Chelsea LIVE & UNCUT! The drama, the passion, the roubles!

[shanyi]

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE WEEK FOURTEEN

DUFF HUMBLES UNAMBITIOUS LIVERPOOL'S TITLE PRETENTIONS

Chelsea 3-0 Liverpool

Damien Duff produced the performance of the season as he swept aside Liverpool's hopes for the title with unnerving ease. Liverpool were pathetically defensive despite only missing centre back Sami Hyypia. Jose Reina was to thank with several key early saves, parrying Duff's low early drive as he and Del Horno took full advantage of Liverpool's tight formation. Lampard had a free kick turned over the crossbar and Didier Drogba, recalled to the side for his strength against Carragher and the inexperienced Whitbread, had a short range volley deflected past the keeper but just over. Drogba was the instigator of the first goal, picking up a through ball from Duff, lifting the ball over Finnan and to Essien, who headed in at the near post. Liverpool had no response, but Chelsea doubled their lead just before the half, Lampard's in swinging free kick humiliating Reina, who let the ball slip through his hands. Second half, Essien and Lampard hung back and played simple passes, but still crafted chances for Robben and Drogba, who scored a volley after sixty two minutes. Gonzales and Luis Garcia should have scored late on when Chelsea relaxed, Gonzales firing miles over when set up by Gerrard, who had been superbly marshalled by Essien and Makelele all day, and Garcia set up from two yards out by Djibril Cisse, but he struck the post.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Gallas, Del Horno; Lampard (Gudjohnsen), Makelele, Essien; Robben, Duff (Wright-Phillips); Drogba (Crespo).

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Whitbread, Riise; Alonso (Hamann), Gerrard; Sinama-Pongolle (Gonzales), Garcia, Kewell; Cisse (Crouch).

OTHER SCORES

(3rd) Arsenal 5-0 Wigan (18th)

(11th) Birmingham 1-1 Newcastle (9th)

(15th) Bolton 3-2 Tottenham (13th)

(7th) Charlton 1-3 Man Utd (4th)

(12th) Everton 2-1 Fulham (6th)

(17th) Man City 1-1 Blackburn (10th)

TOP OF THE TABLE

1. Chelsea (P14, GD 32, Pts 38)

2. Liverpool (P14, GD 12, Pts 31)

3. Arsenal (P14, GD 20, Pts 30)

4. Man Utd (P14, GD 16, Pts 27)

5. Aston V (P13, GD 9, Pts 23)

[shanyi]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP H

RANGERS DEVASTATED BY FIRST HALF BLITZ

Rangers 0-4 Chelsea

Anyone saying that Rangers and Celtic were strong enough to compete in England were swiftly silenced by Chelsea as Lampard and Didi Drogba struck two apiece to end the Scottish side's Champions League dream. Chelsea played a much slower passing game than usual, drifting the ball around in midfield where Tiago, Makelele and Lampard were given disturbing amounts of room. It only took three minutes though for Lampard to get into the area, dummy a shot put put a ball past Klos to Drogba for an easy opener. Five minutes later, Drogba took advantage of Barry Ferguson's awful pass to add a second. At the twenty minute mark, Lampard was fouled in the area by Marvin Andrews, who was unfairly dismissed, and the Chelsea midfielder was as precise as ever from the spot. Just before half-time, Wright-Phillips crossed, Drogba headed down for Lampard to volley in unmarked past a vulnerable Klos.

Shanyi rested his two stars for the second half, bringing on Carlton Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen, Hernan Jorge Crespo joining them soon afterward, to give them a chance to claim their spot. Cole and Crespo were lively, the Englishman forcing Klos into a neat fingertip save over the crossbar and causing problems with his height, the Argentine drifting out wide and showing passing abilities for which he is frequently uncredited. Gudjohnsen, Chelsea's least prolific goalscorer this season thanks to being pushed back into midfield, was given the striking bearth he covets but his impact was only felt by his astonishing inability to find the net, being humiliated by Klos when put through by a succession of stunning balls by Tiago, Terry, Cole and Crespo. The one time he beat Klos, he fired wide with the goal at his mercy. When the final whistle blew, Rangers can console themselves that they weren't the only ones with red faces.

