Stadium move not necessary

18 March 2011-PA Sport

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has insisted the club does not necessarily need to leave Stamford Bridge to break even.

Reports have suggested the Premier League champion was considering relocating to a new 60,000-seater stadium at Earls Court.

That would allow it to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in terms of gate revenue.

But despite Chelsea recently announcing a loss of £70.9million in addition to spending £75million on Fernando Torres and David Luiz, Gourlay does not believe a new home is needed to balance the books.

He said: "We are always looking at our options but I can tell you that there is no move imminent.

"Of course, it would help if we had another 15,000 or 20,000 seats but we don't need to leave Stamford Bridge to break even.

"We are in pretty good shape financially, even with the January purchases of Torres and Luiz.

"The board remain confident we are heading in the right direction."

Chelsea is currently investigating the possibility of selling the naming rights to Stamford Bridge, which has just under 42,000 seats.

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/english-premier-league/news/1049093/Stadium-move-not-necessary

Exclusive - Bosnich: Ancelotti undermined by Chelsea boardroom

By Nick Rostron-Pike
Thursday, April 7

Mark Bosnich has claimed that Carlo Ancelotti isn’t picking the Chelsea team he wants because of pressure from the boardroom.

The former Blues stopper believes Fernando Torres continual inclusion in the team has undermined the manager’s position.

Speaking to the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, Bosnich said: “Chelsea have a got a few problems and the most obvious one is Fernando Torres.

“I was very perplexed at the time that they bought him especially for such an amount, because they have two other players who play in a very similar position.

“When you play with somebody who runs into your space and does the things that you do it becomes very difficult.

“When you look at his time at Liverpool when he scored the majority of his goals, he was holding the line up front on his own and it was Steven Gerrard who was playing off him.
“
When you start doing that and getting orders from the top, it undermines your power as a manager
”
Mark Bosnich
“It’s a very difficult situation for them, I’m not so sure that Carlo Ancelotti is playing the team that he wants to at the moment.

“I thought it was very poignant that he brought off Didier Drogba, who looked far more likely to score in that Chelsea side than anyone else, rather than Torres for Anelka in that second half.

“When you start doing that and getting orders from the top that you have to do that and that you have to keep playing him, it undermines your power as a manager.

“Everyone can see, including the Chelsea team that he’s [Torres] not having the best time, maybe it’s a good idea to take him out of the side for a couple of weeks and let him bed in a little bit more, and play the team he’s comfortable with and the style that Chelsea are comfortable with.”

http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-news/football/premier-league/6413/8/exclusive-bosnich-ancelotti-undermined-chelsea-boardroom

Chelsea sacked Wilkins in less than three minutes

By Jack Pitt-Brooke
Saturday, 9 April 2011

Ray Wilkins has revealed that he was sacked by Chelsea during the course of a two-and-a-half-minute meeting. He was dismissed as assistant manager last November, and said he was offered "not one" reason by the club.


Moreover, Wilkins, who likened his dismissal to a "kick in the balls", said that despite working for Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for two-and-a-half years he "does not know him at all".

The sudden dismissal of the assistant manager of the then league leaders was controversial. Chelsea's announcement was made while Wilkins was watching a reserves game at the club's Cobham training ground.

When asked whether club officials afforded him a 10-minute discussion to explain their decision, he responded: "I think it was more two-and-a-half." Despite more than two years at Chelsea, Wilkins never developed a personal relationship with his Russian employer. "I don't know Roman", he said. "More often than not if you've been in someone's company for two-and-a-half years you know them, well, I didn't know Roman."

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/chelsea-sacked-wilkins-in-less-than-three-minutes-2265353.html

Abramovich should give Ancelotti the time he needs to build on solid foundations

Even if Chelsea's season ends with only qualification for the Champions League, Ancelotti has earned another shot at it


Monday, 11 April 2011

In one corner of the magnificent Chelsea training ground in Surrey, a big house is being built. The rumours are that it will be used by owner Roman Abramovich when he is not in his place in Marylebone or his estate in Sussex or on one of his yachts – or anywhere else business takes him.


Whatever mystery surrounds Abramovich, there is a sense of permanence about that house which suggests he has no plans to abandon his Chelsea project – cost estimated now at close to £1bn. It is not, after all, like he needs another home. It makes you wonder how different life would be at that club if the position of the manager at Chelsea was as solid as the proverbial bricks and mortar.

Carlo Ancelotti approaches tomorrow's Champions League quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford with a long-term survival rating only fractionally higher than that of an asthmatic moth. Fail against United, the consensus runs, and Ancelotti is gone in the summer. The evidence? The four managers – excluding caretaker Guus Hiddink – who have already been escorted off the premises since Abramovich bought the club in 2003.

Every manager who has failed to win the league at Chelsea has been sacked at the end of the season, with the exception of Jose Mourinho, who was sacked the following September. Ancelotti's side are 11 points behind United with one game in hand. His one chance at redemption this season was the Champions League but Wednesday's 1-0 home defeat means his options are running out fast.

No one can be certain of Abramovich's next move. His greatest talent is for his own inscrutability. His second is for making bold decisions without blinking. But here is a simple plea: if it turns out Chelsea are eliminated by United tomorrow, they should not sack Ancelotti. If the season ends with only qualification for the Champions League next season – and that looks increasingly secure – then he has earned the right to another shot at it.

