Chelsea ~ General Chat & Latest News

[Freddy Adu]

Carvalho Will Stay With Chelsea
Ricardo Carvalho is not planning to leave Chelsea when the January transfer window opens.

n the immediate aftermath of Jose Mourinho's sudden parting of the ways with Chelsea last month, several of the senior players most closely associated with the Portuguese tactician were said to be considering in their futures at Stamford Bridge.

But it seems enlightened self-interest has taken precedence over emotional knee-jerk reaction and misplaced loyalty.

For after skipper John Terry's insistence that he will be staying at Chelsea, and Didier Drogba's reaffirmation of commitment to the Blues' cause, Portugal international defender Ricardo Carvalho has also put the doubts to bed.

Carvalho's future had been the subject of speculation following Mourinho's exit, not least because Mourinho had brought him to the Bridge.

But Carvalho will be staying at Chelsea, and is predicting that the squad can go on to win more trophies - despite an indifferent start to the season that has left them in seventh place in the Premier League, well off leaders' Arsenal pace and with only eight goals scored in nine matches played.

"At this moment I'm not thinking about leaving Chelsea, but how to improve as a player," Carvalho said.

"The Chelsea players are prepared for everything and I'm convinced that we can have a successful season this year.

"I have not changed, I am always the same. Mourinho's exit is in the past and now it's important to live in the present."

***

[Freddy Adu]

Cole happy with Chelsea form

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is happy with his form ahead of England's clash with Estonia on Saturday.

He said: "Things have been difficult at Chelsea because of the start we have made and the team were not settled, but we have picked up a couple of good results.

"As far as my form goes, I think I'm doing ok. I've been in better form, I've been in worse. The important thing is that I'm confident coming into these games.

"There have been times when I have performed well and been left out but the majority of times, you stay in. That's how it should be.

"I've always had competition for my place with Chelsea and England. There's been Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and loads of other players, but I've held them off for a few years now.

"All I know is that, if I play well, I merit a place in this side. I'm happy with my last three or four performances for England and I want to build on that. That is what I am focusing on."

**

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea captain Terry in lengthy injury scare

Chelsea captain John Terry is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to his fresh knee injury.

The Daily Mail says Terry hurt his left knee during training on Wednesday.

The swelling was still so bad yesterday it was impossible for the England and Chelsea medical staff to determine the full extent of the injury, although ligament damage is feared and last night an operation was not ruled out.

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[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea vs Schalke

Liga dos Campeões 2007/2008 | Fase de Grupos | Group B

Chelsea Schalke

Date 2007-10-24 19h45 City London Stadium Stamford Bridge Referee

[Freddy Adu]

Come on Schalke.. Hate Chelski

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea's Cole ruled out of England qualifier

Chelsea fullback Ashley Cole is out of England's Euro2008 qualifier in Russia with an ankle injury.

Middlesbrough defender Luke Young, who has seven caps, has been called up to the squad as cover for the 26-year-old.

The full extent of Cole's injury is not known, with the Chelsea player expected to have a scan after he was carried off during the 3-0 win over Estonia.

"He rocked his ankle blocking a shot," said England head coach Steve McClaren.

***

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea coach still unlicensed

CHELSEA head coach Avram Grant is set to complete study requirements for his UEFA Pro licence early next year, the Israel Football Association (IFA) said.

"If Grant participates and successfully completes the pro course which is set to begin in February, he will receive his licence approval," the statement said.

European football's governing body is expected to require that from next season coaches of clubs that play in European competitions must hold a Pro licence.

"Grant and nine other Israeli coaches must complete a number of (study) hours the content of which will be determined by UEFA,'' Israeli coaches association chairman Amnon Raz said.

Media reports in Israel said Grant, who met with Israel Football Association chairman Avi Luzon in Tel Aviv today, had received the licence, but the IFA statement later clarified the situation.

Copyright 2007 Premier Media Group Pty Ltd.

[Freddy Adu]

Barnes hits out at booing of Chelsea's Lampard

Former Liverpool and Newcastle star John Barnes has hit out at England fans booing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

Barnes, who was booed during his career with the national side, told BBC Radio 5live's Sportsweek: "It is just wrong.

"This is not a healthy situation either for Frank or for the team. It doesn't help him or the other players."

Barnes added: "Frank is an England player and we all want England to do well, the problem is this sort of thing does transmit to the rest of the side.

"As much as the other players will be happy they are not the ones being booed, it is not a positive situation for any of them.

"Having been someone who has been through that situation where you have been singled out by England fans, it's not a good situation to be in."

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[Freddy Adu]

McClaren can't understand booing for Chelsea's Lampard

England boss Steve McClaren is confident Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will win over fans.

