Chelsea FC - Supporters' Rally

[Chelsea SPA]

Go Chelsea Go !! Snatch the title away from the red devils !!! You can do it !!!

[seabeng]

Well, one of the worst season for The Blues. Better luck next season. But I have to say that I feel very sorry for Carlo Ancelotti. I dont think he is a bad manager. I think what the owner Roman Abramovich method of sacking manager if they cannot bring in trophies especially the Campion League Cup they will be sack is wrong. Take a look at Chelsea for the past 10 years and how many managers have they changed. Clubs like Manu and Arsenal they have long serving managers and they have faith in their managers. Alex Ferguson though he was almost sack in the early years but they he did produce good results and very good results after that. He was given time to prove himself. A. Wenger like this year, nothing to show and the club never treathen to sack him. Manu have the record 19th times and Chelsea holds the record having changed the most managers in the top four. I think Ancelotti should be given another year to prove himself.

Anyway, good luck to him and Clesea the next season.

[joew2005]

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Villas-Boas resigns from Porto

Andre Villas-Boas has quit as manager of FC Porto, the club hv confirmed.

Villas-Boas is now expected 2 be named as the new manager of Chelsea in the coming days, but the Premier League club still hv 2 settle the €15 million release clause in the coach's contract.

Porto stated tat while the club had received Villas-Boas' resignation, his contract will not be terminated until the compensation clause is paid in full.

The club said in a statement 2 the Portuguese Securities Market Commission: "Porto has been notified of the intention of coach Andre Villas Boas 2 terminate, without just cause, his contract with the club, immediately activating his release clause."

Reports in Portugal earlier on Monday suggested tat Villas-Boas himself had personally offered 2 pay the release fee, but there is no confirmation tat is the case.

Chelsea hv been reluctant 2 pay such a large amount 4 a manager but Porto hv stood resolutely by their rights.

Villas-Boas is expected 2 sign an initial 2-year deal with Chelsea, & will bring star striker Radamel Falcao with him. The Colombia international set a new goalscoring record 4 the Europa League last season, netting 17 goals in 14 games as Porto won the competition & bagged 16 in the league as the club cruised 2 the Primeira Liga title.

Villas-Boas was part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff @ Chelsea betw 2004-2007, meaning he can step in2 the club with an understanding of both English football & the way Roman Abramovich runs things.

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...w-boss?cc=4716

Chelsea appoint Villas-Boas

Chelsea hv appointed Andre Villas-Boas as their new manager, having paid his €15 million contract release clause on Tuesday.

The former Porto coach, who won the treble in Portugal last season, handed in his resignation on Tuesday, b4 Chelsea stumped up a record amount of cash 4 a manager 2 release him fr his deal.

A statement on the Chelsea website read: ''Andre was the outstanding candidate 4 the job. He is 1 of the most talented young managers in football 2day & has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time. His ambition, drive & determination matches tat of Chelsea & we r confident Andre's leadership of the team will result in greater successes in major domestic & European competitions.

''Andre will bring his coaching experience back 2 a club he is already very familiar with, having previously worked here for 3 years. He has always been highly regarded @ Chelsea & every1 here looks 4ward 2 welcoming him back & working with him.''

The 33-year-old has already worked @ Stamford Bridge, as a coach under former Blues' boss Jose Mourinho, & will be reportedly be paid a lucrative £4.4 million a year salary.

Meanwhile, former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has appealed 4 Villas-Boas 2 be allowed 2 be his own man amid many Mourinho comparisons.

''Yes, everybody is going 2 look @ him & say, 'You hv learned it [fr Mourinho]' or 'You r the same as Mourinho', & he is going 2 be the example,'' he said. ''But I don't think tat's fair on him. It is only more pressure becos everybody is going 2 compare him 2 Mourinho.

''Yes, he is only 33, but I think we should look @ him just as a man on his own, a different manager - yes fr Portugal, but a different individual, & just give him a chance 2 succeed.