At a club as demanding as Chelsea it must be hard to accept that, by the end of this week in mid-April, there could be nothing to play for. And, difficult though that must be to explain to a Russian billionaire who is not involved at the club on a day-to-day basis, it does not necessarily mean the manager needs to be changed.

Quite apart from Ancelotti's qualities, where is the high-profile, high-calibre replacement who, like the Italian, can point to previous successes in the Champions League? If the only candidate you can think of is Mourinho, then the answer is: there isn't one.

In Arsène Wenger's first full season at Arsenal, 1997-1998, he too won the League and Cup Double. His was a team built mostly from the remnants of the successful George Graham era, plus Dennis Bergkamp and a few judicious signings of Wenger's own. Then, after 1998, Wenger had to endure United winning three consecutive league titles, as well as the treble in 1999, before he won his next title with a very different team in 2002.

In many respects, it feels the same way with Ancelotti. He took the best of Mourinho's side and won the Double last season. But that team is reaching its natural end and it will take a few years to rebuild. With considerably more credit in the bank, Sir Alex Ferguson did the same at United between 2001 and 2007. It helped that he won one title during that period in 2003, but it was not until 2007 that he had comprehensively rebuilt from six years earlier.

Unfortunately, time does not seem to be a commodity which Ancelotti can draw upon. Yet, beyond the isolated disappointment of this season, Chelsea are not a club in crisis. There is more to them than the question of when Fernando Torres will score his first goal. The problem is that, as long as the only thing that matters is winning the Champions League – and everyone is judged accordingly – it can seem that way.

They have spent millions on their academy, not all of it with obvious results, but Chelsea under-18s beat their United counterparts 3-2 yesterday in the semi-final first leg of the FA Youth Cup, which Chelsea won last season. It may just be that after years of trying, the club's academy is starting to yield some results. Only time will tell.

Equally, the two goals for Daniel Sturridge, on loan at Bolton Wanderers, against West Ham on Saturday mean that the Chelsea striker has now scored six goals since his first game on 2 February. You could point out that is more than the combined total of Torres, Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba in the same period. But, equally, it could suggest that this young man has finally grasped what is required of him.

Yes, Abramovich has ploughed enough money in to expect results immediately. But football rarely behaves according to that kind of logic, to the extent that it is hard not to think that he was spoilt by the success of those two league titles in his first three seasons. He only needs to look at Manchester City's slower progress, after the same kind of massive investment, to see that.

It will be eight years this summer since Abramovich bought Chelsea. They are an established part of the European elite to the extent that even their generous owner supports tighter rules on financial fair play. They have league titles and FA Cups and, although no European Cup yet, they no longer have to fret about their status. They can afford to be patient.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/sam-wallace-abramovich-should-give-ancelotti-the-time-he-needs-to-build-on-solid-foundations-2266104.html

The five things Chelsea need to put right to overcome Manchester United

After a 1-0 defeat in the quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti's side need to analyse how to win at Old Trafford and advance to the Champions League final four

By Jamie Dunn
12 Apr 2011 07:50:00

1. Start fit-again Alex
For whatever reason, it hasn't happened for Jose Bosingwa this season and against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, his lack of form was all too evident as he was caught short in the build up to Wayne Rooney's solitary strike in the first leg. Just a few short days later, Alex returned from injury off the bench in a routine 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at the weekend.

While Bosingwa offers an attacking threat and Branislav Ivanovic prefers to play as a central defender, the latter has arguably out-performed the Portugal international at full-back this season. With extra strength and grit needed to combat Manchester United's potent attacking threat at Old Trafford, bringing in the sturdy Alex at centre-back and moving Ivanovic out to right-back could prove to be a shrewd move.
2. Play Florent Malouda ahead of Yury Zhirkov


At Stamford Bridge, the Russian was preferred ahead of the France international, presumably as Carlo Ancelotti looked to give little away to United at home and attempted to stifle the advances of the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park on Chelsea's left-hand side.

With Chelsea needing at least one goal to force the game to extra time though, now is not the time to play so cautiously. Whether Ancelotti elects to field a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation, Malouda is capable of slotting into either system and was one of the standout performers of his Italian manager's Premier League-winning first season in England. If the Frenchman can recapture a similar vein of form - he scored the decisive goal against Wigan on Saturday - Chelsea will feel they can overturn the first-leg deficit.
French fancy | Malouda could hold the key to Chelsea's route to goal

3. Make Michael Essien and Frank Lampard tick


Once one of the most dominant looking pairings in European football, the combination of the Ghanaian and the England international has failed to get off the ground this season, partly due to injuries while also owing plenty to a change in system and personnel around them. Ramires, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength after struggling at the start of the season.

At the top of his game, Essien is one of the finest central midfield players in the world, while Lampard has always been a potent goal threat for Chelsea. If these two can play on the same page again, the Blues are in with a great chance of victory, especially as they will need to limit the countless problems United can cause with their wealth of midfield options.

4. Light a fire under Fernando Torres


It has escaped few observers - especially those of a Liverpool persuasion - that, after 10 games in a Chelsea shirt, £50 million January signing Fernando Torres is still yet to hit the target for his new club.

If the Spanish striker wishes to erase memories of an unspectacular start to his spell with the London club, scoring against Manchester United at Old Trafford will do his cause no harm at all.

In fact, the first leg of this quarter-final tie was arguably Torres' best Chelsea performance so far, as he looked livelier than in previous games, clipping the post with a feint touch and being thwarted by Edwin van der Sar in the United goal.

