Chelsea pip Manchester United to Bosingwa - and boost the Porto coffers again!
May 12, 2008
The official club website reports that the next Chelsea spending spree has started already. Rather than continue to get the very best out of the existing squad, it’s all about throwing money at the cause to ensure that the Blues wrest the Premier League title back from the hands of Manchester United.
It’s fair to say that Roman Abramovich is a popular figure at FC Porto, despite snaffling Jose Mourinho from them after the narcissistic manager had won the Champions League with the Portuguese champions. Since then, Chelsea have spent £19.85million bringing Ricardo Carvalho to the club and a further £13.2million on the reserve player that is Paolo Ferreira. Now it appears that the Russian is fumbling about with his loose change for another Jose.
“Chelsea can confirm it has reached agreement with FC Porto for the transfer of Jose Bosingwa. The player is now in England to discuss personal terms and undergo a medical.”
Are Chelsea the only club to build their team around a right-back? After all, spending £30million on this position in the past four seasons indicates it’s an area that they are very serious about! It originally appeared that Manchester United were going to sign the defender, thus securing a ready-made replacement for Gary Neville. However, Chelsea reign supreme in the spending stakes and will now seemingly offload Julian Belletti.
Porto are now busy preparing a shop window featuring many other members of their squad, in the hope that Chelsea will acquire them at super-inflated prices.
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Tottenham keen on former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder
May 12, 2008
Not content with snapping up the exciting Luka Modric for £16.5million, Tottenham are looking to bolster their midfield further by adding the Premier League journeyman Lassana Diarra to their ranks. The midfielder has already been on the books at Chelsea and Arsenal, before joining Portsmouth during the January transfer window. Many have suggested that if the player had stayed at the Emirates, they may have put up more of a title challenge.
The Guardian report that Spurs have been sniffing around Diarra for some time, while let’s remind you of the player’s loyal words upon joining Portsmouth.
“The people at Portsmouth know that I will not spend my life at the club,” said Diarra after completing his £5.5m move in January. “I was able to add a clause to my contract. If I shine, if a really big club wants me, I already know that everything will go well. I don’t want any more battles.”
The wheeler-dealer that is Harry Redknapp won’t led the midfielder leave without making a decent profit from the sale, that’s for sure. Diarra’s last efforts in a Pompey shirt might be helping them secure the FA Cup before flying the nest to join his fourth Premier League club in the space of a year. If Pot Noodle is the slag of all snacks, what does that make Lassana Diarra?
Wigan ready to piss on Manchester United bonfire
May 9, 2008
Thirteen years ago, Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League title, despite losing 2-1 to Liverpool on the last day of the season. This was because rivals Manchester United just simply couldn’t get over the finishing line at West Ham, drawing 1-1 and spurning several chances to land the spoils. Could history be about to repeat itself at the JJB Stadium?
Despite a question mark over Steve Bruce’s allegiances to the Red Devils, his players are talking up their chances of ruining United’s big day in a big way. Emmerson Boyce has told the Daily Mail that the bobbly pitch, the way that the Latics will be organised and a burning desire to make their own headlines could stop Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in their tracks.
He said: “People don’t like coming to our ground and playing against us.
“It will help against Manchester United. On a perfect pitch all their top players will have a field day, but they will have difficulty passing and running with the ball on ours, even though they are top-class players. They won’t be able to play the game they’re used to, it’s nowhere near the standard of Old Trafford.
“We can get in their faces, test their touches and it will help us. A lot of people have moaned about it this season, but that’s usually because we have either got a good result or given them a tough game. We have got good results against the big teams because we love being the underdogs and there will be no pressure on us on Sunday, it’s all on them.”
He added: “We would like to emulate West Ham. People still talk about that team that cost Manchester United the title 13 years ago and I’d love people to remember us in 13 years’ time. We are loving the publicity. Everyone will be watching us across the world and it shows how far we’ve come as a club. We are going to enjoy being in the limelight.
“People are talking about Wigan right now and that’s a good thing. The fact we can have a say in the title race has given us extra motivation. I and the rest of the players want to show people what we can do against Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez and if we cost them the title everyone will talk about us. We are safe in the table. They are the ones with everything to lose.”
This will be music to the ears of Avram Grant and his Chelsea mob as they set about destructing Bolton on Sunday while holding a transistor radio to their left ear. That’s apart from Didier Drogba who will be moodily sitting on the subs bench, listening to his ipod as usual. Wigan managed to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw recently, thus helping to end the Gunners’ title challenge. Emile Heskey then scored in the dying embers of the match at Stamford Bridge to make it ‘advantage United’ in the title race. Will the Latics’ final act be to deprive the champions a second successive league title?