RANGERS (4-3-3): Klos, Ross (Tonge), Andrews (s/o), Khizanishvili, Ball; Ricksen, Ferguson, Rae; Novo (Arveladze), Thompson (Lovenkrands), Prso.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cudicini, Johnson, Terry, Carvalho, Bridge; Lampard (C Cole), Makelele, Tiago; Wright-Phillips (Crespo), Robben; Drogba (Gudjohnsen).

[Guest]

A very enjoyable read mate :-)

[shanyi]

Just to 'finish off', I thought I'd say once and for all that I'm not going to be continuing this story anymore, since no-one was reading it and I've since started a new game with all the latest transfers intact. If anyone wants to hear about my new game, which would pick up roughly at the point this one left off, I'll check on this thread in a few days and see if it's been 'kept alive'. If not, thanks to everyone's nice comments, hope you enjoyed what little there was of it!

[Daz the Imp]

People clearly have been reading mate, because there are nearly 500-odd views on this story

[shanyi]

Well, I thought I'd give it one more shot. I've just finished my 'first' season in charge and thanks to a great deal of luck in the Champions League (more on that later), managed to do the quadruple. Apart from the fact that I enjoyed writing this stuff last time, I have a feeling the England job might be up for grabs quite soon and if I get it, there should be a little more drama than the win-fest of last season (4- yes, that's 4- goals against in the Premiership), which was undeniably my best ever, despite being my third unbeaten (I normally lose one or two to big clubs, sometimes a third to Charlton or Everton). I'm going to try and move the focus away from the matches and more onto interviews, transfers, player dramas etc. Hopefully then, it'll be more fun for everyone else. Round-up report on last season coming soon- enjoy!

[shanyi]

BLUE TODAY: A CHELSEA MAGAZINE RETROSPECTIVE ON OUR GREATEST EVER SEASON!

In the words of Aristotle, Socrates, Darwin and Newton, whoda thunkit? After Jose Mourinho was thrown into the mental asylum when his ego actually consumed all of London, fans had been left speculating over the big names who would follow him. When Shanyi, an unknown one time Gillingham ball boy was signed up on a year's contract, cries could be heard around the City (and, for once, not one mention of a 'special one'). Rumours persisted that Abramovich had finally gone mad, fuelled by his attempt to build a solid gold boat, and that Shanyi had pictures of Abramovich in his 'Shirley' days were mixed up in the fury and anger of Blues' supporters.

However, the appointment proved to be an ingenious one. After a respectable but rather erratic start to the season, with three draws against substandard opposition and only small wins, fans were sensing something wicked coming their way.

But instead, the clouds cleared, the sun shone and Abramovich's boat was recovered from the bottom of the South Pacific (although a freshwater salmon named Desmond, who had got lost on his way to visit his mother, had stolen the mast and was using it to gain a place on the property ladder), Chelsea settled into an awesome run of form, smashing all those who stood in their way towards collecting an historic quadruple of the Champions League, Premiership, League Cup and FA Cup.

THE STATS

CHELSEA 2004/2005

P:64 W:59 D:5 L:0

GF:159 (2.5 per game), GA:11 (0.2 per game)

LEAGUE WINS: 1

CUP WINS: 3

TRANSFERS

TOTAL VALUE OF PLAYERS SIGNED: £4.5M

TOTAL VALUE OF PLAYERS SOLD: £9M

In: Theo Walcott (£250k, Southampton), Simon Walton (£275k), Mikel John Obi (£1.3M, Lyn Oslo), Kerlon (£650k, Cruzeiro), Anthony Vanden Borre (£750k, Anderlecht), Daniel Sturridge (£525k, Man City), Carl Spencer (£20k, Morton), Freddy Guarin (£750k, Envigado), Enzo Gio Scorza (Free).

Out: Filipe Morais, Danny Hollands, Adrian Pettigrew, Jack Watkins, Jamie Watkins, Dean Smith, Phil Younghusband, Joe Tillen (released), Juan Sebastian Veron (£5.5M, Inter), Anthony Vanden Borre (£1.5M, Milan), Alexey Smertin (Benfica, £2M).