They say form is temporary, class is permanent and Chelsea fans will no doubt be wondering when they will see the best of Torres. If Ancelotti can coax a match-winning display out of the former Liverpool man, now is the time to do so.
Turning Point | Can Torres put his miserable start behind him at Old Trafford?

5. Nicolas Anelka must start


Signing Torres has, of course, given Ancelotti an unwelcome selection headache despite what on paper appears to be an embarrassment of riches. For so long a team comfortable in the tried and tested 4-3-3 system, the Italian has been forced to shuffle his pack in an attempt to get the best from the Spaniard.

He may not have been on the scoresheet recently, but it is in European competition where Anelka has shone. The Frenchman leads Chelsea's scoring charts with 16 goals, thanks in no small part to his contribution of seven in the Champions League.

Quite simply, Anelka is Chelsea's most prolific striker in Europe and, after missing out on the starting XI in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, the experienced striker will be eager to make a start, whether it be with Torres and Didier Drogba or just one of the two.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2011/04/12/2437213/the-five-things-chelsea-need-to-put-right-to-overcome-manchester-

Roman Abramovich is Chelsea's problem as well as the solution

There is a disconnect between Roman Abramovich's politburo authority and the effect his meddling has on Chelsea


Paul Hayward The Observer, Sunday 17 April 2011

The helicopter swoop on Cobham and the Reservoir Dogs march across the pitch to address the beaten team in their changing room are becoming a bit dated now, but who is going to tell him? Speaking truth to power is never easy when power pays your salary and the whole shebang has cost £750m.

Chelsea will never get round the difficulty that the man who pumped in all that money is the problem as well as the solution; not just the blessing but the curse.

You walk round David Luiz, in the way Bill Shankly invited football writers to when he signed Ron Yeats, and Roman Abramovich is the godsend. You watch Fernando Torres and think the owner is the fault line at Stamford Bridge. To the super-rich, investment without control is anathema. But the more Abramovich controls the more he undermines his spending.

This all started with José Mourinho, of course, and players being bought without his say-so, with confidants and company men blocking the path between manager and owner: football's clearest route to glory. As Carlo Ancelotti said on Friday: "The most important thing for a club, and for a manager, is to have a good relationship with the club, the owner. When this relationship is not good, you have to change. Until now the relationship with the owner is fantastic. He has supported me this season when we didn't achieve important results. If, at the end of the season, the owner decides my job was not good enough, this is not a problem."

Ancelotti is a hired gun. He knows the rules. The prestige and profile of even the finest manager cannot compete with the power of the mogul, who sees the staff skipping across a field on £150,000 a week and feels justified in expecting instant gratification. Ancelotti is the sixth manager of Abramovich's eight years at the controls. The more we all point to this pattern of instability the more entrenched the oligarch becomes. There is a disconnect in his thinking between politburo-style authority and the damaging effect his meddling has on the team.

Conventional wisdom says Ancelotti was hired for his Champions League expertise. But would it be impugning a top coach and decent man to say he was employed also for his pliability? As a former courtier to Silvio Berlusconi in Milan, Chelski Manager No6 was a good bet not to defy the owner in the way Mourinho had.

As this season progressed, and his teams tumbled out of competitions, diplomatic cunning on Ancelotti's part came to look more and more like counterproductive deference, or weakness, because if there is one political truth about this Chelsea squad it is that they will walk all over a manager if they think he lacks authority: a conclusion that must have seemed obligatory when Ancelotti failed to stand up to Abramovich over the sacking of his No2, Ray Wilkins.

No player brings an air rifle into the training ground and shoots an intern if he fears the wrath of the manager. The most telling detail about Chelsea's 2010‑11 campaign is that the players chose not to respond to the exhortations from Ancelotti to return to their old winning ways. They may still like him, but fear is noticeably absent. After fear, with footballers, you are into the murky realm of respect.


So when a new man is testing his reputation against the Cobham Collective, that Surrey-dwelling gang of one-man corporations, the problem of Ancelotti will be gone but the problem of Abramovich will remain. And since he refuses to build along Manchester United or Arsenal lines, the time is rapidly approaching when lecturing the owner about stability becomes pointless. If he wants to jeopardise his £750m, who can tell him not to?

Well, the supporters and the club, actually, because he is the custodian as well as the owner, whether he likes it or not.

Roy Hodgson, who was fired by Liverpool after 191 days, diagnoses a distortion of the term "success": a money-induced and society-driven mangling of perspective. "The success is so quickly forgotten and people are so quick to say it's not worked out," Hodgson says. "When you've reached the quarter‑finals of the Champions League and played two such close games against a top-class opponent people should be more sanguine.

"You knew either Manchester United or Chelsea were going to go out in that round. In the second leg they certainly took the game to United for long periods and did well to equalise but came up against a very good team.

"Failure, to me, would be Chelsea failing to reach the Champions League, or failing to reach the final stages. I find it hard to accept it's failure to be second or third in the Premier League and lose a quarter-final.

"If we're going to be judged like that, all that's going to happen is that Chelsea will change their manager every year or second year and the results are going to carry on being the same."

Abramovich can be a detached, popcorn-eating owner and allow the experts to make the big calls or he can steer Chelsea like a yacht.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/apr/17/roman-abramovich-chelsea

Drogba minders plan Chelsea talks next week over future

22.04.11 | tribalfootball.com

Didier Drogba is seeking clear the air talks next week with Chelsea over his future.

The Sun says the striker and his representatives are set to meet Blues chief executive Ron Gourlay.