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Manchester United manager slates ‘partying Bolton players’
May 9, 2008
Have the Wanderers squad been on the lash ever since beating Sunderland on Saturday? According to Sir Alex Ferguson, they’ve certainly been letting their hair down ever since they made sure of their place in next season’s Premier League. Indeed, much has been made of Wigan’s approach to Sunday’s game against the Red Devils, yet there’s been little mention of how motivated Bolton are likely to be, following something of a great escape in recent weeks.
The Manchester Evening News reports that SAF continues to play his own special brand of mind games, questioning the motivation of the Trotters ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge. Whether they’ll notice the Scot’s words of warning is another matter, those hangovers often take some sleeping off.
“All the press seem to be talking about is the integrity of Wigan,” said the United manager.
“Nobody has questioned Bolton. Nobody has even mentioned Bolton. It is interesting the different attitudes. All we have had is Wigan players saying we will beat Man United and that’s fine.
“We have no problem with that. We are a big club.
“And then you hear about Bolton players out celebrating all week. It amazes me the difference in attitude.
“Both teams are safe. Both can relax. Both are confident but one team can celebrate while the other is all keyed up to play Manchester United!”
It now appears that Gary Megson has ordered his players to stop drinking. At least on the Saturday before the match. Well, at least they’ve been asked to stay off the spirits and just stick to long drinks like beer and wine. But will they pay attention to their manager now that they’re safe. Cheers!
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Goodbye Avram, Hello Sven at Chelsea?
May 9, 2008
No, it’s not just idle speculation in a rag you might also double up as toilet paper, eg Daily Star, The Sun. It has been reported in The Guardian that Sven-Goran Eriksson appears to be stalling over the vacant manager’s position at Benfica due to the uncertainty of Avram Grant’s position at Chelsea. COS reported earlier in the week that the Chelsea manager might stand aside if Roman Abramovich decided to bring in a replacement, although it was Frank Rijkaard being mentioned and not the Manchester City gaffer.
Eriksson has been led to believe that he stands a good chance of getting the job at Stamford Bridge if Roman Abramovich decides to pay off Grant after the Champions League final later this month. Eriksson would prefer, if possible, to stay in England and his elaborate network of contacts, including some of the more powerful agents in the business, are working on his behalf. The Swede is fully aware about Grant’s precarious position.
Chelsea fans, how would you feel about the Swede becoming manager of Chelsea? Or are you quite happy with what you’ve got at the moment? As the article points out, Sven has had discussions with the west London club before and clearly appears to seek the biggest and best-paid ‘projects’ available, something he would certainly find at Stamford Bridge. All of a sudden, he’d also be managing in the Champions League again, rather than contemplating the Intertoto Cup!
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Manchester United alert! Chelsea keeper’s gotta brand new shirt
May 8, 2008
What a contest the Champions League final promises to be. The bookmakers can’t split Manchester United and Chelsea in the betting, with both teams packed to the brim with talent. Just one moment of brilliance or madness could make all the difference in Moscow. Or maybe just the colour of a goalkeeping jersey…
The Daily Mail have revealed that Petr Cech is almost certain to wear a bright orange goalkeeping top for the contest against the Red Devils. He’s claiming it’s more likely to distract the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez when they’re bearing down on goal with the ball at their feet. Could there be anything in this?
“Studies say the orange colour spreads the most when the striker attacks, in the split of a second as he focuses,” said Cech, whose side need to get a better result at Stamford Bridge than United achieve at Wigan to win their third title in four seasons.
“This colour is like a sort of alarm or alert which really spreads and is very difficult to avoid, so this should be good for me.”
Petr, as a goalkeeper, your hands and arms should be very good for you, not the colour of your goalkeeping shirt. Apparently there’s no truth in the rumour that Edwin Van Der Sar is going to dress up as a clown for the final, squirting water out of a flower and into the eyes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. Which is a shame as we all would have liked to have seen that!
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Wigan manager: ‘Yeah, we’re going to try really hard against Manchester United, honest’
May 8, 2008
Avram Grant, John Terry and Michael Ballack are all confident that Wigan are going to try their level best against Manchester United on Sunday. Or at least they have stated this in public. Why shouldn’t Manchester United be asking the same of Bolton Wanderers, who now travel to Chelsea knowing that they will be playing in the Premier League next season?
