I didn't count Wilkins or the second coming of Mourinho

You've got to count the second coming of Mourinho as it's at the expense of another manager.

CHELSEA SIGN MARK SCHWARZER

Posted on: Tue 09 Jul 2013
Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer on a free transfer.

The Australian international has signed a one-year contract that will keep him with the club until next summer's World Cup in Brazil, for which he helped his country seal qualification last month.

'It's a phenomenal club,' he said upon signing. 'It's one of the biggest and best clubs in the world, and it's an honour to sign for Chelsea. I didn't take much convincing to come here.'

Schwarzer, 40, brings with him a wealth of experience after more than 15 years in England with Bradford City, Middlesbrough and most recently Fulham, and last season became the first overseas player to have made 500 Premier League appearances.

Born in Sydney, Schwarzer began his career with Marconi Stallions before moving to Europe with German side Dynamo Dresden in 1994, which was followed by a short spell in the Bundesliga with Kaiserslautern.

A move to England followed in 1996, with Bradford City the platform from which Schwarzer signed for Middlesbrough, going on to play more than 400 times in 11 years, lifting the League Cup in 2003 and appearing in the 2006 UEFA Cup final against Sevilla.

In 2008, he moved south to west London with Fulham, spending five years at Craven Cottage, where he made 220 appearances.

Schwarzer made his international debut in 1994, and has since represented Australia 108 times, including at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/3233254/title/chelsea-sign-mark-schwarzer

Well in Chelsea.....

Dave Mitchell, Tony Dorigo, Mark Bosnich & Mark Schwarzer

Edited by Joffa: 10/7/2013 07:54:23 AM

will he be first choice?

Good luck to Schwarz - going into a top 4 club is credit to his craft.

Leaves Fulham to get first team football. Joins Chelsea to warm the bench.

What'd I miss.

Chelsea reserves, better than first team football @ 90% of other EPL clubs

:lol: what planet do you live on?

He won't see a game for Chelsea reserves.

Mark Schwarzer plans to 'push hard' for opportunities after agreeing one-year deal with Chelsea

The 40-year-old will have trouble dislodging Petr Cech as number one

WEDNESDAY 10 JULY 2013

Mark Schwarzer is not planning to replace Petr Cech as Chelsea's number one goalkeeper - but the Australian will certainly push hard to be involved at his new club.

The 40-year-old - a free agent since leaving Fulham last month - has agreed a one-year contract to provide cover for Czech Republic international Cech at Stamford Bridge.

Cech has been a near ever-present for the Blues in his nine seasons in London, with Hilario and Ross Turnbull among the several deputies unable to displace him.

But Schwarzer still harbours ambitions of representing Australia at next year's World Cup and knows he will need game time to ensure his spot on the plane to Brazil.

The former Middlesbrough keeper told Sky Sports News: "Petr is number one - that goes without saying.

"For me what was important was that I could come to a club the size of Chelsea and really try and push myself as much as possible.

"If I can help Petr Cech improve as a goalkeeper and help myself improve as a goalkeeper then we can learn a lot from each other and I'd be delighted with that.

"There's a lot of games throughout the season and I know that if I'm pushing as hard as I can do then there'll be opportunities along the way."

Schwarzer revealed returning Blues boss Jose Mourinho had helped persuade him to join "one of the best clubs in the country" after speaking to the Portuguese about his future options.

He added: "I've spoken to the manager at Chelsea and it was very easy to make the decision that Chelsea was the right club for me.

"The size and ambition of the club and the opportunities at the club ticked all the boxes. It was an amazing opportunity to join a fantastic club.

"It's one of the best clubs in the country, if not one of the best clubs in the world, so it was very easy to make the decision after speaking to the manager."

Schwarzer moved to England in 1996 to join Bradford before making 367 league appearances in 11 years with Middlesbrough. He won the League Cup with Boro in 2003 and appeared in the 2006 UEFA Cup final against Sevilla.

During his time at Fulham he became the first overseas player to make over 500 Premier League appearances and reached another European final as the Cottagers lost out to Atletico Madrid in 2010.

The signing appears to have solved Chelsea's goalkeeping dilemma.

The Europa League winners were on the lookout for a support keeper to Cech following the release of Turnbull and Hilario at the end of the season and Premier League rivals Norwich this week confirmed rejecting two formal offers for England stopper John Ruddy.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/mark-schwarzer-plans-to-push-hard-for-opportunities-after-agreeing-oneyear-deal-with-chelsea-8699761.html

Edited by Joffa: 10/7/2013 07:46:41 PM

Chelsea favourites to sign Man Utd star after Mourinho drops huge hint

The Happy One has admitted he would like to sign Wayne Rooney and bwin now make the Stamford Bridge side favourites to land the England striker.

bwin’s bookies have installed Chelsea as the favourites to sign Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney after Blues boss Jose Mourinho dropped the clearest indication yet that he wants to beat Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona to the singing of the former Everton man.

Speculation about Rooney’s future has refused to go away all summer despite new United manager David Moyes constantly reiterating that the England forward, who worked with Moyes when the pair were at Everton over a decade ago, is not for sale at any price.

The striker’s summer took an unhelpful turn when he picked up a hamstring injury on United’s tour of the Far East that will rule him out for a month, and reports today suggest that it could be his last action for the club, with Chelsea resolute in their desire to bring the 27-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

With just two years left on his contract at Old Trafford, Rooney is in a position where his next deal will tie him to United long-term and with rumours that he still wants to move on, Moyes could be forced into selling his number ten.