And Drogba could ask for a move unless he gets assurances he still has a prominent role at Chelsea.

Drogba, 33, has become increasingly disgruntled at being left on the bench since Fernando Torres' £50m arrival in January.

The striker's agents will ask if Carlo Ancelotti is staying as boss - and if he still counts on Drogba as his main man.

And if the Italian is axed in the summer, Drogba wants to know he will still be part of the club's plans for next season.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/drogba-minders-plan-chelsea-talks-next-week-over-future-1585871

Former Reds boss linked with Chelsea switch

Chelsea, 14:14, April 23, 2011

Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is the latest man to be linked with the manager's job at Chelsea.

Current Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is under severe pressure at Stamford Bridge after failing to guide the London club to Champions League glory and owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly prepared to replace him in the summer.

Benitez meanwhile has been out of work since being sacked by Inter Milan in December but still lives in England following his spell at Liverpool.

He has spoken openly about his desire to return to Premier League management and even went as far to say he feels misfiring Chelsea forward Fernando Torres would benefit from working with a Spanish coach.
And reports today suggest Abramovich, who is desperate for the club to become European champions, is ready to consider the Spaniard as a potential replacement for Ancelotti, given his excellent record in European competition.
Benitez won the Uefa Cup with Valencia in 2004, the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005 and was also runner up to Milan - then managed by Ancelotti - in the 2007 Champions League final.
The fact he is a free agent will also appeal to the Russian oligarch, though the fans may need convincing given the uneasy relationship Benitez had with the club during his time with Liverpool.

http://www.clubcall.com/chelsea/former-reds-boss-linked-with-chelsea-switch-1202405.html

Zola linked with sensational coaching return to Chelsea

27.04.11 | tribalfootball.com

Gianfranco Zola is being linked with a sensational return to Chelsea.

The Telegraph says according to well-placed sources, Blues owner Roman Abramovich is still hoping to persuade Guus Hiddink to replace Carlo Ancelotti this summer.

And it could be that Turkey coach Hiddink moves to Chelsea as manager for a short time with a younger coach groomed to take over.

That has led to the possible recruitment of Marco van Basten or even Zola.

The young Porto coach, Andre Villas-Boas, is also being monitored. He worked at Chelsea as part of Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/zola-linked-sensational-coaching-return-chelsea-1596651

Malouda pleads for new Chelsea deal

From: AFP May 01, 2011

CHELSEA midfielder Florent Malouda has urged the club to offer him an extension to his contract amid speculation the French international could be sold in the summer.

Malouda's current deal at Stamford Bridge runs until 2013 but the 30-year-old is keen to add another year to the contract, saying he wants to emulate the longevity of Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs.

"I just want to feel I am important at the club," he told the Daily Telegraph.

"Sometimes I don't feel so when I see in the media that the club are thinking of selling me, and I know I'm doing great.

"I want to be the Ryan Giggs of Chelsea! I want to extend my contract by one year until 2014. The club have been saying that because I am over 30, I have to wait until the last year of my contract to speak about an extension. Questions come into my mind. Do the club want me to stay?

"I am waiting for a signal from the club. I am much appreciated by the coach. But I need support from the club as well."

Chelsea have only a faint hope of overhauling United in the title race and face a trophyless season, one year after winning a Premier League and FA Cup double.

Despite the disappointing campaign, Malouda has dismissed suggestions that manager Carlo Ancelotti should be fired.

"It's unfair," Malouda said of the speculation surrounding Ancelotti.

"He's one of the greatest managers. He's good tactically. He's brought stability to the club, won the double at the first attempt.

"Because we are now out of three competitions and six points behind United, people outside are saying Chelsea should change everything. But all the big clubs have stability.

"Everybody seems to want to put pressure on Ancelotti but he's really cool. He knows the squad support him. That's the most important thing for him.

"I want Ancelotti to stay. Players come and go but the manager is the key. We can win the Champions League under him one day."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/malouda-pleads-for-new-chelsea-deal/story-fn6bmf6t-1226047598067

Real Madrid boss Mourinho willing to offer Kaka to Chelsea for Lampard

08.05.11 | tribalfootball.com

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho wants a reunion with Chelsea midfield ace Frank Lampard.

The Sunday Mirror says Mourinho will attempt to persuade Chelsea to sell Lampard this summer.

The Real Madrid boss is even contemplating using Kaka as bait in deal which would enable Chelsea to significantly subsidise a protracted £40 million move for the Brazilian.

Lampard has two years remaining on the £150,000 week deal he signed in August 2008.

Yet the 32-year-old could be convinced to make one final move in a glittering career, as his place is likely to come under increasing threat at Chelsea.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/real-madrid-boss-mourinho-willing-offer-kaka-chelsea-lampard-1618391

CARLO ANCELOTTI: I'LL GET SACK EVEN IF I WIN THE TITLE!


8th May 2011 By Tony Stenson

CARLO ANCELOTTI will ask John Terry to roll up his sleeves one more time to help him win the title – before his expected departure.



The Chelsea boss revealed last night he has been ordered in for talks by ­owner Roman Abramovich a week after the season ends.


Only at Stamford Bridge do they treat Double-winning managers with such disdain.


Carlo Ancelotti has inspired one of the most remarkable Premier League comebacks ever, clawing back 15 points to make today’s match with leaders Manchester United a virtual title ­decider.


“I certainly won’t stay around too long if United win,” he joked.


The former AC Milan boss was asked if he could ­really be sacked even if he won the ­title.