''It is going 2 be very important 4 Chelsea - Chelsea r @ a very important stage. They r not going 2 be able 2 keep on letting managers come & go. They will hv 2 give somebody faith, & luckily it is somebody young, so somebody who can grow with the club & put his stamp on the Premier League & also the club.''


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Porto chief fears star exits

Having lost manager Andre Villas-Boas aft Chelsea paid his €15 million contract release clause, FC Porto chairman Pinto da Costa admits he is worried tat some of the club's star players may leave under similar circumstances.

The likes of midfielder Joao Moutinho & striker Radamel Falcao hv been linked with moves 2 Villas-Boas' likely destination, Chelsea, but Da Costa is not keen 2 see any of the Europa League winners' assets leave with the boss in the summer.

"If there r contracts with release clauses, we hv 2 be prepared tat some player might 1 2 leave if the stipulated figure is met," he said. "I will not go 2 any country 2 negotiate. Just like it happened with Andre Villas-Boas, there will be no talks: there is an account number & money deposited there."

Thus far, there has been no contact, as Da Costa said: "We hv not had any contact abt the transfer of players & we do not know the intention of any 1 of them 2 leave."

However, on Tuesday, the agent of Falcao revealed tat his client could be tempted by a move 2 London, telling The Sun: "If Villas Boas is the new coach of Chelsea it is normal 4 players tat r closest 2 follow him.''

Porto hv set a minimum release clause price of €30 million 4 Falcao's svcs while Moutinho's, despite spending just €12 million 2 land him fr Sporting Lisbon last summer, stands @ a similar level.

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...risons?cc=4716

Villas-Boas casts aside Jose comparisons

New Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has spoken of his desire 2 build his Stamford Bridge regime in2 something other than a "1-man show".

And while he accepts comparisons with his predecessor & 1-time mentor, Jose Mourinho, he has also set his approach as being apart fr the current Real Madrid boss, & has vowed 2 focus on fostering a team ethic @ the club who paid a reported release fee of £13.3million 4 his services.

"The main important thing tat people hv 2 reflect on is tat I don't see the game as a 1-man show, I see the game as the getting 2gether of ideas, collective ideas & good players," he told Chelsea TV.

"Chelsea appointed me basically for human qualities and that is what I want to bring into this club again.

"The most important thing is 2 motivate the players 2 get their ambitions right, 2 reflect again on wat the club has achieved in the last 6 years & we need 2 keep tis route 2 success.

"We r a technical staff tat focuses a lot on unlocking potential. We r a technical staff tat incentivises a lot of freedom of choice becos in the end, when the players r on the pitch, they face different situations tat they hv 2 solve without the help of their manager.

"Tis is the kind of stimulus tat we 1 the players 2 hv, responsibility & making decisions, becos in the end the game is decided by them on the pitch.

"It is a clashing 2gether of 2 good organisations & in the end it is the relationship betw all of our players tat can lead us 2 success, & tat is wat I 1 2 work on."

Despite his relative youth - Villas-Boas will be the youngster top-flight manager next term by 4 years & is the same age as both Didier Drogba & Frank Lampard - his experience @ Chelsea & a CV which includes a hat-trick of trophies last season, marked him out as the standout candidate 2 replace Carlo Ancelotti.

Nevertheless, he is well prepared 4 the inevitable mentions of Mourinho's name.

"Coaching was not a kind of obsession (4 me) & neither did I use Jose as the way 2 arrive in2 tis path, it was something tat happened naturally," he said.

"I think there is no way you can avoid comparison, it is something tat is the interest of the media. I didn't take the Porto job nor the Chelsea job becos Jose made the same steps.

"They r two of the most sought-aft clubs in the world & in the end I had the opportunity & was able 2 make them find something in me tat they thought would continue their route 2 success."

As a previous employee, the new manager is aware of the expectations which will surround him in west London & is ready 2 meet them.

"Chelsea is a club tat in the last 6 years has achieved so much & people r expecting us 2 be the same way," he said. "There is not going 2 be more or less tolerance 4 me if I m not successful so tis is the challenge I face & I feel confident tat we can motivate everybody, not only the players but also the structure.

"I feel confident I can respond 2 the ambitions of the supporters & the ambitions of the owner & the administration."