And today Mourinho lit the blue touch paper in a way that only Mourinho can by saying, as respectfully and tactfully as he could, that Chelsea would be interested in taking Rooney to Stamford Bridge should the striker become available this summer.

“It’s a funny, tricky question from an ethical point of view as I can’t talk about players from other teams,” the Happy One said.

“But it is not my character to speak with hypocrisy, I always tell what I see – he’s a player that I like very much. Being fast and direct I like him very much, but he’s a Manchester United player.”

- See more at: http://bwinbetting.com/leagues/premier-league/chelsea-favourites-sign-man-utd-star-mourinho-drops-huge-hint,42012.html?#sthash.wANRDxhv.dpuf

Frank Lampard feeling fresher than ever ahead of new season

SIMON JOHNSON
Published: 15 July 2013 Updated: 08:49, 15 July 2013
Frank Lampard cannot wait for the season to start and it’s not just because he has been reunited with the manager he has relished playing under most.

The return of Jose Mourinho to Chelsea has given Lampard good reason to be excited but it is the lack of personal pressure which has made the midfielder feel particularly upbeat.

Twelve months ago, not only was he fearing that his Chelsea career was coming to an end but the 35-year-old also had the stress of trying to break Bobby Tambling’s club goal-scoring record on his mind.

Both issues dominated the headlines and became an obsession for Chelsea fans.

It was only in May that they were resolved in Lampard’s favour as he passed Tambling’s 202 mark with a brace against Aston Villa before being handed another 12-month deal a few days later.

That, combined with the fact he had a full five weeks off, means Lampard is feeling fresher than ever going into his 13th season at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking about the pursuit of a new contract and goals record being a thing of the past, he said: “I’m relaxed now. It’s a nice weight off my shoulders. With the staying thing, everyone knew I wanted to and we got there in the end.

“And with the goals thing, I really wanted to do it last season because of the crowd build-up, everyone was talking about it.

“It would have been on my mind in the summer and carried into this season so it was fantastic to do it.

“I’m now just looking forward to enjoying the season. It’s a great appointment as manager, everyone knows that we all think that here. It’s going to be really exciting and I’m going into it with the same desire as all the others.”

There are few players better to comment on whether Mourinho can make the same kind of impact at the club as he did first time than Lampard.

He was one of Mourinho’s most loyal subjects as Chelsea claimed five major trophies between 2004-7.

Mourinho has been at Inter Milan and Real Madrid since then and just a week of pre-season training under him has been enough to convince Lampard that the club have employed an even stronger coach.

Lampard, who is in Bangkok with the rest of the squad on their pre-season tour of South East Asia, said: “Jose’s been brilliant. He’s probably even better with all the experience.

“He was such an influence on me and the club before, but he’s come back like he’s never been gone. He’s walked straight back into the building and is held with great affection by people behind the scenes.

“Everyone has fallen straight back into it and after two or three days you could see the intensity, his desire to train and to get the team working to try and win rubs off on everyone.

“I know how he works with individuals and gets the best out of players. But just from some of the training sessions, there have been new ideas along the way.

“I’m sure he’s picked them up along the way – it’s been six years since he was last here. He has gone on and won the Champions League and titles in Italy and Spain.

“Pre-season always gets harder as you get older, but it’s very fresh with the new manager and it’s not a long slog.”

After winning the Champions League and Europa League in successive seasons, some suspect Chelsea want Mourinho to make winning the Premier League the priority.

Chelsea last won it in 2010 and have finished a distant sixth and third behind Manchester City and Manchester United respectively in 2012 and 2013.

Lampard admits Chelsea are determined to pose a better challenge but not at the expense of trying to win on the continent once again.

When asked about the club’s need to focus on the Premier League, he told Chelsea TV: “I agree with that to an extent, but I don’t think you can ever turn your nose up at the Champions League because it’s so special and we found that out. I would never put that as a secondary thing in my head because it was such an amazing thing to win [in 2012].

“But I get the idea that domestically, the last few years have not been good enough for the club. I do feel that we’re now going to find that consistency that we lost.

“We’ve lost ourselves in certain months of the season and certain games, not going on winning runs and being as ruthless as we were. I feel that if we can get that back, then the domestic trophies are ones we’re really going to look at.”

With the last two champions of England appointing new managers as well, there is a claim in some quarters that it’s Chelsea’s title to lose.

However, Lampard said: “Manchester City are obviously going to be strong with a manager [Manuel Pellegrini] who has credentials and a big squad that they have already improved in the summer.

“Man Utd? I have great respect for David Moyes and we know their squad is already up there. All we can do on that front is worry about ourselves.

“Our squad is already fantastic, it’s young and getting better as we go along. The manager coming is obviously a great strength for us and the few signings we’ve made and the few more we will potentially make, will make us even better.”

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/frank-lampard-feeling-fresher-than-ever-ahead-of-new-season-8708604.html

Chelsea's greatest?

Who has been Chelsea's best manager?

Sky Sports is launching a vote to discover the finest boss in the history of each current Premier League club and we want your opinions

In a summer which has seen Jose Mourinho return to the Premier League, what better time to look for the greatest manager in the history of Chelsea? Sky Sports is launching a vote to discover the best boss in the history of the London club and you can have your say. But who will you chose? Is Mourinho really the Special One or do his achievements compare to Chelsea's first league winner, Ted Drake? Italian pair Roberto Di Matteo and Carlo Ancelotti can also not be forgotten after incredible cup-winning success both at home and abroad. Have your say and we will announce the winner in the week commencing 12th August.

