Chelsea captain John Terry has rejected speculation that coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to be dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich.
With the side underperforming and a distant fifth on the English Premier League table, speculation has mounted throughout the season that Ancelotti may pay the price for poor results on the pitch.
A penalty shootout defeat to Everton on Saturday that ended the club’s defence of the FA Cup has reportedly pushed the Italian manager further towards an exit from Stamford Bridge.
But centre-back Terry insists the players have no doubts about the long-term future of their coach.
“I don’t know why I’m answering the question really because there’s no speculation,” Terry said.
“The players are 100 percent behind the manager, he’s got total confidence in us and that will remain the same.”
“We believe in the manager and the players that we have can go on and win the (Champions League) competition.”
Ancelotti also remained defiant, insisting the press would be wise to defer judgement until the end of the campaign.
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“I say to you journalists wait, because the season is not finished yet and a lot of times I have been able to manage these situations,” Ancelotti said.
“I’d like to remind you of 2010 – it was the same situation and the Italian journalists know this. Wait, the season is not finished. This could be the best season in the memory, it could be the worst. I don’t know, but wait. Chelsea has not died, it is still alive.”
The pressure is starting to grow on Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier. After last night’s 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at Villa Park, a match in which striker Emile Heskey was sent off, Villa now find themselves in the bottom three. The result last night was even more disappointing given the encouraging performance put in by the players in the 3-3 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the weekend. Villa are just one point off the foot of the Premier League table and definitely find themselves in a relegation scrap.
Many Aston Villa fans and journalists from the print media have already called time on Gerard Houllier’s tenure at Villa Park, but if he were to be sacked by Randy Lerner, who should replace him? The early favourite for the job is Sam Allardyce, who himself has only recently been fired by Blackburn, but other contenders include Aston Villa favourite Kevin MacDonald and maybe even former manager Martin O’Neill. Who would you like to be installed as the next Aston Villa manager?
Robin van Persie’s mother and wife have commented that the star striker should stay in north London.
The Netherlands international is in the last year of his contract with the Emirates Stadium club, and has delayed extending his deal with the Gunners.
Arsene Wenger’s men are thought to have offered Van Persie a new lucrative deal that breaks their wage structure, but with Manchester City amongst a number of clubs circling, the Dutch hitman is yet to decide on where he will play his football next term.
However, Van Persie’s mother Jose has told her son to stay with his current employers.
“Arsenal love him and that’s a great incentive to stay. Arsenal are a fantastic club. They have no debts and Robin is idolised there,” she is quoted as saying in The Sun.
Meanwhile, the forward’s wife Bouchra has also called on her husband to remain loyal, especially as their family are settled in London.
“Arsenal showed faith in Robin when he was going through a lean time, so we should not repay them by thinking about other clubs. Our home life and our children are happy in London,” she stated.
Van Persie is thought to be weighing up a £130,000-a-week deal with a £5million re-signing bonus from Arsenal.
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Chelsea target Willian has admitted that he is interested in a move to the Premier League club, and is eager to wrap up a switch from Shakhtar Donetsk before the end of the transfer market.
It has been revealed that The Blues have already had a bid for the Brazil international rejected by the Ukrainian side, with an improved offer expected to be lodged to try and change Shakhtar’s mind.
The midfielder is open to a move to Stamford Bridge, especially given the fact that there are a number of his countrymen already at the club.
“I wouldn’t have any fears about coming to England because I have played against English sides in the Champions League and studied the English game,” Willian told The Sun.
“To play in a league that is seen throughout the world would be good for my hopes of playing regularly for Brazil, especially with the World Cup
at home in two years’ time.
“That is my aim. I’ve worked hard for four years to establish myself in the national team.
“It has taken that long but now I feel I have a good relationship with the coach and I want to keep working hard, so I remain in the side.
“There are times when you look at your life and realise how lucky you’ve been.
“I’ve played for a great club in Corinthians and been successful. I moved to Shakhtar and that turned into a great move too.
“There was talk about Barcelona
and Arsenal
before but now Chelsea
are interested. If the next step of the adventure is England, then I would be excited by that.