[Glen2712]

Andre Villas-Boas - Full First Interview - Chelsea TV







Flashback - Andre Villas-Boas - Porto Press Conference

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[joew2005]

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Villas-Boas inspired by Robson

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas says former England manager Bobby Robson has been 1 of the most important figures in his career.

Villas-Boas received advice & guidance fr Robson @ Porto early on as the pair developed a strong relationship, & the 33-year-old has not forgotten the contribution the late Robson had on his formative years as a manager.

"Bobby was a very important person in my career," Villas-Boas told Sky Sports. "He was the person who advised me @ a very young age 2 go on coaching courses & unlocked the doors of Porto 4 me 2 hv access 2 his training sessions.

"We had a very good relationship & he was some1 I respected a lot & was respected in world football. What he did he did not only with me & Jose [Mourinho] but with all different kinds of people, promoting them & inspiring them 2 take their own role & their own way.

"He is somebody who means a lot 2 the English game & I think he would be happy of course, 2 see me here @ Chelsea now."

Villas-Boas also acknowledged the work of his predecessor @ Stamford Bridge, Carlo Ancelotti, as the Portuguese manager gets settled in2 his new role.

"You can't avoid the things Carlo has left 4 tis club, important things," he said. "We 1 2 continue building fr where he left. Most of the people who r here r people I know, which is a big advantage.

"The players I know, the relationship I had with them. The relationship also of pride 4 wat they hv done & 4 wat I've achieved with my technical staff & players, tis is all coming 2gether 4 the motivation we need 4 next season 2 win again.

"But there is no running away fr the culture of English football. You hv 2 respect it & u hv 2 respect tis game generates a lot of passion & a game tat runs @ extreme speeds. It is different fr La Liga & the Portuguese league, where you tend 2 look @ things more calmly.

"We just 1 2 introduce our philosophy & mould it in2 wat is the culture of English players," he concluded.

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...h-road?cc=4716

When Villas-Boas took the high road

His rise has been sufficiently rapid tat football's most expensive & precocious manager retains an air of mystery. Yet the players of Porto & Academica de Coimbra r not alone in having an insight in2 Andre Villas-Boas' personality & abilities. A select group of Scottish coaches shared some of their education with Chelsea's £13 million replacement 4 Carlo Ancelotti &, if their careers hv taken divergent paths, memories remain strong.

"You can 4get ppl who were on the course but I instantly remembered Andre," said Jim Weir, now manager of Brechin City. "I felt he was going 2 go on & be a good coach." Villas-Boas' appointment @ 1 of the world's richest clubs has taken him back - "it's not something I would ever hv expected," he added - but the makings of a manager were apparent.

"He was very sure of himself," said Weir, who met Villas-Boas when both were studying 4 their UEFA A Licence in 2000. "He wasn't presumptuous or in any way big-headed. He had a presence abt him. He was full of confidence in his coaching method & coaching style." The Portuguese was then 22, a fact his competence & confidence camouflaged. "I didn't realise he was so young," Weir admitted.

Surrounded by seasoned Scottish players, the youthful foreigner must hv been an incongruous presence on the SFA's course @ Largs. "You can really feel 4 the guys coming in fr different countries," Weir said. "Some really struggle but Andre was really well equipped & knew wat he was going on abt. He was popular & he offered a lot 2 the course."

While Villas-Boas' initial employment was as a scout, Weir was willing 2 testify 2 his early excellence on the training ground. "His coaching style was something his players would like," he explained. "It was hw he handled players, hw he took control of every session. He was easily understandable, strong with his voice & very confident. He certainly stood out."

An exotic unknown there, Villas-Boas returned 2 Largs with a higher profile in 2006 when, as a member of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff, his star was in the ascendant. His Pro-Licence classmates were eager 2 learn more. "Even the players @ the top level in Scotland like Ally McCoist & Iain Durrant were intrigued by the Chelsea way," Weir added.