Jose Mourinho (2004-2007 & 2013-Present)


The Special One now claims to be the Happy One after returning for a second spell at Chelsea, where his presence has turned the club into favourites for the Premier League next season in the eyes of many. Mourinho won two league titles - one with a record points tally - an FA Cup and two League Cups during his first stint at Stamford Bridge between 2004 and 2007. His disappointments were in losing two UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Roberto Di Matteo (2012)


The man who was in charge of Chelsea for their first European Cup win cannot be overlooked despite the fact he was only in caretaker charge at the time. Di Matteo succeeded Andre Villas-Boas having been one of his assistants and went on to defeat Bayern Munich at their Allianz Arena in the UEFA Champions League final in 2012. Liverpool were also beaten in the FA Cup final in the same season.

Carlo Ancelotti (2009-2011)


Amicable Italian Ancelotti won the Premier League and FA Cup Double with Chelsea in 2010 to mean he was taken to the hearts of the club's fans. A slightly underachieving campaign in the following year saw Ancelotti ruthlessly sacked but he became a martyr of sorts in the eyes of supporters. Many think Ancelotti should have been given more time at the helm at Stamford Bridge.

Ted Drake (1952-1961)


Drake was the man who managed Chelsea to their maiden First Division title when winning England's top flight in 1955. It was to be almost 50 years before Chelsea were again to win the championship, with Jose Mourinho the man who ended the wait. Drake is also credited with helping give the club their identity in their Lions crest badge and Blues nickname.

Who do you think has been the greatest manager in Chelsea's history? Have your say via the feedback form below and vote in our poll. Voting closes on 9th August

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11096/8813771/Chelsea-s-greatest-?

Haha how can you even consider Di Matteo as Chelsea's greatest manager? He was there for 1/2 a season or so as an interim and even shorter as the proper manager.

A new era for Chelsea Football Club?

19 Jul 2013 09:33:30
By Ashutosh Borka

'Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.'

And in came Jose Mourinho, and smashed the club transfer record with the signing of Didier Drogba.

Spending in excess of £130 million in his first season, which marked Chelsea's transfer policies for the first Abramovich decade - buy your way to instant success.

Over the decade we saw a host of superstars come in and go out. Bought for some of the most exorbitant sums, and offered ridiculous salaries, but only some of them were able to prove their mettle.

We've had the likes of Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, Arjen Robben, Ashely Cole maybe even Micheal Essien before injuries marred his career, who have been worth every penny. But we've also had Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jose Bosingwa who haven't lived up to their enormous price tags.

Over the past decade Chelsea fans have been able to boast about winning almost every piece of silverware there is to offer, of having some of the biggest names in the footballing world.

But fact still remains we can never talk about financial profits, grooming young talent or having home grown legends quite the way Barcelona, United or even Arsenal can. John Terry is the only player who has graduated from the youth academy and has been able to consistently claim a first team spot.

"Now I promise exactly the same things I promised in 2004 with this difference to add: I'm one of you."

And so began the second term of Jose Mourinho. But this time it feels different.

There is a kind of calm and composure unheard of in association with Mourinho. He doesn't seem like the go buy-it-all manager he's largely known to be.

"This time I arrive, and victories and silverware are nothing new. In this moment it's time for a completely different approach. Not losing my nature, which is the nature of the club too, trying to win. I think we are all prepared for a different era with a different profile of team."

"We always have ambition to add a couple of new players to improve the squad, but the most important part of my job at the moment is to improve the players we have."

With this Mourinho identified the direction the club was heading in. No more £100 million plus transfer windows, no more being drawn into bidding wars and most importantly grooming the exciting talent Chelsea have in abundance. A new era of exciting young talent, an era of financial fair play.

In the past Chelsea have been wasteful with many of their youngsters, Nemanja Matić makes a fine example. He was sold to Benfica in a makeweight deal for David Luiz, having been identified as not being a prospect for the future. He has now developed into one of the most promising talents, and is rumored to return to Chelsea in a deal worth excess of £30 million. Rumor true or not the fact remains, that Chelsea lost out on a great talent due to bad management.

With Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Tomas Kalas included in the pre-season squad this trend will hopefully change and the most is made out of the Chelsea youth.

Reflecting on the last season Chelsea do need a few reinforcements. The first addition I'd like to see is that of a quality striker. Even as a Chelsea fan I've resigned on Torres ever coming back to the form he showed in his glory years, Lukaku is perhaps still a little raw to be depended on week in week out and Ba remains an emergency backup signing.

With Monaco making the swoop for Falcao, and Cavani on his way to join the French Revolution in Paris, Chelsea have to look elsewhere for their attacking spearhead.

Robert Lewandowski had emerged as an option but he seems determined on switching to rivals in Munich.

Wayne Rooney in a Blue jersey is an option all Blues fans would be smacking their lips about. But with Moyes intent on playing hardball, Mourinho shouldn’t break the bank over a player who hasn’t been at his best recently. That only leaves options like Burak Yilmaz, Benteke, Stevan Jovetic on a very limited list.

Another area, where Chelsea need backup is defensive midfield. Obi Mikel though great defensively gives the ball away too often, is poor going forward and should be on his way to Galatasaray. Although, Benitez did experiment with Oscar in a deeper role, I doubt Mourinho would consider it given the Brazilian's diminutive frame. Chelsea need someone to provide backup to Ramires and Lampard.

Here comes in Marco van Ginkel, the exciting young Dutch prospect considered to be the future Lampard can be prove to be a bargain at around £7 million. But, he seems more like a future plan rather than an immediate replacement.