And giving little away, he replied: “In Italy it has happened. Now the problem is not whether I stay or go. It’s to win.


“We will see after the end of the ­season, maybe the week after. That’s what they’ve said to me. That’s when we will speak about the future.”


He believes skipper Terry­ ­ will inspire the club to victory.



His performances all season have been a key to their revival.


Ancelotti said: “John ­Terry’s performances were good when he didn’t have the ­England armband and good when he got it back.



“His season has been fantastic. He played all the games at 100 per cent. In my opinion, he’s been the player of the ­season.”


Ancelotti won’t change his tactics for the game and ­explained: “We need to have the best performance from all our players.



“It won’t be one player who decides this game. It will be decided through the strength of the team, not an ­individual performance.


“We don’t want to change too much compared to a home game. We want to use the same players, the same ­philosophy. We have to consider their skills and ability, to know that United have fantastic skill.


“They use the counter-attack very well and use Wayne Rooney. We want to play our football, though.



“There are plenty of things to ­consider. We have to attack but we have to maintain our balance when we ­do so.



“Obviously, some players will have to attack and others will have to be aware of Rooney and Javier Hernandez.



“They are a fantastic combination, Hernandez attacking the lines and ­Rooney in ­between.”


Meanwhile, Ancelotti is proud of how his squad has reacted to being eliminated from the Champions League by United.


He said: “I said to the players we had an opportunity to show ­character and personality.



“A lot of people thought Chelsea players’ heads would go down after that defeat. But the spirit has been very good.”


And when asked who was the best team in the ­Premier League, ­Ancelotti said: “I don’t think we have the best quality.



“We have a different quality compared to the other teams.



“I don’t think we are the ‘best’.


“The table says it all and until now, the best team has been ­Manchester United.”



http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/189930/Carlo-Ancelotti-I-ll-get-sack-even-if-I-win-the-title-/

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich steps up bid to bring Guus Hiddink and Gianfranco Zola to Stamford Bridge

Roman Abramovich will continue his pursuit of Guus Hiddink to become Chelsea’s new manager.

Sources close to Hiddink indicated for the first time on Monday that it was possible that he could leave his post as coach of Turkey if they lose a crucial Euro 2012 qualifier away to Belgium on June 3.

It is also believed that Abramovich has now spoken directly to Hiddink to try to persuade him to eventually return either as Chelsea manager or director of football.

Abramovich will be hoping that the result in Brussels goes his way — and that he can also fend off interest in Hiddink from Inter Milan, especially as the Dutchman has indicated to friends he may prefer to go to Italy.

Last week it appeared that Abramovich was losing heart in his efforts to lure Hiddink back to Stamford Bridge which opened up the slim possibility of Carlo Ancelotti remaining at the club and going into the final year of his contract, especially as he had dragged the team back into title contention.

Abramovich had already resolved to replace Ancelotti but was possibly dithering because of Hiddink. However such is his determination that he has also considered other candidates. These include Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp, Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas and former Ajax coach Marco Van Basten.

The Russian billionaire also has to decide what kind of structure he wants at the club given that sporting director Frank Arnesen is leaving this summer. Abramovich has to choose the manager or a head coach and then whether or not to appoint a director of football or simply a chief scout.

Among those whose opinion he has canvassed is former Real Madrid sporting director Predrag Mijatovic. The former Serbia and Montenegro striker is not thought to be a candidate himself.

Another important sounding board for Abramovich is thought to be Georgian businessman Merab Jordania, who last year bought the Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem where Chelsea have sent players on loan this season. Jordania has also been consulted on what kind of coaching structure Chelsea should have.

As revealed by The Daily Telegraph, there has been a discussion over whether Chelsea should try to offer a role to Gianfranco Zola on their coaching staff. The former striker, who was at Old Trafford on Sunday for the Premier League title decider, has made it clear he wants to be a manager at the next club he joins, having been sacked by West Ham last year.

He is not interested in being an assistant. It could be, however, that Abramovich attempts to structure a set-up with Hiddink working alongside a younger coach who will be groomed to then take over. That could also, eventually, include captain John Terry when his playing career eventually comes to an end.

The slender likelihood of Ancelotti staying has all but evaporated with the nature of Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United. Ancelotti is resigned to his fate and, according to sources, is almost relieved that he can soon expect to be sacked. He wants to remain in England and is not expected to join Roma.

Ancelotti is also understood to be frustrated by the way in which he has been treated during this campaign and the damage it has caused to his reputation. “Carlo wanted to go into the game fighting for his job but there is also part of him that thinks ‘I’m better than being under this kind of pressure’,” one source said.

It is believed Ancelotti is also angry with himself at allowing the pressure to finally get to him in what has been a difficult season. He had considered walking out following the abrupt sacking of his assistant Ray Wilkins and despite his protestations he may well be relieved if — and when — he does leave.

There is also understood to be a certain amount of frustration within the squad as to how the season has panned out after winning the Premier League and FA Cup last year and the contribution of some of the players.

Too many of Chelsea’s big-name players have failed to perform consistently this season, which was highlighted against United.

Meanwhile Terry admitted yesterday that Chelsea deserved to lose to United: “We came here praying we’d start well but the roles were completely reversed, they had a great start and the early goal and it settled them.