Nevertheless, the Daily Telegraph report that Wigan boss Steve Bruce has cited two million reasons for his team to beat the Red Devils on Sunday. It’s hardly convincing as an argument, especially when put up against the motivation for their opponents to land the three points.
Bruce, who helped United to win three Premier League titles during his nine years with the club, said: “We’ve got to be professional and we will be. The difference between finishing two places in the Premier League these days is almost £1.5 million.”
Wigan were floundering in the lower reaches of the top flight when Bruce took over and he’d certainly have bitten your hand off if you’d offered him Premier League safety at the end of the season. Therefore, while there may be a couple of million to play for, it’s only the same as what the Latics manager might expect to receive for keeping the Lancashire club afloat. We should also remind you of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tendency to phone his former player earlier in the season.
Chelsea will be hoping that Wigan deliver a similar performance to that which beat Villa 2-0 last Saturday, although the six matches between the two teams have yielded the same result every time and it’s extremely difficult to see any other outcome on Sunday.
Will Chelsea manager step aside for Rijkaard even if they beat Manchester United?
May 8, 2008
You can hardly blame Avram Grant for wanting to be out of the limelight at the end of the season. Since taking over, he’s been subject to a barrage of criticism, along with endless speculation over his future as Chelsea manager.
The tide has turned in recent weeks after the Israeli guided the Blues to the brink of a third Premier League title and a Champions League final spot in Moscow. However, The Sun report that Grant could end up stepping down whatever happens between now and the end of the season. They have collared a supposed ‘good friend’ in Portsmouth reserve player Richard Hughes to spill the proverbial beans.
He insisted: “This (Rijkaard steeping in) will take place with Avram’s blessing. He is a modest guy who does not particularly like being in the limelight.
“He’d be happy to revert to the role where he acts as a link between the coaching staff and the board.
“Avram is a student of football. I had countless conversations with him when he was here about Barca, their players and the way they play.
“It is well known Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is an admirer of Barcelona and the football they play.
“He seems to be on a crusade to bring a similar brand of play to Stamford Bridge.
“A big reason for Jose Mourinho leaving was that Abramovich wanted to see a type of football the Special One was not delivering.”
Perhaps Grant was merely a self-knowing stop-gap at Stamford Bridge, knowing full well that Abramovich wanted rid of Mourinho as quickly as possible, but perhaps could not get hold of the Barcelona coach until the end of the season. Or perhaps the above is a load of tosh from a footballer with a big mouth?
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Should Chelsea manager be surprised that his massive squad of world-class players are challenging for title?
May 6, 2008
After all, the Blues have quality all over the park. Chelsea’s second string would probably finish sixth or seventh in the Premier League, so why have Avram Grant’s expectations been exceeded by his team’s strong finish to the season, which could mean a domestic-European double this season?
Look at the players he has at his disposal! Perhaps Arsene Wenger should be the man that is making the below sort of quotes, considering the smaller squad and the terrible luck with injuries that Arsenal have experienced in the past few months. To hear Grant speak (through the medium of Sky Sports), anyone would think he was manager of Aston Villa or Everton.
“From day one our target was to be in the Champions League final and to improve our game,” he said.
“We’ve done more than I even expected, so we want to believe the season will end well and we will fight to the last minute.
“United have had a fantastic season. They’ve been champions many times before but this year we have given them a good battle and it is not finished yet.
“Even if they win the title on goal difference you must give my team respect.”
Hmmm, can’t see many neutrals ‘respecting’ Chelsea for their achievements, particularly as their success is down to a Russian billionaire deciding to pick them as his pet project and investing hundreds of millions to ensure that they become one of the world’s leading clubs and brands. Surely, Everton, Villa, Portsmouth and Sunderland deserve more respect for having decent seasons, while Stoke and West Brom should also be praised for scrambling out of the Championship without having a bottomless pit of cash.
Wigan v Manchester United, Chelsea v Bolton, Birmingham v Blackburn - which game will you be watching?
May 6, 2008
It’s possible that Sky may have missed a trick by not showing Portsmouth v Fulham on Sunday, especially as the Cottagers’ chances of survival (along with Birmingham and Reading’s) rest in their own hands. However, the Sky Sports website reveals that they’ll be televising the matches from the JJB Stadium, Stamford Bridge and St Andrews instead - which game will you be watching?
Sunday’s title showdown is in danger of being a complete anti-climax, especially if Manchester United tear into Wigan from the off as they did against West Ham last Saturday. The ITV website reports that Michael Ballack expects the Latics to put up a decent fight, although it was only a fortnight ago that Steve Bruce was reporting a smooth operator that goes by the name of Sir Alex Ferguson had been calling him up.