With creative ball players like Mata, Hazard and Oscar in the attacking midfield we need someone in a deeper role who can not only make the tackle when required but also keep the ball and pass it. This is where Daniel De Rossi seems like a perfect fit. The Italian is not only strong, and a good tackler but can control the game in a way that Ramires or Mikel, will never do. Nathan Ake who was impressive in his full debut against Middlesborough can also prove to be a useful option.

Chelsea have made a rare sensible choice by going for the cheap and signing free agent Mark Schwarzer, rather than trying to price out John Ruddy from Norwich. Schwarzer is a hugely experienced keeper and will provide sufficient back-up along with the 19 year old Blackman, till Courtois returns to take over the reins from Cech.

In the defensive department, Chelsea seem fine on the surface but you dig a little deeper and cracks begin to appear. In central defence, there appear to be four options in Luiz, Ivanovic, Cahill and Terry. But Terry is 32, and with him not being first choice under Benitez it is still to be seen if he can merit a first team spot. Luiz is not the most defensively solid at the back, and if Mourinho decides to cash in on him to Barca or PSG then Chelsea will need to sign a defender or two.

On the flanks, Azpilicueta did a fine job towards the end of last season. Ivanovic can provide some support there too. At left back - Ashely Cole, although he hasn't shown any signs of ageing is 32, and the only cover available is Ryan Bertrand who is inconsistent at best.

One area where Chelsea have more than an abundance of talent - attacking midfield. Surprisingly, Mourinho has added to this already jam packed midfield with the purchase of André Schürrle. Costing around £17 million he certainly can't be called cheap. But a German international and as Mourinho describes him: “a player who is absolutely ready and he gives us more than one position in attack" could be a value addition. Moses doesn't seem to have made the mark with Mourinho and rightly so, looks set to rejoin Roberto Martinez at Everton.

With Schürrle firmly in his plans, Mourinho looks like he will play an attacking 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation. With Hazard and Schürrle on the flanks and Mata just behind the striker, Oscar and De Bruyne used in rotation whenever needed. With a quality striker Chelsea could give the best defenses a headache.

Chelsea seem to be a shaping up to be a great squad with not only a quality first eleven, but also a strong bench.

Let's hope the "special one" can deliver, and bring home the Premier League again.

Whatever may be the result, the air around Stamford Bridge is full of excitement, a new era of Mourinho, a new era of Chelsea football is here.

http://m.sport.co.uk/football/a-new-era-for-chelsea-football-club/4340805/?

José Mourinho turns Godfather on return to English family at Chelsea

Older and wiser, the Portuguese realises he needs to set an example on and off the pitch at Stamford Bridge

Dominic Fifield in Kuala Lumpur
The Guardian, Saturday 20 July 2013 08.00

José Mourinho seemed rather tickled by the latest moniker to be ushered his way. The Chelsea manager was seated in one of the boardrooms at Kuala Lumpur's Club Saujana resort surveying a Premier League landscape stripped of Sir Alex Ferguson and in which only he and Arsène Wenger have claimed the title. At 50 he is almost one of the old breed these days, with three of his former assistants now coaching rivals in the division. If André Villas-Boas, Steve Clarke and Brendan Rodgers are his proteges, capos who have flown the nest, then he can now be considered The Godfather.

The nickname prompted the chuckle that had been intended, yet the Portuguese recognised the implications. Mourinho used to be English football's loose cannon, a figure whose unpredictability was box office. He could be charming one moment, explosively dismissive the next, his ability to undermine opponents long before his team had taken the field the stuff of legend. Those tempestuous last few months at Real Madrid had suggested little had changed in the six years since his acrimonious departure from Stamford Bridge, but he would insist plenty has. He has to act his age.

"I've won all the English competitions, I've almost the most number of Champions League appearances as a manager, and I'm the only one [in the division] who's a European champion," he said. "So maybe I have a bit more responsibility as one of the more experienced guys now. I have that situation added on my shoulders. I have to be an example for everybody, not just in terms of expectations but everything: conduct, support … I have to be there for everyone if they need me. I have felt it over the last few years, in Uefa meetings, trying to establish new ideas to improve the Champions League and Uefa competitions. A respect was there and my responsibility was getting stronger. If that happens too in the Premier League, I have to answer in a positive way."

The idea that Mourinho, once such a politically provocative figure, will become his fellow coaches' go-to man, imparting advice as Ferguson – whom the Portuguese referred to as the "Boss" and the "Dad" – did behind the scenes, reflects his standing. He returns to Chelsea a two-times Champions League winner, his record glittering upon every stage he has graced. They are to name a street after him, an Avenida de Mourinho, in his home town of Setúbal later this year. The assumption is this team, inspired by his presence, will go on to dominate in the Premier League once again, as they did with titles in 2005 and 2006. Yet, while the club has grown so used to claiming silverware, the challenge ahead is very different to that accepted when he was lured from Porto nine years ago.

"I faced a different profile of squad back then, if not a different profile of ambitions," he said. "One team built many years ago is disappearing and we're facing the new situation of financial fair play, so I'm working now with a squad whose best years are to come. After three years at Real, this profile of job comes at a good moment for me. I'm being a bit of a coach, a bit of a teacher. The (young) players have big space in their grey matter, lots of neurons free, ready to absorb and process information. I have to prepare the long-term future, and I don't want to be evaluated or loved for what I did before. I want to be loved because of what I'm doing now and what I will do in the future."

That task is to overthrow Manchester United while also fending off the threat of Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City, Wenger's Arsenal and Villas-Boas at Spurs. It is David Moyes at Old Trafford who draws the focus, a manager awaiting his first major honour and tasked with succeeding Ferguson, one of the greatest managers of all time. "Before I won the first trophy I had not won anything, so everyone is the same," said Mourinho. "He is experienced. To win trophies with Everton is not easy. When he finished fourth or fifth there, he didn't take the medal home but it's a trophy.