Lampard has become a regular target of abuse for England fans at Wembley and jeers rang round a capacity crowd on Saturday when Lampard was introduced for Michael Owen during the second-half of the 3-0 win over Estonia.

Although the 29-year-old has shown no sign of being affected by the adverse reaction towards him, McClaren is at a loss to understand why it is happening.

"I honestly do not know why the crowd boo Frank Lampard," he said. "I have no answers.

"Two years ago he was voted the fans' player of the year two years in a row and when you look at the three games against Brazil, Estonia away and Germany, he was our best player."

McClaren has been the subject of fan derision plenty of times during his short time in charge, notably in Barcelona last March when England struggled to wear down the part-timers of Andorra.

Having presided over a run of five successive qualifying wins that has taken England to the brink of a place in next summer's European Championship finals, McClaren is understandably keen not to antagonise the supporters he now appears to be winning round.

Instead, he is calling on Lampard to come through his problems and continue to prove his worth to England on the pitch.

"No-one likes being criticised and booed," said McClaren.

"I wouldn't want it at a club and I don't want it at international level either.

"We have talked about it but I don't think it has affected him.

"He just has to get on with it. All I am concerned about are his performances on the field. It is not about who is criticising him or booing him."

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[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea's Shevchenko: Scotland can make it

Chelsea and Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko is backing Scotland to quality for Euro2008 after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Hampden Park.

Shevchenko said: "Scotland are a good team and this is a big success for the country and their national side because this is a great result.

"They are first in the table and have a great chance of qualification from a very tough group.

"Everything is still in Scotland's hands. They still have two very important games but they are good enough to qualify.

"They have a chance, a big chance, as this was a great result for them to beat us."

****

[Freddy Adu]

Israel FA confirm Chelsea's Grant to get licence

The Israel FA have declared Chelsea boss Avram Grant will be handed his coaching licence next year.

Grant is set to complete study requirements for his UEFA Pro licence early next year, the Israel Football Association (IFA) said on Sunday.

"If Grant participates and successfully completes the pro course which is set to begin in February, he will receive his licence approval," the statement said.

European soccer's governing body is expected to require that from next season coaches of clubs that play in European competitions must hold a Pro licence.

"Grant and nine other Israeli coaches must complete a number of (study) hours the content of which will be determined by UEFA," Israeli coaches association chairman Amnon Raz told Israeli sports Web site ONE.

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea boss Grant made check on Huntelaar

Chelsea boss Avram Grant was in the stands for Holland's defeat by Romania on Saturday.

It's understood Grant made the trek to check on Ajax striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, though the young Dutchman was left on the bench for the game.

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea boss Grant steps up coaching qualifications

Chelsea boss Avram Grant is on track to receiving his coaching qualifications.

Grant will attain qualifications needed to manage in the Premier League during a two-week programme in February and there were claims in Tel Aviv last night that federation chiefs are urging UEFA to grant his licence now.

Grant held lengthy talks with president Avi Luzon yesterday and was told that UEFA had sanctioned an initiative that will lead to around a dozen Israeli coaches attending the course.

[Freddy Adu]

McClaren goes with Chelsea's Lampard for England clash

England boss Steve McClaren will go with Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard for Wednesday night's Euro2008 qualifier in Russia.

But left-back Ashley Cole will miss out due to the ankle ligament injury he picked up near the end of Saturday's 3-0 win against Estonia.

Midfielder Lamps is in line to return for the Group E qualifier in Moscow as the Three Lions are likely to switch to a 4-3-3 formation.

That will see Lampard and Steven Gerrard playing either side of Gareth Barry, who will anchor the midfield.

It could prove the best-possible boost for Lamps - who suffered jeers from a large section of the crowd when he came on as a sub at the weekend.

Defender John Terry is determined to play, despite still having a knee problem. A source close to the skipper told The Sun: "John feels fine at the moment. He does not want to miss such an important game."

[Freddy Adu]

Venables blasts England booing for Chelsea's Lampard

England assistant boss Terry Venables can't believe fans booing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

Venables said: "What are people trying to do to Frank? What are these personal feelings all about? The whole country wants us in those finals but booing one of our own players like that is hardly going to help.

"Were they Estonian supporters in disguise? Don't they realise they are upsetting the whole situation? Frank's last three full games for England have been as good as any player yet he's still getting stick.

"It's really ugly and it's got to stop.

"To me, Frank has shown a lot of guts in dealing with it. I don't know if it concerns him but it's made him into a stronger character.

"We had an amazing crowd on Saturday of nearly 87,000 and there's about 1,000 letting everybody down.

"It's absolutely appalling and must not carry on to big nights like we have in Russia on Wednesday.

"It happened to David Bentley and Phil Neville but no one seems to get it quite as much as Frank.

