Scolari Demands Big Commitment From Chelsea Squad
Luiz Felipe Scolari who was named as new Chelsea manager on Tuesday has demanded a squad commitment from the Chelsea players next season. He officially takes over the reigns at Stamford Bridge on July the 1st, and has a reputation amongst those in the press of being a tough character.
He told the Daily Star “I have a reputation of being a tough guy, and that’s why they call me Big Phil. What’s wrong with that?”
“I look after my players, they look after me. On the pitch, you must give everything and save nothing.
“I like aggression in players and those who love to impose themselves on games. Players have to be physically strong.
“Players must understand what I say and what I want. I will give them responsibility to sort things out on the pitch, but first they must prove to me they can handle that.
“No player must play for me if he cannot have the confidence to express himself.”
This was a strong signal of intent for things to come and the opposite style of managed previously employed by Avram Grant. ‘Big Phil’s’ managerial style may well suit the English game, due to its more physical nature when compared to other European leagues and its quicker pace.
Deco – who plays under Scolari for Portugal has been touted as one of Chelsea’s first signings of the new season. Although Scolari has distanced himself from these reports, he did reserve special praise for Deco during a press conference saying “He is an individual player - talented but daring,” said the World Cup winner. “It is easy to play football when you are daring. He dribbles and protects the ball and makes things happen.
“He is always expressing himself. There will be mistakes, but this I can excuse. Deco is not afraid.”
Luiz Felipe does have his fair share of critics however. Some sections of the media have claimed that he only knows how to perform in cup knockout football (he has never managed in Europe) and that his command of the English language is weak. He agent however has squashed these rumors and stated that whatever country he moves to he has no problem in adapting to the local way of life. There will be a big expectation for Chelsea to deliver this season, and in football nowadays a manager’s lifespan is very short if he doesn’t bring instant success. The upcoming Premier League season should prove to be one of the most exiting to date.
Portugal Take One Step Further To Quarter Finals
Ronaldo scored a crucial goal in tonight’s football fixtures in an interesting game between Portugal and the Czech Republic. The match played in Geneva ended 3-1 in football goals to Portgual, with Deco, Ronaldo and Quaresma hitting the net for the Portuguese. The win means that Portugal has not got two wins out of two and on course for the next stage of the tournament. They currently stand at the top of the group’s football tables.After the game Ronaldo said “It’s a very good feeling. We’ve almost reached our first goal which is to get to the next stage. I’m very happy I was able to contribute with a goal. “We played well. The Czechs played really well during the first half. It was very hard to penetrate their defence. “We created a lot of chances and played as a unit. If we keep on playing like that we’ve got a good chance of doing well in this tournament.” Portugal has turned in two quality performances this tournament and are being considered by many as early tournament favourites. Their position in the football tables proves this point. Other favourites in the football fixtures remain the usual suspects, especially Holland and Spain after their impressive first fixture wins. Holland cruised to a 3-0 win against world champions Italy and Spain beat a weak Russia side 4-1. So far it is looking as though this could be the best tournament to date. The group of death still has a couple of big games to look forward to, in particular Holland against France and Italy against France.Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet Sven-Goran Eriksson is preparing his Mexican team for the next big tournament in football, the world cup 2010 in South Africa. He is hoping Mexico can score many football goals during their qualifying campaign and finished at the top of the football tables. From an English perspective, should they qualify for the finals in two years time there is a very real chance they can be matched against their former manager.
Chelsea Gives Green Light For Drogba Negotiations
AC Milan was given the go ahead to start discussions with Drogba’s representatives about a future move to Italian football tables giant today, ahead of next seasons football fixtures. Adriano Galliani, the clubs vice president was understood to be delighted by this news, however the one time AC Milan now Chelsea reserve football goals scorer Shevchenko has not been allowed to follow suit and discuss a possible move to the Italian team.
Drogba has had an impressive career to date, but came under a lot of bad press during his time at Chelsea for his play acting and diving during premiership football fixtures. His football goals record has been impressive however and he has been regarded as one of Chelsea’s most valuable players in the last few seasons. The possible end of Drogba’s time at Chelsea would not have been helped by events in Moscow’s football result, in which they lost the Champions League to Manchester United, and in the Premiership on the final day of this seasons football fixtures.