"One of the most difficult things in the club is to create a victory culture, one where you walk through the front door and smell the success, smell the confidence, smell the self-esteem. When I first came to Chelsea we were training at Harlington [the former university sports ground now occupied by Queens Park Rangers] and the only trophy they had from the previous season was the Malaysian Cup they won here. Now Chelsea is a big club.

"But other times you arrive and just think: 'This is already a big club.' David is in a big club with a winning culture already there, and that is a help. Everybody there knows how to win, but he must be the proudest man in the world and has a huge chance.

"City have bought four important players who will improve their fantastic squad. In my first time here people always put pressure on me, saying: 'You buy this, you spend that, you buy the title.' So I hope now they say that about the other side. But it's not about the money. It's always difficult to win. You can have the best players in the world, but you will have other kinds of problems to deal with, in terms of some choices, changes, rotations and turnovers."

City have already claimed a league title since they were transformed by Abu Dhabi money. Wenger's Arsenal, in contrast, have not lifted a trophy since Mourinho's first year in English football and, yet, he still considers them a threat. "They have their philosophy, and for some reason they do it. For sure, their manager does really good in the job. If not they wouldn't keep him. They will sign some players for sure to improve the team, and the manager brings stability. If he signs a new contract it means everything is comfortable and the board and the team know where they want to go. I think they are contenders."

And Villas-Boas, his former opposition scout whose decision to depart Internazionale for his own career in management so damaged their relationship? "All those people who worked with me, for me, none of them found my office locked. They don't have my files hidden under the bed. Everything was there for them: they had the chance to learn, to study, to be part of discussions and to be part of my training process. So for him, for Steve, for Brendan, I am very happy to see them successful.

"What they achieve is down to them. I'm just happy to help in their formation, in the same way Mr [Bobby] Robson or Louis van Gaal did with me. After that, when they fly, when they fly well, I'm happy for them."

That prompted a moment's hesitation before, an hour after the nickname was first mooted, it was officially taken up.

"Maybe I am going to be The Godfather," he added with a smile. Chelsea are glad to have their seasoned champion back in place.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/19/jose-mourinho-chelsea-godfather

News » Football

JUL 23 2013

Chelsea Set To Test United With Second Bid For Rooney

Chelsea are set to make a second offer for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney according to reports.

Chelsea had an initial offer rejected for Rooney last week and since then United’s manager David Moyes has been reported in the independent saying that there is no way that he will be leaving the club and that, “the club’s position has not changed.”

In a report by the Daily Mail, Mourinho has declared again that the striker is his primary transfer target and that he is willing to pay up to £30 million for the player.

The same story reported that United had previously turned down an offer of £23 million plus add-ons of up to £2.5 million for Rooney.

It is believed, in the article, that if Chelsea can prize the England forward from Old Trafford then they will offer him a five-year contract and match his 240,000-a-week salary that he is currently on at Old Trafford

It will be interesting to see if David Moyes rejects an offer for the injured forward for a second time.
Chelsea Set To Test United With Second Bid For Rooney

http://www.sportsvibe.co.uk/news/football/chelsea-set-to-test-united-with-second-bid-for-rooney-26631/?

Wayne Rooney arrival won't force out Demba Ba at Chelsea

DEMBA BA insists he is going nowhere this summer – even if Chelsea sign Wayne Rooney.

By: Matthew Dunn in JakartaPublished: Fri, July 26, 2013

Chelsea striker Demba Ba wants to stay at Stamford Bridge this summer

The former Newcastle striker only signed for the Blues in January after they triggered a £7million release clause in his contract.

However his six months at Stamford Bridge were something of a disappointment, with Ba scoring only two goals from 14 Premier League starts, and this summer he was being linked with a move to follow the man who signed him, Rafa Benitez, to Napoli.

Ba, though, claims to be reinvigorated by working with new manager Jose Mourinho and even if the Portuguese has made it clear that Rooney is the man that he wants to spearhead his attack in the new season, the Senegal international is keen to stay and fight for a place in the team.

Ba has been linked with Rafa Benitez's Napoli

Chelsea are hoping to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United

We will all work in the same direction, for the club, to try and win the games. I will stay
Demba Ba

“I think we need competition and we welcome the best players in this club,” he said on Rooney. “More competition is going to make me better anyway.

“All players want to play, not only centre forwards. We will all work in the same direction, for the club, to try and win the games. I will stay.”

Ba scored in the 8-1 thrashing of BNI Indonesia All Stars in Jakarta yesterday and will carry on to America where fellow striker Fernando Torres will join up with the squad.

Ba and Fernando Torres were Chelsea's strike options last season


“I feel good,” he said. “It’s always good to score but at this stage it’s more about the work and running a lot on the pitch to get you condition back.

“It’s been a good week’s work with the new manager. We will see in the next few weeks. It will be exciting.”

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/417609/Wayne-Rooney-arrival-won-t-force-out-Demba-Ba-at-Chelsea?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-football-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Football+Feed%29

José Mourinho: If a player is 'great' they have to give more

A seemingly more modest Chelsea manager warns his superstars they must produce on the pitch, not just have fun

Dominic Fifield in Jakarta
The Observer, Sunday 28 July 2013 07.43 AEST

José Mourinho is supposed to be a changed man. There were times on Chelsea's pre-season tour of south-east Asia when he would rail, albeit in mock horror, at reminders of the reputation he had once forged for himself, interrupting press conferences as local comperes reverted to those monickers that marked his first spell in English football. "I'm not the Special One any more," he would say. "That was 10 years ago. It's an old story."

