Chelsea continued their pre-season preparations with another win under some tough conditions, as the Blues started their Asian quest with a 1-0 win in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. A controversial own-goal from a Didier Drogba free-kick was the only goal of the game with the under-strength Malaysians giving a hard fight to the Blues. The Bukit-Jalil stadium, having capacity of 90,000, was almost full, creating a great atmosphere…
Chelsea In For Another Barcelona Youngster?
Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo are this afternoon reporting that Chelsea are close to finalising a deal for young midfielder Oriol Romeu. The 19 year-old, who made his senior debut for the European champions late last season, is reported to be the subject of a €5m bid from The Blues. Barcelona are believed to want a clause in the deal allowing them to re-sign the player in two seasons, but this…
Sky Wrong On Terry & Modric
With the current situation engulfing NewsCorp, you’d think Murdoch’s empire would be taking a little more care in their reporting. Sadly not, it would seem. Earlier today it was widely reported, with the source being Sky Sports, that John Terry had claimed Luka Modric has been ‘disrespectful’ towards Tottenham in trying to engineer a move to Chelsea. These quotes quickly spread like wildfire and have been repeated ad nauseum across…
Ben-Haim Blooper Gifts Blues Win
After a long break, Chelsea returned back to playing as a large crowd greeted them at Fratton Park in their first friendly in public eye, with the Blues securing a 1-0 win. This was also the first chance for the Chelsea fans to see the new boss, André Villas-Boas, in action after the first match against Wycombe Wanderers was played behind doors. On a day when three different Chelsea sides…
Hutchinson Returns, But For How Long?
As many of you will know by now, Sam Hutchinson played 45 minutes for Chelsea’s Reserve team at Crawley Town yesterday afternoon. It came as quite a surprise given that the young defender announced his retirement from the game last summer as he battled a chronic knee problem. The question now being asked, of course, is whether he is attempting a return on a full time basis or if he…
First Team Heads To Asia With Youth In Tow
Chelsea this afternoon depart English shores ahead of their Asian tour and manager Andre Villas-Boas has included a smattering of youth in his travelling party. In his two pre-season victories over Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth, the Portuguese boss has given opportunities to a clutch of reserve team players and whilst not all of them will make the trip to Malaysia and beyond, there are enough travelling to create a keen…
Reserves: Crawley Town 6-1 Chelsea
Chelsea’s Reserve team opened their 2011 pre-season schedule with a 6-1 defeat to League Two new boys Crawley Town. A mixed team which included experience in the likes of Jacob Mellis alongside the youthful endeavour of first year Adam Nditi went down courtesy of goals from Matt Tubbs (2), John Akinde, Wes Thomas (2) and Tyrone Barnett. The Reds have already been in preparation mode for over a fortnight and…
Chelsea Hire Shakhtar’s Biosca As Club Doctor
Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk today confirmed that Spanish Doctor Paco Biosca has joined Chelsea as their new club doctor. The 57 year-old replaces Bryan English in heading up the medical department at Cobham and arrives a little less than a week since Michael Essien suffered a serious knee injury in pre-season. Biosca arrives with a reputation as one of Europe’s best, with his former club touting him as a man…
Football’s Shadow Line
Note: I started writing this at 1.48pm, on Thursday 7th July 2011. We interrupt our usual diet of light-hearted reminiscence and fluff for a serious consideration of an issue which, taken to its ultimate possibility, could end Premier League football as we currently know it. Firstly, use of the phrase “shadow line” is intentional. I hope that many of you enjoyed Hugo Blick’s superb psychological drama of Police corruption which…
Cork Makes Saints Switch
Southampton have this evening confirmed that they have secured the permanent services of Chelsea’s England Under-21 midfielder Jack Cork on what is thought to be a long-term contract. It brings an end to over a decade at the club for the 22 year-old, who never made a senior appearance at Stamford Bridge. Cork now returns to a club he spent six months on loan at in 2008, and will also…