"These so-called fans are making the game easier for all our rivals."

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea, Real Madrid chasing Everton ace Arteta

Chelsea are chasing Everton midfield star Mikel Arteta.

The People says Real Madrid, Valencia, Villarreal, Newcastle, Tottenham and Chelsea have all checked on the 25-year-old this season, but it's Chelsea who are showing a keen interest despite the Spaniard signing a five-year deal last summer.

Senior figures at Chelsea believe Arteta would have the quality and drive to help take the Blues to the next stage of development, with owner Roman Abramovich insisting the team play a more expansive game.

[Freddy Adu]

Portsmouth's James targets Chelsea loos

David James has revealed he is to take an environmental role with the Premier League - and his first target may be the toilets at Chelsea.

The Portsmouth and England goalkeeper is well known for his environmentally-friendly way of living, so much so that Pompey chairman Alexander Gaydamak has sought him out to discuss features of the club's proposed new stadium.

And James has revealed he is to be involved with a new Premier League initiative aimed at raising awareness of ecological issues in English football.

"I've been asked to get involved with the Premier League," he said.

"I can't divulge too much about where they are with it all, but as an organisation they're increasingly aware of environmental issues and are about to address them.

"They effectively control what happens at every single stadium in the Premier League - and the way things are done there is very influential at other levels of the game, so it could be very positive."

James has not yet revealed when the initiative will launch but he may use his new-found power to force some unusual changes at Stamford Bridge.

"I've been told they have a toilet system that flushes automatically every 20 seconds, which must entail using an absolutely ridiculous amount of water," he said.

"Absolutely no thought has been given to environmental issues during the design of that sanitary system."

James was speaking exclusively to The Football Supporter, official magazine of the Football Supporters' Federation.

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea's Cole eager to drop ZZ nickname

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole wants to drop his new 'ZZ' nickname.

Cole, 25, displayed his talents with an impressive performance in the 3-0 Wembley win over Estonia.

And afterwards he revealed how a framed Zidane shirt has pride of place at his home. Stamford Bridge team-mate Claude Makelele provided it - along with the moniker.

Cole confessed: "It is a great comparison. But it's a bit embarrassing for me. I wish they didn't say it any more. The French guys at Chelsea called me it out of the blue. I'm a big fan of Zidane. Maka got me one of his France shirts.

"It's up on my wall, so I have to pretend I played against him!"

[Freddy Adu]

Chelsea's Terry desperate to be fit for England

Chelsea captain John Terry is doing everything he can to make England's Euro2008 qualifier in Russia on Wednesday night.

The Daily Mail says Terry missed Saturday's 3-0 defeat of Estonia with a knee problem that might yet need surgery.

He has a small piece of cartilage floating inside the knee that may have to be removed.

But Terry is suffering no discomfort and though a final decision will not be made until FA doctors have consulted Chelsea's medical team this morning, he is determined to travel to Moscow with the team later today.

[Freddy Adu]

Sunderland move for Chelsea's Sinclair

Sunderland are moving for Chelsea striker Scott Sinclair.

The Mirror says Sinclair could be farmed out on loan to Sunderland after being sent home after breaking a curfew when on England Under-19 duty.

[GloriousReds]

Didier Drogba is unhappy at Chelsea and wants to leave the club, according to France Football magazine.



In an interview due to be published on Friday, the striker, 29, says morale has plummeted since Jose Mourinho left.
"I want to leave Chelsea. Something is broken with Chelsea," Drogba said. "The damage is big in the dressing room."
But Chelsea said: "Didier signed a new four-year contract last year. As a top professional we're sure he is committed to Chelsea and intends to honour it."
France Football is a well-established magazine in France that awards the Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year.

Drogba joined Chelsea from Marseille for £24m in July 2004 and has been the subject of regular speculation since then despite a prolific record with the Blues.

He signed his new deal last November but told the BBC the following month that he had considered leaving the previous summer in the wake of Chelsea's second successive league title.
In the interview, Drogba is quoted as saying he wanted an even earlier exit and will not change his mind even if the club make high-profile signings next summer.
"Nothing can stop me from leaving now," he said.
Drogba says Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan or Inter Milan would be his preferred destination.
"Since the day I arrived, I wanted to leave Chelsea and then again every summer," he said. "I know that Ronaldinho and Kaka are linked to come next season but even that won't change my mind."

[scotttttttttttttt]

go to mls! toronto would take you.

[GloriousReds]

Originally Posted by scotttttttttttttt

go to mls! toronto would take you.

:)

I wish man!

[St. Anger]

[Amo-te Benfica]

Drogba: Regret



Didier Drogba says he regrets suggesting he wants to leave Chelsea and insists he is fully committed to the club.


The striker recently said he has wanted to leave Stamford Bridge since the day that he arrived at the club.