"He was very happy 2 talk abt their methods, how they planned. They would watch opponents 4 or 5 times, collecting match data, doing as much homework as possible. He was planning 4 or 5 weeks ahead in case the team would change formation." Part of the course entailed a presentation in front of the group. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his work @ Stamford Bridge, Villas-Boas shone. "It was very detailed, it was excellent," Weir said. "I still hv it on my computer."

What endeared Villas-Boas 2 Craig Brewster, who is nw coaching Football League newcomers Crawley Town, was his modesty. "He never bragged abt anything," he said. "That's not Andre. He never shouted his mouth off. Everybody liked Andre. He was an intelligent guy who tried 2 make friends & enjoyed being part of the team. Tat was a big, big thing - he makes sure everybody's part of the team."

His modern methods nonetheless ensured tat Villas-Boas stood out. "We would go 2 games 2 do match analysis & even then he was typing his match report on his Blackberry," Weir recalled. "It was @ a completely diff level 2 the rest of us."

His subsequent fortunes would seem 2 prove tat. Brewster sensed tat Villas-Boas' ambitions stretched beyond life among Mourinho's acolytes. "Deep down he knew he would go out on his own 1 day," he added. "But probably he didn't realise how quickly things would happen 4 him."

Porto's 145-goal, Treble-winning season suggested an overnight success. Brewster, who was in email contact with Villas-Boas when the younger man won the Europa League last month, argues tat the wunderkind of management is benefiting fr years of learning. "He has studied the game hard," said the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager. "He is not a young 33-year-old. He is a mature, switched-on 33-year-old."

Indeed, Weir believes he had similar attributes when he 1st encountered Villas-Boas. "At 22 he was doing his coaching badges among seasoned professionals, but he was very confident," he explained. Comparisons with his predecessor @ Stamford Bridge r, he believes, misplaced. "He is a completely different character 2 Mourinho," he added. "Jose is very extrovert & controversial & I don't see Andre being tat type. I don't think anything fazes him."

Nothing, perhaps, except the game itself. Famously, Villas-Boas did not hv a professional career, something which doesn't surprise Brewster. "He wasn't much of a player," said the former striker. "We had a couple of kickabouts & you could see he wasn't a natural." A natural player he might not hv been; a natural manager, however, is a very diff matter.

[joew2005]

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Cech backs Villas-Boas

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes new boss Andre Villas-Boas will be a success @ Stamford Bridge & hopes he will end the revolving door of managers 2 build a dynasty.

Villas-Boas will be the 7th manager 2 take charge of Chelsea since Roman Abramovich bought the club, with the owner's burning desire 4 European glory cited as 1 of the reasons he has changed bosses so often.

But Cech now believes tat the former FC Porto boss, only 33, can be the club's Sir Alex Ferguson & make the Blues the dominant force in English football 4 years 2 come.

Cech said: "It is hard 2 explain why it is the way it is @ Chelsea sometimes. But now we hv a young manager who can hopefully stay for 25 years like Ferguson @ ManU.

"It would be great 2 hv tat continuity here. Andre is a great choice. He is young & he has proved tat he can manage a big club 2 success. He knows English football & he knows our club - tat will be a massive help.

"We know him & he knows us fr the time when he was here with Jose Mourinho. Andre did a fantastic job then with all his analysis of our opponents which I always found a big, big help. And I'm sure he will do a fantastic job again.

"At Chelsea, 1 day u hv a manager - the next day u hv some1 else. 1 day you play 4 Chelsea, next day you r somewhere else. So u learn very quickly tat everything can change very suddenly.

"1st there was Jose Mourinho & we had a lot of success but tat came 2 a sudden end. When Phil Scolari came every1 thought we would keep the manager 4 years. But tat didn't work out @ all. Guus Hiddink did well but couldn't stay becos he was manager of Russia. When Carlo Ancelotti was announced every1 again said we had the manager 2 lead us a long time."

It is a situation which Cech learned of very quickly when Claudio Ranieri was sacked b4 the 2 had even met.

"It was a strange situation with Claudio [Ranieri]. He was the manager who bought me 4 Chelsea. It was February 2004 & it was agreed I would join @ the end of the season. But when I flew 2 London 2 sign the deal Chelsea were playing away & he was not there. And when the summer came he was not there again - he had been sacked. So the 1st time I met him was when he came back 2 Chelsea last season 2 monitor our training.