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“I have friends in the Brazil side who play for Chelsea, like David Luiz and Ramires.
“I’ve known David since we played together in the Brazil Under-20 side and he talks about what Villas-Boas is trying to build at Chelsea.
“He and Ramires feel he wants a core of young players who can mature and grow together but also be successful,” he concluded.
Tottenham have been put on transfer alert after David Moyes revealed that Everton may look to cash in on Steven Pienaar.
The Toffees have been unable to secure a new contract for the talented South African, who is in the last year of his contract, and the news of Everton willing to listen to January offers is certainly going to alert Harry Redknapp who made an approach for the winger in the summer.
Moyes feels the club has no option but to take the money now, rather than run the risk of losing him on a free at the end of the season.
“It may well come to it in the January transfer window that we have to consider selling Pienaar to raise money, because he is out of contract in the summer.”
The Everton boss is keen to use the funds to bolster his squad, although fears the money will not be enough to bring in a top class striker that the Toffees clearly need.
“But we know we need a striker, and realistically, the sort of money we will raise through that route, what type of player is it going to buy for us in the January market.
“The sort of money I’d raise, I don’t think it will attract the type of player we need, the type of player we are looking for to provide the goals.
“The sort of money it will cost, I don’t think selling a player will solve that particular problem, and it is probably a reality that we will have to look at bringing in a loan player, that it will be the loan market we will need to look at to provide some sort of solution.” Sky Sports
Pienaar has scored 9 goals in 97 Premier League appearences for Everton since his £2m move from Borussia Dortmund.
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Really, you have to applaud Arsene Wenger’s obstinate outlook on life. First he proclaims that changing his philosophy of developing the Gunners’ young players and scouting for bargain signings (despite spending spending over £20 million on Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud) is unthinkable despite seven years without a major trophy. Now he’s hoping that Robin Van Persie will do a Rooney type U-turn and remain at the Emirates Stadium as they prepare for make-or-break talks over his future. The Holland forwards very public disagreement with the clubs direction gave the impression that his bridges were burnt in North London and he’d be sold before the new Premier League season starts. But Wenger is still hopeful of persuading Van Persie to stay with the Gunners through the prime years. They always say the third time is a charm and after failing to use his powers of persuasion to hang on to Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last year perhaps Van Persie will be his ace in the hole.
This week on FFC does Wenger need to address his ideologies to take the Gunners forward and is the club in a more stable position than the media like to admit?
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Best of FFC
North London giants are in a far better place than the media will have you believe
Wenger’s Philosophies Must Evolve and Adapt
Why Arsenal must make an example of him
Could the Arsenal board learn a trick from Levy?
Is this really Wenger’s preference or has his hand been forced?
Would Arsenal benefit from their presence at the club?
Does buying these transfer gambles ever work in favour of Arsenal?
The prices Arsenal set gives fans every right…doesn’t it?
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Best of WEB
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Why Gunners should go for Moses – Gunnersphere
Is our chrilden learning? – Arseblog
Time for decisive action from Wenger before these two get away. – Le Grove
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Intent! Potential signing that will make the big guns quiver in their boots – not!!- Highbury House
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Quote of the Week
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“I could have left 10 times to join another club but I didn’t because I have worked with the same vision and philosophy at Arsenal for the last 16 years, and that won’t change. Besides, money was never a motivation for me.” Arsene Wenger vows to stick by his Arsenal policies of investing in youth
As a former assistant manager, European Cup-winning captain and seven time league winner with Liverpool, former Reds defender Phil Thompson is better qualified than most to comment on the current crisis threatening to engulf Anfield.
Thompson, currently a pundit on Sky Sports, recently revealed that he now refuses to watch the club he made over 300 appearances for, in protest of the club’s scheming American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
The duo have lumbered the club with a debt totalling around £350m during their disastrous three-and-a-half-year spell at the club, the majority of which must be paid back to lenders the Royal Bank of Scotland by October 6. Failure to do so will see the pair removed as owners and RBS take control of the increasingly deteriorating club. To prevent this, Texan billionaire Hicks is desperately seeking to secure more bank loans and raise the cash to buy-out his struggling partner Gillett and hang onto the club for another two years.