The Premier League's provocateur-in-chief has apparently mellowed, enthused by a new kind of challenge at Stamford Bridge and, at 50, the added responsibility that comes with experience. Yet, if the story has moved on, elements of the old plotline remain. The schlep around Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia was all about building fitness, with the tactical fine-tuning to come in the United States, on the four-game second leg that follows. From now on in, Mourinho is intent on making this team tick and, just as in 2004 – when he first arrived in west London – some individuals will find adjustment a slog.

He inherits a side who revolve around free spirits, almost an imitation of the Barcelona lineup he confronted and, briefly, eclipsed while with Real Madrid. Eden Hazard has already made an impression. Juan Mata and Oscar, two of the six players granted more time off after the Confederations Cup, report back at Cobham on Sunday. These are the talents to set Chelsea apart, but they will not be indulged. Mourinho's man-management retains its edge. "I am not the kind of guy who makes life easy for the great players," he said. "This kind of player is the last I praise.

"You have to praise the guys who play to their limits, who give everything. They are not superstars; they are just good players trying to support their teams. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer the top players, the guys who win you matches and make the difference. But if they are 'great', they have to give more than the others. For me, to praise an ordinary player is easy. For me to praise a top player is not. When a player is different and has more potential than others, he has to use his talent in a good way."

That insight was delivered in a sixth-floor meeting room at the team's Jakarta hotel, high above the din of the city's choking gridlock, with the implications clear. It might ring a bell with Damien Duff and Arjen Robben. It certainly will with Joe Cole, now back at West Ham, whose evolution under Mourinho was painful at times. He and Shaun Wright-Phillips were once infamously hooked within the opening 26 minutes of a defeat at Fulham. "Joe was one of the best talents in the Premier League, and in English football, but I made his life quite difficult," said Mourinho. "We transformed his game together because he accepted what I wanted – and we turned a No10, who would come up with two or three amazing actions, into an inside-winger, left or right, who was strong defensively. He was fantastic. I was so pleased with what we did with him.

"A creative player has to use his ability and, if he loses the ball trying to create or score a goal, no problem. If he's just having fun, though, and loses the ball in midfield and then doesn't defend, and the team concede, that's a problem. These guys have to go out there to produce, not have fun or look to humiliate an opponent, putting the ball through their legs. It's about being respectful and having objectives.

"We've had Joe, Robben and Duff, Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel di María and Mesut Ozil … with me [at Real Madrid], players like Eden Hazard will have freedom. The kid has a lot of talent, but it's about what he does next. He has to go from a great talent to great numbers: how many goals, how many assists, how many winning goals, how many goals in big matches. Football is about numbers in a very pragmatic way. I'm ready to help him, I'm ready to work with him. And he must be ready too."

At first glance, Mata would already boast that weight of statistics. The Spaniard has totalled 18 goals and 33 assists in his two Premier League seasons, his efforts earning him the supporters' player of the year award for each of his two seasons at Stamford Bridge, with his team-mates nominating him the players' player of the year, too, last term. That was an award conceived by Mourinho during his first spell at the club, an unapologetically blatant attempt to ensure Claude Makelele was recognised while others hogged the limelight.

"It was my invention," said the manager. "The fans have one perspective, the players another, so for Mata to have won both means a lot. People love him, but his fellow players love the work he puts in for the team. Of course he fits into my plans. I have my idea about him, about where he produces better and where he has more difficulty. We will try to help him perform better in those situations. I've always liked a right-sided player to be left-footed. I started with Robben and Duff, then [Goran] Pandev at Inter, and Di María and Ozil. Many clubs do it. It's more than a tendency.

"I like wingers coming in on the inside for the penetrative movement, for the pass, for the shot. And Juan is the only player we have to do that on the right. On the left we have Hazard, Victor Moses, Kevin De Bruyne, André Schürrle … Juan is also very comfortable playing as a No10. In between these two positions, he has a lot to give to the team."

The signing over two years of so many attack-minded midfielders was supposed to quench Roman Abramovich's thirst for slick, forward-thinking football, a style that successive managers, Mourinho included, have been charged with implementing. Few have conjured a balance between solidity and swashbuckling attack, invariably prompting their own downfall, though the returning head coach does not envisage conflict with the owner this time around. The oligarch has been at Stamford Bridge for a decade, funding Premier League titles and a European Cup. When he first arrived, he was treated with suspicion. Now he feels like a trailblazer.

"Who knows what Chelsea would be like if he hadn't bought the club in 2003?" asked Mourinho before thoughts drifted to Qataris in Paris, Russians in Monaco and Abu Dhabi's growing clout in Manchester. What does he make of the splurge of foreign investors?

"Maybe my question mark is why are they interested. I remember when Roman bought Chelsea, there was always the question: when is he going to sell it? Is he in love with the club? Is he in love with football? Is he doing this for the right reasons? Now I'm 100% sure, even with a big offer, Roman wouldn't sell. Some other clubs and some other owners, I'm not sure. I don't know them, their feelings, where they want to go, when they want to stop. Everybody was saying 'win the Champions League or win the Premier League and Roman will go'. Well, he won the Premier League and the Champions League, and his mentality is the same. He is always adding ideas and pushing because he sees a future. I remember when we started building [the training ground at] Cobham. [The then chief executive] Peter Kenyon and I were worried about giving just the right conditions, but Roman was always going for more. Why build four pitches when we can build 15, for the kids, for the future. Why train people elsewhere, at Brentford, when they can train together here?