"It was funny. I said 2 him 'Finally it's nice 2 meet you! It's only been 7 years!' But that's how football is.

"When I signed 4 Rennes I had 2 bosses in my 1st season - the 1 who signed me was sacked aft 8 games. I came back fr international duty & there was another guy in charge.

"I was much younger then & thought 'Oh no, a new manager! Tis will be really tough'. But these days I'm used 2 it. And although we keep changing managers it's always me in goal & I'm proud of tat.

"No matter who the boss is, you just hv 2 concentrate on doing things right. It's the quality of the work u do on the pitch & in training tat determines whether the manager keeps u in or out. It's down 2 you - not him.

"I'm proud of my Chelsea records; most clean sheets in a season, fewest goals conceded & esp 4 achieving 100 clean sheets in 180 games. That's even better than the great Peter Schmeichel, who took 212 games."

[joew2005]

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Modric hits out at Levy
July 10, 2011

Luka Modric has accused Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy of going back on a gentleman's agreement & insists he is still determined 2 leave the club tis summer.

Modric saw a £22 million bid fr Chelsea rejected by Spurs, prompting him 2 head 4 crisis talks with Levy. The chairman insisted afterwards tat Modric would not be allowed 2 leave White Hart Lane & tat the player understood the club's stance.

However, the Croatia international is still clearly unhappy, with Rafael van der Vaart revealing his colleague is "disappointed" by the outcome of last week's meeting, while manager Harry Redknapp added tat Modric remains "confused".

On Sunday, Modric finally broke his own silence, claiming Tottenham's chairman "did not care" wat he wanted, while stating he still hopes 2 engineer a move 2 Chelsea b4 the end of the summer transfer deadline.

Asked wat he would do if Spurs refuse 2 let him leave, Modric was quoted as telling Sportske Novosti: "I haven't thought abt it at all becos [not letting me go] would definitely not be good 4 any1. I hv already told the chairman tat last summer he said we would find a mutually satisfactory agreement if a club like Chelsea came in.

"I hope tat eventually he will understand the situation & tat we will reach an agreement & go our separate ways in an appropriate manner."

Elaborating on his meeting with Levy, Modric revealed the Spurs chairman was happy 2 let the midfielder spend the season rotting in the reserves if he did not honour his long-term contract.

"A lot has been published in the press abt the meeting with Levy, who gave the public a twisted account of wat happened. I must say tat I m genuinely disappointed abt wat Levy said 2 me. He didn't care abt wat I was telling him. It all only convinced me further tat I was right 2 consider moving on 2 another club.

"I reminded the chairman of our gentleman's agreement when we were in Dubrovnik last summer & I agreed a contract extension with Tottenham. At tat time, I had an open chat with Levy - tat if a bigger club came in with a concrete offer, we would consider it & agree the best solution 4 all concerned.

"The chairman said, 'Okay, we'll sit & talk [abt any offers]'. Now Levy doesn't 1 2 talk 2 me & said there is no possibility tat I can leave Spurs.

"He threatened me - he said if I didn't accept the club's stance, they would make me sit on the bench or in the stands."

Modric also cemented his desire 2 play 4 new Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.

"There is no doubt tat Chelsea 1 me - they sent a concrete offer 2 Tottenham. I know tat the new Chelsea boss said he 1s me in his team. Of course I m flattered by tis interest in me - it's a club tat all players dream of joining, fighting 4 every competition available.

"It wasn't a snap decision - I talked a long time with my family & ppl whose opinions I respect. I thought abt it, weighed it all up, & finally decided tis was the best option."

[joew2005]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-t...000551765.html

Villas-Boas ‘not obsessed’ over Torres form

Another game, another blank sheet 4 Chelsea's 50-million-pound (S$98 million) striker Fernando Torres.