Life-long Liverpool fan Thompson, who stood on the Kop as a boy, is passionate about the club’s future and believes a boycott of the club is the best way to get rid of the Americans. He revealed:
“If you go and support the club, purchasing tickets, then you are supporting the owners, so no, I won’t do it.
“I am not going to go because the more money I put into the club the longer I could possibly keep them there.”
He certainly has a point. Continuing to watch the club boosts the coffers of the club’s much reviled owners through match day revenues. It is a Catch 22 situation for Reds fans who want to support their struggling side but not the finances of owners Hicks and Gillett. A mass boycott would intensify the global spotlight on the Americans; however a high number of fans have already parted with their cash in exchange for a season-ticket earlier this summer.
Thompson shares fans concerns over the current owners, the club’s high interest loan repayments and the ongoing sale of the club. Yet is a mass boycott what a Liverpool side struggling for confidence and form really need right now? The ownership saga is deeply affecting the players and hangs in the Mersey air on match days like a bad smell. Fans still believe they can help improve the club’s recent poor form by continuing to turn up on match days and support the side and will not want to abandon there club at such a critical stage in the club’s future.
The Reds now head into the international break in the relegation zone with six points from seven games following Sunday’s humiliating home defeat to newly-promoted Blackpool. By the time Roy Hodgson’s side travel to Goodison Park on 17 October for an electric Merseyside derby there should be fresh developments regarding the club’s ownership.
However it seems the damage has already been done and maybe such drastic action by the club’s supporters should have been taken months ago to force the duo into a quick sale. There have been sit-in protests and the lobbying of investment firm Blackstone, but more radical action may have been needed. Should Hicks somehow manage to refinance his loans and remain in charge at the club then the possibility of a boycott should certainly be examined.
In truth, fans may not need to boycott as it is unlikely the Americans will be in charge for much longer with Hicks struggling to find backers who will help him cling onto power at Anfield. It now seems likely that RBS, who have made millions from Liverpool and openly admitted that the loan they provided to Hicks and Gillett was too high for either of them to deliver on, will seize control of the club.
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Liverpool fans will hope RBS have the club’s best intentions at heart or supporters may yet turn their anger towards the banks who have so far refused to act on the crisis at Anfield which has hit a critical stage.
Would you boycott games at Anfield in an attempt to get rid of the club’s current owners? Leave your comments below-
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The latest Merseyside derby this weekend highlighted a lot of issues. Are our referees really the best in the world, and if not, when are they going to be held accountable? Are we starting to see the ugly side of fans, creeping back into our stadiums, and are clubs doing enough to combat those disgusting individuals who throw missiles directly at players? And is the Liverpool side that finished the game (with the exception of Jordan Henderson) the ideal starting XI for Kenny Dalglish? Let’s take a look.
Little more than 20-minutes had passed on the clock when Martin Atkinson foolishly flashed a red card in Jack Rodwell’s direction after the Everton midfielder committed a tough, but clean challenge, but it took Liverpool until the 71st minute to break the deadlock. Both club Captain Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy had been on the pitch barely 4-minutes when the latter was involved in some neat build-up play which saw Andy Carroll break Everton’s resolve. There should be little doubt that the injection of pace and quality that Liverpool introduced at that time, in the sweltering, unseasonable weather, against a tiring 10-men helped change the game once more.
Bellamy replaced the anonymous Stewart Downing and looked instantly more threatening down the left-hand side of the pitch, combining well with left-back Jose Enrique. The former Villa man had a promising start to the season, but in recent weeks has become something of an invisible man. Bellamy on the other hand is the perennial pain in the neck to whatever opposition he faces. His constant harrying and buzzing around the pitch, coupled with his mouthy, moaning ‘charm’ never leaves supporters wondering if he is on the field of play. Charlie Adam had performed bright in spells but has not been as consistently influential on the pitch as he would have liked – or many would have expected. The return of iconic Captain Gerrard will now threaten Adam’s place in the starting line-up. There could be a case to partner both midfielders together and thus replacing the much maligned Lucas, which is what many fans want to see. It would certainly provide a more offensive option, however the balance of the team may suffer as the much improved Brazilian provides an effective shield in-front of the defensive line, and defensively, Liverpool have struggled at times this season.