“The pressure is on and I hope Wigan are proud enough to give everything in the last game and we have to beat Bolton.
“United have everything in their hands, but we are relaxed now. We did our job. We will give everything to beat Bolton at home and we will see what they do.”
Goodness me, the German captain is really getting into this fighting talk malarkey. One minute he was out of favour with Mourinho, now he’s leading the calls for United’s opposition to give it their best shot! Let’s also hope that the Wanderers play with pride at the Bridge after essentially guaranteeing their Premier League safety against Sunderland.
The match being televised at St Andrews could also be pretty dull, although the Sky cameras are likely to have some gratuitous shots of football fans in tears, with Birmingham extremely likely to be relegated after their 2-0 defeat at Fulham. Watch out for small children sobbing their hearts out - and a few grown men too!
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Newcastle boss thinks the Premier League is boring, and he’s not the only one…
May 6, 2008
The final hurdle of the Premier League is coming and whilst Chelsea and Man Utd limber up for their final matches, noone has successfully broken the Bog Four’s choke hold on the summit of the Premiership. Yet again the usual suspects will claim the Champions League slot, whilst the rest have to squabble over the far inferior UEFA Cup. Even Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan, who claims that his side have next to no chance of breaking into the top four, is starting to feel a tad bored by all this “Big Four” malarkey. Keegan said:
“This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring, but great, leagues.
“It would be mad to say we will be in the top four next season. We are a million miles away from them.
“The top four will be the same as this year but what I can say to our fans is we will try to get fifth and win the other league that is going on.”
So is KK right, is this League a predictable snooze fest?
Say it ain’t so - Chelsea striker in loyalty pledge?
May 6, 2008
Ever since Jose Mourinho was given his marching orders at Stamford Bridge, Didier Drogba has not been shy of telling the press how unhappy he is with life at Chelsea and how his future lies elsewhere. Indeed, he was forced to retract an initial set of comments made after the ‘Special One’ left, when he said that he didn’t want to join with the Blues in the first place.
However, according to Sky Sports, we should now be preparing to hear the Ivorian claim how much he has always loved the club. It had been thought that the striker would be joining Milan in the summer, although the Italian club appear to be conceding defeat in their bid to sign the loveable player.
“Drogba is a very interesting player that many clubs would want to have but he is under contract at Chelsea and I believe he will remain at Chelsea next season.”
Goodness me, that would be a turn up for the books. There’s no doubt that Deputy Drog is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and an injury-free season could see him repeat his goalscoring feat of last season when he landed the Golden Boot. Has Avram Grant talked him into sticking around?
Chelsea ‘keeper reckons life is better under Avram than under Jose…
May 5, 2008
Chelsea stopper Peter Cech reckons that Avram Grant has Chelsea in equal (and possibly better) shape to Stamford Bridge martyr Jose Mourinho - and when asked to compare the two managers Cech said:
“I can see the same quality in this team.
“We’re handling the pressure and winning the big games. I would say that the team is at least at the same level and maybe a bit better [than under the previous manager].” (Guardian)
There are only two Premier League teams that can win the double, and Chelsea are one of them - is it time people started chuntering on about how great Jose was and start lavishing some praise on gravedigger chops Avram Grant?
Will Abramovich’s wallet get Messi into a Chelsea shirt?
May 4, 2008
In a league table of truthful newspapers the News of the World would definitely be in the relegation zone - but here at CaughtOffside we like a bit of tabloid tripe every so often. Today’s top transfer tale from the News of The World is that Roman Abramovich is going to flip open his voluptuous wallet and hand over an obscene amount of dosh - £80million - in an attempt to snag Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. So is there any way that this nugget of transfer goss can be anything but an utter fabrication?
Saintly Wenger attacks morally bankrupt Chelsea
May 3, 2008
Arsenal’s gaffer Arsene Wenger clearly fancies himself as a martyr to football played the right way and has hit out at Chelsea who embody all that is wrong with the game according to the Frenchman. Wenger moaned:
“We are not Chelsea and have no Abramovich.
“We work with the resources we have. It is not workable and not right when somebody suddenly parachutes into your court and brings a huge amount of money with them.
“I mean morally not right, because if this guy dies what do you do? You still have to pay the players’ wages.”
Wenger is definitely not the first, and won’t be the last to accuse the Stamford Bridge club of having more Roubles than scruples, but is this whole anti-Chelsea kvetch just the knee jerk reaction of a sore loser?…
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