“I’m not sure [why we didn’t turn up]. The lads were fully prepared. It is one of those things and was a disappointing day. “Sometimes you have to hold your hands up. We didn’t deserve anything from the game at all in the first half. In the second we had nothing to lose, went for it and dominated.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/chelsea/8503611/Chelsea-owner-Roman-Abramovich-steps-up-bid-to-bring-Guus-Hiddink-and-Gianfranco-Zola-to-Stamford-Bridge.html

Chelsea fans deserve more

14 May 2011-PA Sport


Branislav Ivanovic has admitted Chelsea's players need to win back the trust of their supporters after producing what is set to be the club's worst season of the Roman Abramovich era.


The Blues are on the brink of ending a campaign without a trophy for only the third time since Abramovich bought the Londoners eight years ago.

If Blackburn fails to beat Manchester United on Saturday, Chelsea's reign as Premier League champion will be over ahead of its final home game of the season against Newcastle on Sunday.

Defender Ivanovic, one of only a few Blues players to shine this season, told his club's official website, www.chelseafc.com: "I think our fans deserve to have a good game from us.

"Unfortunately, we didn't win a trophy this season and now we have to show the fans they can believe in us for next year.

"We have to say 'thank you' with this game to our fans because they deserve it.

"It is a difficult moment when you know you don't have any chance but it is important that we are strong and ready for this game.

"We are not expecting an easy game because Newcastle will want to show they are a good team and please their fans, so we have to be ready 100%."

Victory at Stamford Bridge would all but guarantee Chelsea the runners-up spot ahead of London rival Arsenal.

Ivanovic added: "It's very important we finish as high as we can, which looks like it will be second.

"Everyone is looking at strong teams and, after a not successful year, we have to be strong, show character and be really powerful.

"Next season for us starts with this game against Newcastle and we have to start everything again and be better so we can challenge for the title again."

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/english-premier-league/news/1056353/Chelsea-fans-deserve-more

Axing me would be dangerous

By MARK IRWIN
Published: 14 May 2011

CARLO ANCELOTTI says it would be 'dangerous' for Roman Abramovich to rip up his Chelsea blueprint.
And the Italian warns he could come back to haunt the club next season if they sack him.

Ancelotti, 51, is facing the axe after failing to win a trophy this season and tomorrow could be his final game in charge at Stamford Bridge.

But he reckons Chelsea should follow Manchester United's example and not panic after one disappointing year.

And he makes it clear that if he is sacked he will look to join another Premier League club next season.

Ancelotti said: "It would be dangerous to tear everything up just because we didn't win the title this season.

"Our squad is really good and we don't need a lot of changes to stay at the top level. We bought Fernando Torres and David Luiz in January, who will be better next season.

"Manchester United were in the same situation last year. They didn't reach their targets and finished second but stayed calm and quiet and bought the right players. This year, they are about to win the title and they are in the Champions League final."

Ancelotti has one more year on his £120,000-a-week contract but admitted: "I don't know what is going to happen about my future.


CHELSEA boss can't think about Toon clash as his final game at the club
Football

"I have said many times that I hope to stay but I am calm about it and if something changes I will find another solution, no problem."

Bizarrely linked with Arsenal by the Italian Press yesterday, he said: "I am never surprised by the rumours but it's good news if your name is close to very important clubs like Arsenal.

"If it is not possible to stay with Chelsea, I have to find another job. My first desire is to train at Chelsea, secondly at another club in England."

The Italian admits he was stunned to hear of Alex Ferguson's latest misconduct charge.

United boss Fergie has been accused of looking to influence referee Howard Webb ahead of last Sunday's title-decider against Chelsea. But Ancelotti said: "I'm very surprised he has been charged. I thought he spoke positively about Howard Webb."



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3579845/Ancelotti-Axing-me-would-be-dangerous.html#ixzz1MOi6qec2

JOHN TERRY HAPPY AT CHELSEA

Posted 15/05/11

Chelsea skipper John Terry is desperate to end his playing days at Stamford Bridge.

Terry, 30, has three years left on his current deal but is already thinking about extending his Blues career beyond 2014.

Real Madrid have been linked with a move for the England captain which would see him reunited with former boss Jose Mourinho.

But Terry, who made his senior debut in 1998 and stands fifth in Chelsea's all time appearances list, insists he does not want to play anywhere else.

He said: "I'm hoping to get an extension on my contract of at least another year - I really am.

"I will try to stay here as long as I can. I love this football club and I never want to leave.

"I'm like the fans in that I take it home with me - and whenever we lose I take it out on the people closest to me.

"I'm very fortunate to be captain of such a fantastic club."

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8668_6933472,00.html

Hiddink reveals Chelsea link

22 May 2011-PA Sport

Guus Hiddink has revealed he has acted as an adviser to Chelsea since his spell as caretaker manager two years ago as he continues to be linked with a possible return to Stamford Bridge.

The Dutchman took over as caretaker boss in February 2009 after the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari and guided the Blues to the FA Cup, combining his role in west London with his duties as Russia coach.

Hiddink was highly popular in west London and with Carlo Ancelotti's future as manager uncertain, the current Turkey boss has been one of a number of names linked with the Blues.

Hiddink has also been offered a seat on the board at Ajax while being linked with an advisory role at PSV Eindhoven.

He wrote in his column in De Telegraaf: "It works well with Chelsea.

"Since I left two years ago I've been advising the club on things concerning the squad.

"Sometimes I become a sounding board.

"It costs me very little time and I can combine it well with my position with Turkey.

"There is no conflict at all."

The 64-year-old, though, is seriously considering the role with Ajax after being approached by Johan Cruyff, adding: "He asked me before to work with Ajax to sit on the board.