And the normally icy cool Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas appeared alittle riled up when reporters bombarded him with questions abt the Spaniard's scoring form aft he failed 2 find the net in the Blues' scrappy 1-0 win over Malaysia on Thursday @ the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

"I wouldn't turn in on in2 an obsession, like you people r trying 2 do. The most important thing 4 us is 2 score & 2 win; it doesn't matter who scores," said the 33-year-old.

"This is a pre-season game & it is 2 get a feel of your team & achieve the objectives tat you do in training. Regarding individual objectives, I don't think they play a part in a season, & even less in a pre-season. My obsession is 2 win with tis team & 2 take it 2 success," added the Portuguese.

Aft another barren night in front of goal, the Spanish striker still looked very much like the shadow of his former self as he missed no less than 2 clear-cut opportunities. He was denied in the opening minutes by Mohd Farizal Marlias b4 eventually fizzling out b4 half-time.

Since his transfer fr Liverpool in January, the once-prolific hitman has hit the back of the net just 1s in 18 games 4 the Blues. And worryingly 4 Chelsea fans, in a 45-minute performance b4 the entire 1st team was changed @ half-time, "El Nino" continues 2 look worryingly out of sorts with his form & fellow team-mates.

Villas-Boas stressed tat helping 4wards find the confidence 2 score goals requires alot of patience & tolerance, which the club is willing 2 give 2 4wards like Torres as the priority 4 them is 2 win as a collective unit.

Doing his best 2 turn the attention away fr Torres, the Chelsea manager admitted tat the 1st half remained a stalemate due 2 the fact tat his team played 2 many passes cross-field, & did not make enough vertical passes up front 2 create scoring opportunities.

The 2nd half was abit of an improvement as they created more chances "due 2 alot more vertical passes", with the manager testing out a 4-4-2 system of Nicolas Anelka playing behind Didier Drogba & Daniel Sturridge.

Eventually, Chelsea's persistence in front of goal paid off, albeit controversially, when Drogba scored fr a free-kick tat hit the post, rebounded off the Malaysian goalkeeper & was caught on the line. However, the linesman gave Chelsea the goal, 2 the dismay of the Malaysians.

"4 us the result does not play an important part 4 us. I wouldn't worry 2 much abt it becos in the end, the principles of wat we've been training 4 hv been displayed 4 us," said Villas-Boas.

Still as his Blues now move up north 2 Bangkok 4 the next leg of their pre-season Asian Tour, new boss Villas-Boas will continue 2 hv plenty on his mind.

[joew2005]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-t...001710045.html

Villas-Boas needs more than just charisma to win

He may be charming & charismatic as hell but that's not going 2 be nearly enough 2 win titles @ Chelsea.

Having observed Chelsea's new boss Andre Villas-Boas @ close quarters tis past week, I can say tat the roguishly charming 33-year-old is settling in well 2 his role as manager of 1 of Europe's biggest clubs.

Armed with a killer smile & a warm demeanour when responding 2 questions fr the media, the Portuguese displayed an air of confidence & an iron-cast resolve 2 succeed in his new club.

But charm & confidence alone will get you nothing.

Despite promising the capture of the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy, Villas-Boas' No.1 task is 2 figure out his 1st-team -- fast.

A few challenges lies ahead 4 the new Chelsea boss, with the worrying form of Fernando Torres, & how he can forge a compatible strike partnership with Didier Drogba, on top of tat list.

However, if tat partnership fails, he will hv Nicolas Anelka, Saloman Kalou & Daniel Sturridge waiting in the wings.

There r also afew gaps in the team tat hv 2 be plugged. Of utmost priority is the right-back position, where Villas-Boas' compatriots Jose Bosingwa & Paulo Ferreira hv failed 2 nail down.

The wings will also require bolstering, with Florent Malouda, Yossi Benayoun & Anelka not the paciest of wide men. He is also facing an additional problem in the middle of the park aft Michael Essien's horror injury tat will rule him out 4 half a year.

1 big plus is he's seem 2 hv won over the dressing room already in the short time he's been in charge.

Midfield veteran Frank Lampard gave Villas-Boas his endorsement, & added tat the squad is confident in their new boss.