Drogba said that he would stay with Chelsea until the end of this season, but he would then leave with Milan, Internazionale, Barcelona and Real

Madrid all thought to be likely destinations.


However, Drogba now insists that he regrets making the comments and is dedicated to his team-mates.


Drogba, though, says he will discuss his future with Chelsea at the end of the season.


"On reflection, I regret making the comments I made in a recent interview public at this time," Drogba said in a statement on the official Chelsea website.


"I am a Chelsea player and will be 100 per cent committed and supportive to my manager, my team-mates and the club.


"I will not be discussing my future any further until I meet privately with the club at the end of the season."



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[Amo-te Benfica]

Don't believe that for a minute. It's clear he's not happy at Chelsea, I think someone is putting word s into his mouth when he said that....

[Amo-te Benfica]

Terry: Knee surgery



Chelsea have confirmed John Terry has undergone knee surgery which will keep him out of action for three weeks.


The Blues have also revealed Ashley Cole faces up to a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury he sustained on international duty.


Terry has been forced to go under the knife to cure the knee problem which forced him to miss England's 2-1 defeat to Russia in midweek.


The England skipper missed last weekend's win over Estonia with the injury and although he was pencilled in to feature in Moscow he broke down in training ahead of the match.


Terry is now set to be sidelined for up to three weeks and he faces a race against time to be fit for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia.


Cole also faces a battle to make the Croatia tie after suffering an ankle injury in the 3-0 win over Estonia.


The news is a double blow for Avram Grant as it means both players will miss key Premier League and UEFA Champions League games for Chelsea.

Operation

"John Terry had an operation today and will be out for two or three weeks," said Grant.


"John had a problem and tried his best to be available for the national team
but in the last moment of the training, he got injured again.


"He had the operation today and I hope everything will be well. Ashley Cole is
injured as well.


"I want all the players to be fit, especially John Terry. But we have a big
squad and we need to handle this.


"Chelsea are not a one-man team but John is important. But it has happened and we need to play and win games without him."


Grant also backed Frank Lampard to overcome the critics who have made his life uncomfortable while on international duty with England.


Lampard was booed by England fans when he came on as a substitute against Estonia last weekend but Grant has no worries about whether the midfielder will be able to cope with the flak.

Strong character

"Frank is a strong character and he wants to play for England," added Grant.

"I want him to play for England because I think he deserves it.
"Frank has shown in the past he has a strong character. When he gets on the
pitch he gives 100 per cent."




Sky Sports | Home |

[Brasil]

Originally Posted by scotttttttttttttt

go to mls! toronto would take you.

We'd take anyone!!!!
...if we could afford it.

Although I guess the MLS is only interested in aging 30+ yr old. superstars for big bucks these days.

[Amo-te Benfica]

Terry out for 3 weeks, could miss Croatia game:


Terry: Knee surgery
Chelsea have confirmed John Terry has undergone knee surgery which will keep him out of action for three weeks.



The Blues have also revealed Ashley Cole faces up to a month on the sidelines with an ankle injury he sustained on international duty.


Terry has been forced to go under the knife to cure the knee problem which forced him to miss England's 2-1 defeat to Russia in midweek.


The England skipper missed last weekend's win over Estonia with the injury and although he was pencilled in to feature in Moscow he broke down in training ahead of the match.


Terry is now set to be sidelined for up to three weeks and he faces a race against time to be fit for England's crucial Euro 2008 qualifier with Croatia.


Cole also faces a battle to make the Croatia tie after suffering an ankle injury in the 3-0 win over Estonia.


The news is a double blow for Avram Grant as it means both players will miss key Premier League and UEFA Champions League games for Chelsea.


Operation


"John Terry had an operation today and will be out for two or three weeks," said Grant.

"John had a problem and tried his best to be available for the national team

but in the last moment of the training, he got injured again.

"He had the operation today and I hope everything will be well. Ashley Cole is

injured as well.

"I want all the players to be fit, especially John Terry. But we have a big

squad and we need to handle this.

"Chelsea are not a one-man team but John is important. But it has happened and we need to play and win games without him."

Grant also backed Frank Lampard to overcome the critics who have made his life uncomfortable while on international duty with England.

Lampard was booed by England fans when he came on as a substitute against Estonia last weekend but Grant has no worries about whether the midfielder will be able to cope with the flak.


Strong character
"Frank is a strong character and he wants to play for England," added Grant.

"I want him to play for England because I think he deserves it.

"Frank has shown in the past he has a strong character. When he gets on the

pitch he gives 100 per cent."

[Amo-te Benfica]

Cashley Cole potentialy faces a month on the sidelines in a double blow for Chelsea:

http://www.soccerforums.com/forums/c...cole-blow.html