"In itself it seems to me a great challenge but I am worried about the practicalities although it might be less complex than a role of adviser."

http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1057611/Hiddink-reveals-Chelsea-link

Arry to Chelsea?

Ray: I’ll never go back to Chelsea

By CHARLIE WYETT

RAY WILKINS says he will NEVER go back to Chelsea - even if Roman Abramovich asks him.
Guus Hiddink is tipped to replace Carlo Ancelotti and fans want to see Wilkins return, too.

But Ancelotti's former No 2, axed by Red Rom in November, said: "My time is done with Chelsea. When you put in as much money as Mr Abramovich, you are entitled to choose what you want to do.

"He didn't want me so I am no longer there. Back then I was cheesed off but I am not one of those guys who would keep saying I should be still there.

"It is part of my life which is done and dusted."

Stamford Bridge legend Wilkins, 54, believes Abramovich has blundered by now sacking Ancelotti.

And the former Blues midfielder, speaking yesterday at the Nivea for men Great Football Experiment at Wembley, added: "The fans at Chelsea love Carlo.

"People are now looking at who could come in, but is there someone out there better than Carlo at the moment? I would have to say no.

"Guus Hiddink is a good bloke, I worked with him for three or four months, but I have no idea if he will come back.

"He is a loyal guy and if Turkey still want him, then I think he will stay with them."



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3603614/Ray-Wilkins-Id-never-go-back-to-Chelsea.html#ixzz1NYp3IuUw

Jose No to Rom By ROB BEASLEY

Published: 26 May 2011

JOSE MOURINHO last night ruled out a return to Chelsea.

The Real Madrid boss has snubbed owner Roman Abramovich by saying he is not interested in replacing Carlo Ancelotti.

And that will be a blow to players and fans who wanted him back.

A pal of Mourinho's said: "Jose makes no secret that Chelsea has a special place in his heart and that one day he'd love to go back.

"The trouble is nothing seems to have changed at Stamford Bridge since he left, they're still making the same old mistakes.

"There are too many different factions around Roman Abramovich as poor Ancelotti found out."

Mourinho, who has said his next job would be in England, was installed as a front-runner when Ancelotti was sacked on Sunday.

Former Blues caretaker boss Guus Hiddink, now Turkey manager, is in the frame for a comeback.

Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini's agent has hinted Chelsea have made an initial approach. And Porto chief Andre Villas-Boas is also on the radar.



Mourinho won a personal battle yesterday as Real dismissed managing director Jorge Valdano after run-ins with the Special One.



Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3601112/Jose-Mourinho-has-snubbed-a-chance-to-return-as-Chelsea-boss.html#ixzz1NYpeu7hU

Hiddink eager for blues job

Saturday May 28 2011

Guus Hiddink yesterday opened the way for a dramatic return to Chelsea when he admitted for the first time that he would welcome an offer to take over as the club's next manager, writes Jason Burt.

"If there was a concrete offer, then I would think about it," Hiddink said.

That offer is due to be made next Saturday -- the day after Turkey, the nation he coaches, play Belgium in a crucial Euro 2012 qualifier in Brussels.

Several times yesterday, Hiddink turned down the opportunity to commit his future to Turkey beyond next Friday's match.

"There's nothing concrete," he insisted when asked about Chelsea. "You cannot go into all kind of speculation or rumours because there's nothing concrete. The moment things are concrete, I'll go to where I have to be, direct."

Chelsea are hopeful that Hiddink (64) will sign a two-year contract, although they don't want to push too hard in case the deal collapses.

But Hiddink did little to dampen down the sense that he was expecting an offer to return to the club he led on an interim basis after Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked in February 2009.

"I'd like to work every day because I'd have more impact on the players. I like to work every day," he said. (© Daily Telegraph, London)

Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hiddink-eager-for-blues-job-2660179.html

Chelsea management decide to keep Kalou, Mikel

28.05.11 | tribalfootball.com

Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel are set to remain with Chelsea.

The London Evening Standard says the duo were understood to have grown unsettled under Carlo Ancelotti as they struggled to secure a regular starting role in the second half of the campaign.

Both players were believed to be considering their futures at Stamford Bridge, while there was increased speculation that the club might sell them anyway.

Kalou was particularly disappointed at his treatment having hit a personal best of 13 goals this term, yet he still started only 22 matches.

Ancelotti has already paid the price for a disappointing season by being fired on Sunday, but the club are due to make a number of changes to the squad this summer.

However, Chelsea want to keep Kalou and Mikel, who are 25 and 24 respectively, because their priority is to get rid of some of the older members of the squad and keep what young players they have in the ranks.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/chelsea-management-decide-keep-kalou-mikel-1661271

Guus Hiddink hints at Chelsea return

Daily Mail From: Herald Sun June 02, 2011

FORMER Socceroos coach Guus Hiddink has given the clearest indication yet that he is ready to answer Roman Abramovich's call and return as Chelsea manager.

Last week, the Dutchman fuelled speculation that he would become Carlo Ancelotti's successor by refusing to commit his future to the Turkey national side, as well as revealing his desire to return to club management.

And his apparent resolve to become Chelsea's next manager seemed to strengthen after hinting he is even open to combining managing the Blues with his current job as Turkey boss.

Hiddink, who has kept in regular contact with Abramovich since his departure as caretaker manager in 2009, told a Turkish newspaper: 'There is no official offer yet, but I can't guarantee anything.

'I haven't told the chairman (Mahmut Ozgener) what my thoughts are yet. But he is an intelligent man - I'm sure he follows the world's media.'