"He's made life easier for the new owners coming into football. He did things in the right way so, by being one of the pioneers, he's given those others a chance to be well received. In our time it was hard because Roman was the man on the spot. After that, my profile added to it. We were not loved and people did not give us the credit we deserved at the time. Yet now you see people buying clubs in France, England, Italy, – an Indonesian buying 70% of Internazionale. Things are changing. People are received as 'good'."

Accusations of financial trickery lodged at the time may have been justified, but rivals have since realised they have little choice but to follow Chelsea's lead. Arsenal, who reacted with horror when Abramovich distorted the market, bid more than £40m for Luis Suárez. "I remember something Sir Alex Ferguson said when United won the Premier League in 2007, that the responsibility for United to be stronger that season had been down to Chelsea," added Mourinho. "'Because, in the last two years, they killed us,' he'd said, 'so we understood what we were doing was not enough.' So they bought, they spent, and they brought United to that level."

Others compete on an equal footing these days, yet this remains a manager who can give Chelsea an edge.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/jul/27/jose-mourinho-special-chelsea?

Is the title of this thread ever going to change?

Is anything ever going to be discussed in this thread? Seems there's only ever articles from Joffa :lol:

Chelsea would definitely rock this season..

Is Wayne Rooney the right man to lead Chelsea’s attack?
JULY 30TH, 2013 BY SHIKHARR CHANDRA


The mood around Stamford Bridge is “special and happy”, two adjectives that describe the new man in charge of Stamford Bridge- Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea welcome back the special one after sacking him back in 2007 and it looks like the Portuguese is on a mission to regain his reputation after his tempestuous departure from Real Madrid.

It was a disastrous last season for the Blues who even though finished third and ended their European campaign with yet another trophy, the mood among the fans was hardly a pleasing site.

Last summer saw an influx of creative midfielders in the side with the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar taking the Premier League by storm but Chelsea’s relatively poor squad depth ultimately took its toll during the final few months. With Daniel Sturridge being sold to Liverpool, the Blues attacking options were restricted to only Demba Ba and Fernando Torres, both out of touch and even though the latter chipped in with goals in the Europa League, his barren spell in the Premier League saw him net just once from December till the end of the season.

This season though has so far taken a positive shape for the South West London club. The Blues ended their tour of Asia with a 100% record and 13 goals in three games. Mourinho will be particularly pleased with Romelu Lukaku who ended the Asia tour with four goals netting in each of the three games. The young Belgian was quick to pounce on the opportunity and gave the new manager something to ponder about.

Yet despite his excellent form for West Bromwich Albion last season and a couple of pre-season games there still remains a doubt as to who would lead Chelsea’s attack come start of the season. The clubs present options comprise of Demba Ba, Fernando Torres along with Romelu Lukaku.

At first glance, one would feel Mourinho will go with the more obvious and experienced option in Fernando Torres who added yet another feather to his cap with the confederation cup golden boot. The Spaniard bagged 23 goals for Chelsea last season with the majority of them coming in cup competitions. Torres’s dismal run in the Premier League saw the Blues suffer on numerous occasions and entrusting him with the striking duties could be a huge gamble by the Portuguese.



Demba Ba on the other hand is mainly seen as a backup despite his decent showing with Newcastle during the start of the season. The Senegalese forward has so far failed to win many plaudits during the pre-season and despite his acrobatic finishes last season, the striker could mainly see a more regular role on the bench or the occasional capital one cup games.

Lukaku though despite his excellent form could be a major gamble by Jose Mourinho. The 20 year old has hardly been tested on big occasions and over reliance on him could backfire as the season progresses. The Belgian will get to see a lot of action this season more than what he got under Andre Villas-Boas which will help the striker develop his raw talent.

Chelsea’s need for a new striker has been no secret. After persistent efforts to sign Radamel Falcao and Edison Cavani, the club has now turned it’s attention to Manchester United forward, Wayne Rooney, the man who Mourinho identifies as the missing piece to complete the Chelsea puzzle.

At first look, it seems foolish to think that United will sell one of their longest serving player to their rivals especially in an area where the London club is desperate for reinforcements. But the last few weeks have seen a bizarre turn of events with the former Everton forward “angry and confused” with the way he has been treated by Manchester United and Jose Mourinho’s constant flirting has given Rooney much to think about. So, if Chelsea are successful in luring Wayne Rooney from Manchester United, does he solve their problems?

Unlike Falcao or Cavani, Rooney comes with an advantage of having played in the Premier League for the last decade which makes life a little easier for the Manchester United forward to settle in at Chelsea. Another thing that separates Rooney from the current crop of Chelsea strikers is his versatility. The England forward has been deployed on the wings, as a central midfielder, in the hole and a striker too! In Rooney, Chelsea have a player with the ability to not only finish attacks but initiate them as well by bringing the ball from the deep, pretty similar to what Torres has been offering on a very inconsistent basis.

At 27 years of age, Rooney still has several years left in him and despite his “drop in form” for the past few seasons, Rooney could easily slot in as the main forward at Chelsea. Having played second fiddle to Robin Van Persie and out of position on numerous occasions last season, Rooney still ended the campaign with 23 goals in all competitions for club and country, decent for a striker who had to struggle to find a fixed spot for himself in the team.

Having largely played out of his comfort zone in order to get the best out of the likes of Ronaldo, Van Persie, Berbatov, Rooney’s potential to some extent has not been used fully by Manchester United. When played as the central striker (2009-10), Rooney ended the campaign with 34 goals and although it was not enough for United to win the league, the forward clearly made a strong case of his favored position.