Milan fans are likely to be gutted that they are not allowed to open negotiations with former player Andriy Shevchenko. The player completed a thirty million pound move to Chelsea a couple of seasons back, but has so far failed to excel for Chelsea during this seasons football tables. A lot of people in the media believe that Chelsea would never let Shevchenko go, simply because his market value is only a small percentage of that they paid for him, and by doing so would be a blow to their pride.
Milan has also been linked to another Premiership star – Emmanuel Adebayor although Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has categorically stated that the Togo striker is not for sale. As well as a possible move by Barcelona striker Eto to Milan, there is no short supply of activity in the transfer market. AC Milan clearly feels that by strengthening in the striking positions, they will be able to compete domestically and in Europe.
Other news in the transfer market see Arsenal Midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas linked to a move to Real Madrid. Although the midfielder has constantly stated that he is content with life in England, the speculation does not appear to be vanishing. With recent news that a Ronaldo move to Real Madrid imminent, it is unlikely that they will be able to fund the purchase of Fabregas on top of that of the Manchester United playmaker.
Euro 2008 kicks Off Today
Today sees the European Championship kick off in Austria and Switzerland, with the first match being played by Austria against the Czech Republic. This tournament promises to be one of the most exciting to date, with the bookmakers having no clear favourite.
One team however that are on many peoples lips at the moment is Spain. All though they have not fulfilled expectations in tournament gone by they still have quality players throughout the squad such as Casillas, Puyol, Fabregas, Torres and Villa. Spain’s build up to this match has been relatively disappointing, only managing a one nil win against the USA this week.
Other favourites kicking around are France and Italy. Although Cannavaro and Vieira look set to miss out on the tournament, both teams have a lot of quality throughout the playing squad. Italy has an added incentive to follow up from their World Cup success by adding another trophy to their impressive cabinet.
Fabio Capello backed up by a Castrol Performance Index review has named Germany as his favourites for this year’s tournament. Their first game is against Poland, in which three points will be seen to be vital.
Scouts from around Europe are also going to be in their masses to see if they can spot the next big star. This year will be no different, and there is plenty of new talent that will be on show. One example of such player is Karim Benzema, who has caught the eye of many this season. He currently plays for Lyon and managed to score against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League.
With players like Ronaldo and Henry on show there will be plenty to see for fans. The only dampener that can be put in this tournament is the non existence of the England football team. Love them or hate them, they always add to the excitement and general buzz around major tournaments like this. Once this tournament is over the teams will have a short pre-season break before competing in their domestic leagues next season, and concentrate on the qualifiers for the World Cup in 2010.
Steve Mclaren In Possible Return To Club Management
The ‘wolly in the brolly’ as described by some sections of the media section , or Steve Mclaren known to most has been speculated to be close to agreeing a move to FC Twente in the Dutch league. Current FC Twente coach Fred Rutten was believed today to be on the verge of leaving the club ensuring an open path for Mclaren’s appointment as manager. Mclaren was is Holland recently to experience the club qualifying for next season’s Champions League , an achievement that would tempt any manager to take the reigns of a new club.
Mclaren’s career to date has been a controversial one, enjoying success and failures both domestically and internationally. He was appointed the manager of the England national side for one of the shortest periods in history following the departure of Sven-Goran Eriksson. There were a number of significant events that increased the downwards spiral of his England managerial career. In Zagreb for example against a Croatia side that hadn’t lost a home game in a number of years, he played an experimental 3-5-2 formation which backfired, consequentially losing the game two nil. Mclaren subsequently failed to get the England team to this summers European Championships and was given a golden handshake by the FA. Mclaren’s achievements in club football – with Middlesbrough FC was however more successful. He got them to the Uefa cup final (losing 4-0 to Sevilla) and won the Carling cup. Before management he was a successful assistant manager to Alex Ferguson of Manchester United. Ferguson, regarded as one of the true great managers of the world acted as a solid mentor to Mclaren.
FC Twente is not the only team to be linked with Mclaren. Getafe of La Liga has also shown an interest in securing Mclaren’s services for next season.
Mclaren has recently made a significant effort to broaden his horizons in the world of football, by learning Spanish, visiting Barcelona and learning Dutch coaching methods. The next few weeks will be a testing time for Mclaren and will ultimately make or break his career in football management.