Injuries have prevented Liverpool from having a consistent back-line this season but there can be little doubt when fit, Agger, Carragher and Jose Enrique should be first choice (alongside keeper Pepe Reina). The only question mark is at right-back with young Martin Kelly forever impressing, injury prone England international Glen Johnson seems to be a forgotten man at Anfield, and many believe his poor defensive positional sense should see young Kelly keep his place.
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One option could be to play Johnson further forward and join the midfield unit – he certainly has the attacking quality and composure. However the ever-dependable Dirk Kuyt now seems to have won his place back in the starting line-up after initially losing it to new signing Jordan Henderson at the start of the season. Many were mystified by Dalglish’s preference for youngster Henderson over the experienced Kuyt, but it now seems the Dutchman has worked his way back into the starting line-up at the £20 million man’s expense. Henderson can have little complaint due to his performances thus far, but maybe it is a slight on the management team for rushing the youngster into the first team instead of allowing him to acclimatise slowly – was there pressure from above to play him, with his huge price-tag? Either way Henderson is not yet ready for the starting line-up, especially whilst there are other more experienced, proven options available who have also contributed more on the field of play this season than the former Sunderland man.
That just leaves the front-line which was made up of £58 million pair Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll for the entirety of the derby. The two striker’s were bought together back in January to form a dream ‘little and large’ partnership, but of the two, only Suarez has shone. The Uruguayan has been far and away Liverpool’s best player since pulling on a red shirt and his place in the starting line-up is cemented. Contrast that with Carroll’s very inconsistent, stop-start career at Anfield so far which has seen the Geordie giant’s abilities called into question every time he plays. A severe lack of goals has added to the scrutiny, but Dalglish is standing by his man, publicly defending the youngster from the media’s criticism. Carroll repaid the managers faith with a derby goal, and there is little doubt he is still a huge ‘work in progress’. But both strikers scored on Saturday in a 2-0 win, their jobs done. Will the team that was on the field of play whilst both goals were scored be given a chance from the off?
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Having just gotten over the shock of Chelsea sending out Michael Essien on loan right at the end of the transfer window without replacing him, the question of exactly what they were thinking letting go of such a versatile and willing player remains. But it cannot be ignored that what will turn out to be a major loss for Chelsea will be a huge gain for Los Blancos.
Essien has re-joined his ‘daddy’ Mourinho at Real Madrid and went straight into the squad for the game against Granada which was a must win for the defending Champions. Mourinho’s men have struggled so far in the league this season – despite beating Barcelona to the Super Copa – and an exodus of midfielders has occurred including not only Nuri Sahin but now Granero and Lass being farmed out due to not being up to the level Mourinho requires.
In Essien the club have found themselves a player that is trusted totally by Mourinho, who knows him well from his time at Chelsea, when Essien spent time in his preferred position in the middle of the park but also at right back and at centre half, where he certainly did himself and his club proud.
The player will freely admit that his career has been somewhat curtailed by injury of late and the troublesome knee issues have taken a toll on him, but Essien now feels that he is ‘fit, stronger than ever and ready to go.’ It would be understandable if the player had lost a little bit of drive but Essien is still more versatile and capable than most, with playing time being all that he needs to fully get back into the swing of things again.
The versatility of the player is vital for Mourinho, whose back four collect yellow cards and suspensions like a child gets sweets, and Essien’s ability to slip in anywhere has not gone amiss when thrashing out the terms of the loan deal. It does seem strange that after selling Bosingwa, Chelsea are now willing to let another player who can do a more than competent job at right back go, not to mention provide cover in the middle of the park.
Real Madrid will now face 20 fixtures in the next 90 days, and the depth of their squad is something that will come into play even earlier than many would have predicted. Last season’s Champions League campaign suffered due to the Clasico being right in the middle of the semi-final games against Bayern, and being in group D this season – a group that makes the tag ‘group of death’ equate to calling Iniesta and Xavi ‘alright in midfield’, players like Ozil, Khedira and Xabi are going to be called upon more than ever, the vital difference from last season is that now Modric and Essien are there to provide back-up – and back-up that Mourinho trusts, which is certainly something he could not say last season.