With Rooney, Chelsea get a striker whose comfortable in playing with the “three amigos”. The three attacking midfielders seemingly interchange their position on a fairly regular basis and with a striker used to that sort of a role, it makes Chelsea’s front four even more fluid.

In Rooney, Mourinho sees a player desperate to prove himself, a player looking for a new challenge and should Mourinho manage to get the best out of Rooney, Chelsea could finally bid farewell to their striking woes.

http://backpagefootball.com/is-wayne-rooney-the-right-man-to-lead-chelseas-attack/60656/?

Torres linked with La Liga return

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is a reported target for Spanish side Valencia as they look to replace Roberto Soldado. Soldado is closing in on a move to Tottenham and if a deal does go through then speculation in Spain says Valencia will attempt to take Torres back to La Liga, where he previously starred for Atletico Madrid. Blues boss Jose Mourinho could be happy to cash in and use the money to bring in his own targets but much will depend on how much Valencia can afford to pay. Los Che do have financial problems and will be unwilling to break the bank for Torres, especially as the striker is due to turn 29 in March. Tottenham will pay £26million for Soldado and that is the kind of offer Valencia will make for Torres and keep their fingers crossed that Chelsea accept.

Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/chelsea/torres-linked-with-la-liga-return-1611224.html?

Definitely worth getting rid of him while you've got the chance.

Lampard: Mourinho told me I was the best player in the world

Frank Lampard reveals that José Mourinho told him he was the "best player in the world" during his first spell at Chelsea

By TSR staff
Thursday 1 August 2013, 08:45 UK

Frank Lampard has revealed that José Mourinho told him he was the “best player in the world” during his first spell in charge of Chelsea.

The Portuguese coach led the Blues to six major trophies between 2004 and 2007 before leaving the club and joining Inter Milan shortly after.
Chelsea’s trophy haul under Mourinho included back-to-back Premier League titles – and Lampard admits he was thrilled to see the 50-year-old secure a return to Stamford Bridge on a four-year contract earlier this summer.
“He told me I was the best player in the world, but if you want to be recognised you need to win titles and medals,” Lampard, who signed a one-year Chelsea contract extension in May, told the Sun.
“Whether he meant it or not I’m not sure, but he certainly knew how to get the best out of me, as I thought that I needed to prove this bloke right.
“So for him to come back, for me personally, is brilliant.”

http://www.thesportreview.com/tsr/2013/08/frank-lampard-jose-mourinho-best-player-in-the-world/?

Is Jose Mourinho right to pledge to support Torres at Chelsea?

by Gareth McKnight

The Stamford Bridge manager is backing the misfiring Spanish forward, saying that his team must adapt to suit the attacker’s style of play.

Fernando Torres’ demise since moving to Chelsea from Liverpool in a £50 million deal has been well documented, as the once devastating forward has lost confidence, his pace and a real threat in front of goal. With Jose Mourinho back in the Blues hotseat and domestic and European domination the goal, the team’s situation in attack needs to be addressed.

It is believed that Chelsea are in the market for a new top-quality forward, however the boat has sailed on reported targets Radamel Falcao and Edinson Cavani, as Ligue 1’s big-spenders snapped the South American pair up. Others such as Wayne Rooney have been linked, but Mourinho’s latest comments suggest that the club may well make do with what they have, and look to reinvent Torres.



“We know Torres’ game. When we see Torres with his back to goal surrounded by two or three opponents, we know that he is not going to produce a piece of magic. But this is Torres. We want the team not to learn how to play with him, but to improve how to play with him.

“We won’t re-model his game, it is impossible to re-model his game. But we want to adapt the team and teach the team how to use his best qualities, because his game is his game.

“He is not a kid any more, he is at an age where it is difficult to change his play. He is what he is and he is very good with the qualities that he has got. So we need to learn and support his game.

“I feel he is highly motivated, he works very hard. I think some of the work we do with the team in terms of attack suits his qualities.

“So let’s see what happens. We are here to support him.”

Torres started to show signs of recovery last season, and under Rafa Benitez began to regain some of his confidence, with improved performances coming as a result. That said, his eight goals last season shows that he is a long way away from returning to the player that he once was, and a similar return this season will be nowhere near good enough to fire the Blues into contention for honours.

There is a feeling that Chelsea were outgunned financially by Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain in the hunt for Falcao and Cavani, and should the Blues fail in their attempts to convince United to sell Rooney, Torres will be an important player for the Blues next term.

That said, Torres is not guaranteed a starting berth, with Demba Ba and an ever-improving Romelu Lukaku to contend with for the lone striker role.

The Spaniard’s fate will largely depend on the personnel that the club have at their disposal at the close of the transfer window. Should the like of Rooney or another big-name striker be added, Torres could be reduced to fleeting appearances from the bench.

If this is set to be the case, it would be best for both parties for Torres to be allowed to return to his homeland for a fresh start. Former club Atletico Madrid would be a sensible destination, and a partnership in attack with David Villa would be an intriguing one.

Should Torres stay at Chelsea he will need the support that Mourinho speaks of, because he may well spend the bulk of next season on the fringes.

http://hereisthecity.com/2013/08/03/is-mourinho-right-to-pledge-to-support-torres-at-chelsea/

like the new shirt

I think Mourinho can get the best out of Torres, and I didn't think he played badly last season.. saying that, if we buy Rooney I will be stoked, he is quality. Also excited to see Lukaku doing well in preseason. So keen for the season to start!