"I think the fact tat Andre is a young manager is irrelevant becos it's always abt the quality of the manager. The good thing abt Andre 4 us, is tat it gives us a new freshness in our playing style fr last year. There is an excitement in the squad 4 the fresh challenge," said the midfielder.

Club captain John Terry added, "Every1 is happy & every1 has a new chance. There r some lads who didn't get a look-in under Carlo (Ancelotti) & it's a fresh start 4 every1. We go again & tat brings a new lease of life 4 those players & more competition 4 the 1s who did play alot last year."

Another big plus is the way Villas-Boas has won over the notoriously difficult British media pack, & impress he did with intelligent, candid & straightforward replies 2 their questions @ the 1st press conference aft his appointment.

Tis will no doubt remind fans of former countryman & some say the arrogant Jose Mourinho.

Being Portuguese & brought over fr Porto, a comparison with his most famous predecessor is inevitable.

The equally charming Mourinho's man-management & media handling skills were of the highest order, quickly winning over his dressing room & journalists shortly aft taking over @ Chelsea.

But given the strange decision by Abramovich 2 hire the relatively inexperienced Villas-Boas, all eyes will be on him 2 deliver the goods tat the owner so badly 1s.

My prediction? If Villas-Boas can figure out his 1st-team by the time the new EPL season kicks off in less than a month, he may just end up as the 2nd coming of the "Special 1".

[joew2005]

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Chelsea to sign two, Pastore close
July 24, 2011

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay says tat the club will sign 2 new players ''in the next 8 to 10 days" as they continue 2 be linked with bids 4 Luka Modric & Javier Pastore.

Barcelona teenager Oriol Romeu is certain 2 become the 1st, aft the 2 clubs agreed a fee of around £5 million tis week. However, with another midfielder also needed & both Modric & Pastore valued @ over £40 million, it seems the Blues will be forced 2 spend big again aft an outlay of around £75 million in January.

"Andre has come in just a few weeks ago & needed some time 2 look @ the pool of players we hv, & we strengthened in January with bringing Fernando Torres & David Luiz in2 the squad," Gourlay told Chelsea's official Thailand supporters club.

"When a new coach comes in he has 2 look at players he has & think abt tactics & systems, becos diff players play differently under different coaches & in the next 10 days Andre has the chance 2 analyse the squad & then we take it fr there," he continued.

"But fr our activity in the market place in the past, if the coach feels there is a player available tat can strengthen our team then we almost definitely go in2 the market place. We will hv @ least 2 signings in the next 8 to 10 days."

Indeed, a deal Argentine playmaker Pastore appears 2 be gathering pace as Palermo vice-president Guglielmo Micciche has claimed it's 'very probable' tat the midfielder will join Chelsea.

Pastore has been linked with a host of top clubs such as Roma, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan & ManC, but the Blues r now favs 2 land him.

''It's very probable tat Pastore will go 2 Chelsea, but I think there r other top-level teams who r after the player," Micciche told Radio Sportiva. "He 1s a big club & there r advanced talks with very important teams. His agent [Marcelo Simonian] is working very well, & if some1 pays the right money then we will be happy 2 sell him. If not, we will keep him."

"Let it be clear, we do not 1 any players as part of the deal.''

Roma hv ruled themselves out of the race 2 sign Pastore, with sporting director Walter Sabatini telling Corriere dello Sport: " He's a very special player, but he will not move 2 Roma tis summer."

[uncle gg]

hear say it's modric and lukaku

[joew2005]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...ncerns?cc=4716

Andre's age concerns
July 28, 2011

Win or lose, Andre Villas-Boas should be braced 4 a test of his politeness & his patience. There r 2 issues tat will recur with unfortunate regularity 4 Chelsea's new manager. In many a press conference, he should expect 2 fend off questions abt resemblances or differences with his former employer, Jose Mourinho, & the birth certificates of his veteran players, many of them dating 2 the same decade as Villas-Boas' arrival on tis earth.