Hiddink's current deal with Turkey expires after Euro 2012 but he added: 'I never told anybody I was going to continue working here.

'The team is focused on me, I would affect the team negatively if I answered the speculation.

'I feel so energetic, so a club role is more preferable. That's what I like, working every day. I feel I need to do more.

'I've trained Australia and PSV at the same time, as well as Russia and Chelsea and I was very happy. We'll see what happens with Turkey.'

Hiddink is currently preparing for Turkey's crunch Euro 2012 qualifier against Belgium on Friday. Defeat would leave Turkey with an uphill struggle to qualify for next summer's tournament and would leave serious question marks over Hiddink's future.

That could clear the path for Abramovich to put together a suitable compensation package for the Turkish FA in his efforts to land Hiddink.

The Dutchman also insisted that Chelsea's billionaire owner is yet to make a formal approach for his services.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/soccer/guus-hiddink-hints-at-chelsea-return/story-e6frfg8x-1226067732980

Abramovich begins from scratch at Chelsea -- again

PAUL HAYWARD Jun 03 2011 11:41

The Goodison Park stairwell where Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly sacked is a warm and friendly part of the ground, where veteran doormen in blazers exchange pleasantries with old school Evertonians and Bill Kenwright, the club's chairperson, floats through dispensing bonhomie.

It is a place, in other words, of decorum and permanence and not the kind of area where a capable manager would expect to be dispatched moments after being allowed to say, in a post-match press conference, that a meeting would be held the following week to discuss his future. Ancelotti was fired like a junior accountant who had been caught fiddling the Christmas party fund and made to travel back to London like a pariah.

At least West Ham United, who dismissed Avram Grant in the tunnel, could cite relegation as the natural full stop at the end of their manager's Upton Park career. Only 12 months had passed since Ancelotti scored Chelsea's first Premier League and FA Cup double.

The early termination of his three-year deal at Stamford Bridge was handled in a manner that will make all future managers wary of Ron Gourlay, the Chelsea chief executive who did his master's bidding. In wielding the axe so swiftly Gourlay either has no sense of etiquette or is too weak to stand up to Roman Abramovich, who might have been persuaded to wait until Monday morning at least.

One of Abramovich's failings is to misunderstand the connection between boardroom behaviour and the tone set in and around a football club. In reality, Ancelotti was discarded by degrees. He was knocked to the ground when his No 2, Ray Wilkins, was sacked and given a kick when Abramovich bought Fernando Torres for £50-million and forced the manager to play him ahead of Didier Drogba -- not by edict, necessarily, but certainly by implication.

The surest sign that Ancelotti knew his time was up came at the Premier League title decider at Old Trafford, when he left Torres on the bench and started with Drogba in Chelsea's best formation: 4-3-3. This defiance failed to halt Manchester United's march to a 19th English championship but it reminded the rest of football that the former Milan coach knew what he was doing.

The charge of passivity against Ancelotti is well-founded. From the moment Wilkins was culled he looked a passenger on his own ship. The arrival of Torres snuffed the life out of him. He was caught between Abramovich's meddling and the listlessness of a side which had always corrected bad spells of form in the past. It is true that Ancelotti seemed dazed, but it was Abramovich who caused the change, reacting with his usual autocratic clumsiness to a mid-season slump of the kind Ancelotti will have come through many times in Milan. Again the disconnect in the Chelsea owner's mind is between cause and effect.

Weakened
Managers who are undermined from above are weakened in the eyes of players and start making political calculations about their own future when they would prefer to be planning two or three seasons ahead.

Since Abramovich decided he was a professor of the game he has dispensed with Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and now Ancelotti. Guus Hiddink, who is being tipped to return, was only a caretaker in 2009. So the prevailing culture in the Chelsea dressing room has lurched from Italian to Portuguese to Israeli to Brazilian to Dutch back to Italian and maybe now on to Dutch again. The Bridge is about to welcome its seventh manager in eight years.

Each upheaval brings new practice methods, new relationships at the training ground, different managerial likes and dislikes and often an altered tactical approach, all of which the players must learn. Chelsea's senior players have been resilient in the face of these repeated culture shocks, but must be reaching the point where their powers of adaptation are stretched to twanging point.

This instability is now built into the system. Speculation about Ancelotti's job started with the winter of discontent and intensified the moment they were knocked out of the Champions League -- Abramovich's obsession. Each manager joins knowing that failing to win the European Cup is grounds for dismissal, and dismissal usually comes before the manager has had sufficient time to impose his vision of how the European Cup can be won.

The brutality and shallowness of Abramovich's decision-making is now causing serious offence among Chelsea's supporters, who compare their club with Manchester United and ask whether their benefactor understands the nature of football empire building. With advisers feeding him the latest wisdom, he veers from one guess to the next, doling out huge compensation payments to men who turn out not to have been the answer after all.

To avoid the slow death Ancelotti might have stomped out with Wilkins. But the top managers will tell you a reluctance to resign on a point of order is often rooted in a sense of responsibility to one's staff. When the head coach goes, half a dozen others go with him. Aside from craving his own £6-million pay-off Ancelotti will have wanted to protect appointees who will now join him on the jobs market.

United and the Premier League's other top clubs are the big winners each time Abramovich rips it up and starts again. He is a child of Soviet power, which was always loaned, never given. -- © Guardian News & Media 2011

http://mg.co.za/article/2011-06-03-abramovich-begins-from-scratch-at-chelsea--again/