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Chelsea however have made a flying start to the season and despite a somewhat humiliating Super Cup on Friday, still look set in the Premier League – for now. Their problem will come as the fixtures pile up, and pile up they will with the World Club Cup still to play for in Japan, and something that they would have been looking to utilise a versatile and willing player in – sadly for them Essien is no longer available for this.
It would have seemed a little pointless to send glowing praise Everton’s way had they started this season in their usual manner. Slow starts, big finishes, but not quite making the grade. This season, however, David Moyes has taken his squad of players onto a new level. They should have been knocked back by the disappointment of losing another one of their products from that incredible youth system, but they soldiered on and made this a squad that can beat anyone on their day. With a rocking Goodison Park, who’s to say Everton can’t make Champions League football?
The thing with Everton lately is that everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to praise David Moyes and his team. Iain Macintosh wrote a great piece—and fully deserving—on the unsung hero that is Tony Hibbert. It was fitting and not just a testament to some good work shown over the past month. If anything, Hibbert is the poster boy for Everton Football Club. The full-back is incredibly hard working, gets up and down the pitch without a fuss, and typifies the no nonsense attitude of his manager. Isn’t that the real embodiment of English fighting spirit?
It’s easy to talk about Marouane Fellaini as this beast of a player who can brawl with the very best and somehow manage to throw some continental style into the mix, too. But what about that ever-reliable goalkeeper between the posts? The best goalkeeper in Merseyside at the moment? Certainly the most consistent. What about that back four that can see players come in and out but maintain it’s hard working ethos? Goal-line clearances are the norm, but it once again sums up the never say die attitude of the manager and his players. And then there’s a forward line led into battle by a real predator in the box, a player who would fit right in at any of the bigger clubs in the Premier League, an absolute bargain of a buy from Rangers, and a player who should leave many, many managers and scouts wondering how they ever missed his undeniable class.
If that’s not a squad that can form a strong charge on the Champions League for next season, then what’s the point? Is this a league that has it’s mind made up in October or November like, say, La Liga? Should we dismiss Everton and what they genuinely are capable of just because it’s not really the norm? Tottenham challenging for the league title isn’t the norm, but people fancied a ride on that train for a while. Who told Chelsea they were allowed to overcome internal struggles, beat the best team in the world and see off a fantastic Bayern Munich in their own stadium to win the Champions League? It can’t be done, it really shouldn’t have been done. Shouldn’t we exercise a little caution when dismissing teams like Everton from making a real impression in the league?
David Moyes is one of the finest managers of the Premier League era in England. He could manage Manchester United one day, one day when he feels the time is right to move on. But taking him out of the Everton fold would really smack of something wholly disappointing. Why break up a project that’s been in the works for 10-years?
Wayne Rooney’s move to Manchester United should have set the club back, even with the injection of cash the player saw going in the opposite direction while on his way to Old Trafford. What about Mikel Arteta leaving last year at the last minute and with no hope or time or even cash to find a ready replacement? What does it tell you of Moyes and the great togetherness of Everton when Kevin Mirallas turns down Arsenal and Champions League football and big crowds in the capital for the blue half of Merseyside? It isn’t really a fluke or a mistake. It wasn’t when the club found Fellaini or Nikica Jelavic and snapped them up before the big guns of Europe.
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What’s the point in sports if we tell clubs or athletes that it can’t be done? This is a group of international players who are good enough to play at the pinnacle of club football in Europe, and definitely not only because there might be one spot in the top four that’s up for grabs. What kind of message will it send out to the rest of Europe about English football? What sort it message will it sent out to the rest of English football if Everton can land another Champions League place?
Everton are working to a budget, they don’t have the biggest stadium or anywhere near it. They will have to sell in order to move on, but that’s no worry, Moyes will just find another gem to add to his squad and carry on. But there are no real internal struggles at Everton, they are not dealing with players flirting with the big teams in Europe and, importantly, they’re all buying into the idea that David Moyes is selling.