Age doesn't matter, he has said. But it does, & not merely becos the marriage of wrinkled players with the fresh-faced manager is intriguing. The question of when Chelsea's greatest team will hv 2 many miles on the clock has been a constant in recent years. Not un-coincidentally, a reminder came fr SAF, who 1st, & erroneously, deemed Chelsea 2 old 2 years ago, & who dropped a similar hint tis year.

Ferguson being Ferguson, such comments r unlikely 2 be coincidental but, while the ManU manager is sufficiently ancient 2 be the grandfather of many of his players, his Chelsea counterpart is the contemporary of his charges.

The issue of when 1 30-something will discard several others is part of Chelsea's generation game. The new element is being provided by Villas-Boas' acquisitiveness. The Portuguese has signed 19-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, agreed a fee with Barcelona 4 another 19-year-old, midfielder Oriol Romeu, & has shown more than a passing interest in Anderlecht's 18-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku.

Factor in the 5-year contract awarded 2 Josh McEachran & Chelsea's future, long postponed, is suddenly taking shape. But, perhaps, not just yet. It was telling tat no sooner had Courtois been bought than the Genk goalkeeper was promptly loaned 2 Atletico Madrid. 4 now, Petr Cech remains Chelsea's 1st-choice.

Wat Villas-Boas appears 2 be displaying is a blend of progressiveness & pragmatism tat tis most precarious of posts may require. Long-term planning & institutionalised short-termism can be almost incompatible, as previous Chelsea managers hv discovered. Frank Arnesen's 6 years as sporting director left the 1st team almost unaffected, partly becos the majority of his charges lacked the quality needed, but partly becos 2 few incumbents of the hot seat were willing 2 experiment when silverware was a prerequisite 4 continued employment.

Villas-Boas' compromise, then, entails persisting with the tried & tested while preparing potential successors. It is notable tat, far fr instigating a clearout, he is yet 2 dispose of a single veteran.

Nicolas Anelka may yet see out the final year of his contract; Didier Drogba remains very much in contention 4 the centre-forward's berth; even Paulo Ferreira is still @ Stamford Bridge. His decision, like Carlo Ancelotti's b4 him, may be tat the old-timers hv 1 last title in them, hoping they offer him immediate validation in the process. Ultimately, however, tat did not buy the Italian time. The Portuguese's problem is tat whenever transition occurs, it will hv 2 include trophies.

Yet tis summer suggests the idea is 2 skip a generation & base a team around 4 teenagers &, in David Luiz & Ramires, the more junior pair of last season's expensive acquisitions. 1 of the oldest teams in the Premier League, by Villas-Boas' own admission, could then become 1 of the youngest. Tis is a consequence of the comparative void in the squad, among the group who should be peaking. Possessing 8 1st-team players betw the ages of 25 & 29 is not worrying in itself.

Among them, however, Jose Bosingwa & Yuri Zhirkov r perennially on the margins & Salomon Kalou's fine goal return last season was not enough 2 enable him 2 shed his bit-part player tag. Michael Essien is injured again &, like Fernando Torres, it is debateable if his formidable prime occurred early in his career. It leaves the solidity & dependability of defenders Alex & Branislav Ivanovic, + Cech.

As Courtois' fee could rise to £7.9 million, a hefty sum 4 even Chelsea 2 pay 4 a reserve goalkeeper, it suggests tat he is seen as Cech's successor, not his deputy. If the goalkeeper is intrinsically associated with senior colleagues like John Terry, Frank Lampard & Drogba, it is becos they constituted the spine of Mourinho's side.

Villas-Boas indicates tat Romeu will occupy wat he deems the No.6 role, tat of the passing anchorman; should McEachran & Ramires complete the midfield in a year or 2, it would be notable 4 the absence of Lampard. In Lukaku, perhaps, he will eventually hv a player who can consign the Anelka-Drogba era 2 the past.

There is a logic in buying young, particularly for 1 of the 2 English clubs likely 2 be most affected by UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules: if prices r still substantial, they r nonetheless cheaper than the cost of recruiting established world-class talents. But it also enables Villas-Boas 2 fashion Chelsea's next team b4 he has disbanded the last 1. And when he does, he could be managing men 15 years his junior, answering different questions abt the importance of age.