "If we had played at the start of the season the way we did in those last months we would have won the championship.

"I was told by the club that I had come in as part of building the future and my position was not dependent on achievements. Nobody expected we would win anything, because I was given the club when we were fifth in the league and had drawn at home to Rosenborg in the Champions League.

"Nobody believed that we could even finish second or reach the Champions League Final in Moscow.

"But the target I set myself was to at least reach the Champions League Final because a team that invests so much money should at least reach the final."


Chelsea's Cech credits form to contact lenses
tribalfootball.com - May 28, 2008

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed his superb late season form was down to discovering he needed contact lenses!
The 26-year-old stopper even believes the first time he wore them in a match last month was the biggest victory of the entire season for him.

He recalled: "I had been complaining about not seeing well since October. It came to a head against Arsenal.

"I thought I had the ball in my hands and then suddenly it flew past me. That had never happened to me before. I couldn't explain it.

"It seemed I was getting in position a bit later than I normally would or that I was reacting a little bit more slowly."


An ankle injury ruled Cech out of action for six weeks back in March and he used the time to get his eyes checked.

He was on the brink of a return in early April only to suffer a training-ground injury when he needed 50 stitches in a facial wound following a collision with Tal Ben Haim.

He added: "Together with the goalkeeping coach I studied footage from last season and this season in terms of how I dealt with crosses and situations.

"You could see a huge difference in the way I moved. After I got injured, I had enough time to go for various check-ups.

"In the end I got contact lenses and now I can see 100 per cent better. So it's possible to find positives out of the injuries."

The Blues No 1 added: "I have to admit the first day I was supposed to wear them, I got up an hour and a half earlier than usual. I managed it somehow.

"When I tried the lenses for the first time, I realised what a big difference they made. Getting them was possibly the best moment of the season for me."

Abramovich handing new Chelsea boss £80M
tribalfootball.com - May 28, 2008

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has put aside £80 million for his new manager to spend this summer.

The Sun says that is the transfer chest Abramovich has agreed after being left embarrassed the club were trophy-less for the first time in four years.

A Chelsea source revealed: "Avram Grant won nothing and was fired. Roman is not prepared to settle for second best.

"Any candidate for manager will be made aware of what's expected. But significant funds will be made available." Among several targets, Chelsea want Valencia striker David Villa and Barcelona wonderkid Giovani Dos Santos.

Chelsea go for £15M Van der Vaart
tribalfootball.com - May 28, 2008

Chelsea are moving for Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.
The Mirror says sacked Chelsea boss Avram Grant is believed to have had Van der Vaart on his radar before being sacked at Stamford Bridge last weekend.

Now the Blues will press ahead with signing the players the Israeli had earmarked for this summer.

The £15million-rated HSV skipper has so far refused all offers to sign an extension to his current deal, which runs out in 2010.

Two managers and no trophies - Now Chelsea fans savage £500m Abramovich with a vote of no confidence
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/article-23487729-details/article.do?ito=newsnow&
Roman Abramovich will this week step up the search for Chelsea’s new manager against a backdrop of growing disillusionment with his regime from the club’s fans.

An poll in the London Evening Standard has revealed the Russian’s approval rating is at its lowest ebb since he arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2003.

The figures are published in the wake of a turbulent season which saw the Blues fail to win a trophy and sack two managers.


Don't look now but I don't think they like us anymore: Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon's poll ratings have fallen after a trophyless season at Chelsea

After investing £500million transforming Chelsea into a European heavyweight,
Abramovich has enjoyed hero status among Chelsea fans but the first signs of cracks in the relationship are now starting to emerge.

Chelsea supporters were asked to rate the performance of the key men Abramovich has tasked with running the club over the last 12 months.


Only five per cent thought Abramovich’s board had done a “very good” job which is a startling statistic when compared to 43 per cent in the same poll two years ago.

In total, only 32 per cent of supporters think Abramovich’s regime - in the form of chairman Bruce Buck, chief executive Peter Kenyon and the club’s directors - have done a “good” or “very good” job.

Again, this is a significant fall with the comparative figures standing at 75 per cent in 2006 and 47 per cent last year.


Faces of failure: Avram Grant paid for losing the Champions League Final with his job after John Terry's penalty miss

The number of fans describing the performance of the club’s chairman and board as “bad” or “very bad” has also risen and now stands at 23 per cent.

The poll was conducted by independent research company Football Fans Census as
part of the Standard’s annual London Football Report.


More than 2,000 fans were quizzed with a minimum sample of 100 supporters from each club.

The figures also show the lack of faith supporters had in Avram Grant — prior to his
sacking at the weekend - compared to his predecessor Jose Mourinho.

In the 2007 London Football Report, the Portuguese was voted the capital’s most popular boss with 97 per cent of those surveyed saying he had done a “good” or “very good” job.


The comparative figure for Grant in 2008 was 63 per cent despite Chelsea’s late-season charge.


The poll will provide food for thought for Abramovich as he contemplates finding a
successor for the Israeli.

Figures with more traditional CVs for managing big European clubs, such as Frank
Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink and Roberto Mancini, are believed to be among the prime
candidates to take over at the Bridge.

Don't look now but I don't think they like us anymore: Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon's poll ratings have fallen after a trophyless season at Chelsea

After investing £500million transforming Chelsea into a European heavyweight,
Abramovich has enjoyed hero status among Chelsea fans but the first signs of cracks in the relationship are now starting to emerge.

Chelsea supporters were asked to rate the performance of the key men Abramovich has tasked with running the club over the last 12 months.


Only five per cent thought Abramovich’s board had done a “very good” job which is a startling statistic when compared to 43 per cent in the same poll two years ago.

In total, only 32 per cent of supporters think Abramovich’s regime - in the form of chairman Bruce Buck, chief executive Peter Kenyon and the club’s directors - have done a “good” or “very good” job.

Again, this is a significant fall with the comparative figures standing at 75 per cent in 2006 and 47 per cent last year.

The number of fans describing the performance of the club’s chairman and board as “bad” or “very bad” has also risen and now stands at 23 per cent.

The poll was conducted by independent research company Football Fans Census as
part of the Standard’s annual London Football Report.


More than 2,000 fans were quizzed with a minimum sample of 100 supporters from each club.

The figures also show the lack of faith supporters had in Avram Grant — prior to his
sacking at the weekend - compared to his predecessor Jose Mourinho.

In the 2007 London Football Report, the Portuguese was voted the capital’s most popular boss with 97 per cent of those surveyed saying he had done a “good” or “very good” job.


The comparative figure for Grant in 2008 was 63 per cent despite Chelsea’s late-season charge.


The poll will provide food for thought for Abramovich as he contemplates finding a
successor for the Israeli.

Figures with more traditional CVs for managing big European clubs, such as Frank
Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink and Roberto Mancini, are believed to be among the prime
candidates to take over at the Bridge.

Ten Cate misses crunch Chelsea meeting
tribalfootball.com - May 29, 2008

Henk ten Cate has put his future at Chelsea in jeopardy.
The Times says the assistant coach missed an appointment with Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, after returning late from a holiday, which will hardly help his cause because he is expected to be dismissed.