TOP PLAYERS (based on OPTA index statistics)

Highest average rating: Damien Duff 8.50

Most goals: Frank Lampard 33

Most assists: Frank Lampard 26

Mot MotM awards: Damien Duff 15

Most appearances: John Terry 59(0)

Team of the season (based on av. rating, goals, assists, appearances)

P Cech (7.41), G Johnson (8.02), J Terry (7.61), W Gallas (7.45), A Del Horno (7.70), C Makelele (7.45), S Wright Phillips (7.96), F Lampard (7.98), J Cole (7.58), D Duff (8.50), D Drogba (7.53). SUBS: C Cudicini (7.37), R Carvalho (7.31), A Robben (7.75), M Essien (7.41), H Crespo (7.32).

---

TOP/BOTTOM OF LEAGUE TABLE

1.Chelsea (P38, W35, L0, F101, A4, Pts 108)

2.Arsenal (P38, W24, D11, L3, F66, A22, Pts 83)

3.Man Utd (P38, W23, D10, L5, F67, A30, Pts 79)

4.Liverpool (P38, W20, D7, L11, F57, A37, Pts 67)

5.Tottenham (P38, W16, D10, L12, F57, A37, Pts58)

16.Charlton (P38, W9, D11, L18, F42, A62, Pts 38)

17.Aston Villa (P38, W8, D12, L18, F42, A59, Pts36)

18.West Brom (P38, W7, D8, L23, F33, A66, Pts 29)

19.Sunderland (P38, W7, D7, L24, F30, A76, Pts 28)

20. Wigan (P38, W4, D7, L27, F28, A81, Pts 19)

---

CHELSEA'S KEY RESULTS

Tottenham 0-0 Chelsea (first result)

Chelsea 0-0 Newcastle (Arsenal go top)

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool (Enter top 3 first time)

Portsmouth 1-2 Chelsea (first goal conceded)

Chelsea 7-0 Middlesbrough (biggest win)

Chelsea 0-2 Man Utd (Go 2nd, behind Arsenal)

Chelsea 4-0 Tottenham (Go top, Arsenal draw 1-1)

Chelsea 4-0 Arsenal (Get significant lead at top)

Sunderland 0-2 Chelsea (Win the Premiership)

---

OTHERS

Chelsea 1-0 Man Utd (Win League Cup)

-

Juventus 0-1 Chelsea (Avoid going out to away goals rule with 89th minute John Terry goal)

-

FC Bayern 0-2 Chelsea (Win Champions League)

-

Arsenal 0-4 Chelsea (Win FA Cup)

---

In the second part of our exclusive, we will have an interview with Shanyi about his hopes for the new season and his thoughts on the last. But for now, ENGLAND HAVE WON THE ASHES!!!

[shanyi]

VULTURES CIRCLE AS SHANYI PREPARES TO REFINE SQUAD

Despite the undeniable excellence of his previous season, Chelsea manager Shanyi is preparing to offload several of his superstars in order to refine his extensive squad.

Glen Johnson, who was one of the players reportedly complaining about lack of first team opportunities last season, seems to have been saved by his late, excellent form, though several of his companions are not looking so lucky in their bids to keep their place in Shanyi's squad.

Geremi, the Cameroonian who featured only sporadically at the end of the season in the 'filler' matches, may be off to Werder Bremen, who outbid several other clubs for his services with £4.5M. Jiri Jarosik, the tall Czech midfielder, had his transfer to Birmingham cancelled due to a lack of funds, so Blackburn appears a more likely destination for a possible £3.5M.

More surprising departures may include Carlo Cudicini, for whom Lazio put in a £3.2M offer, Eidur Gudjohnsen, who was overtaken by Carlton Cole in the strikers' pecking order last season, may be going to Sevilla in a £7M deal, and Ricardo Carvalho is all set for Spain and Deportivo, in a £12.5M move.

Shanyi has not yet announced his transfer targets for the upcoming season, though it is thought that several of the above players will be replaced with youth team graduates rather than big buys. However, no doubt to the continued dismay of Robert Huth, he is reportedly looking at defenders to cover the sale of Carvalho.

[shanyi]

BREAKING NEWS

HENRY FEELS ARSENAL ARE OUT OF THEIR DEPTH

Thierry Henry has broken his silence and expressed his concern, mirrored by fans of the club, that his side lack both the depth and quality in key areas of nearest rivals Chelsea. Arsenal, who finished second last season, sold stars such as Lauren and Ashley Cole, and lost Dennis Bergkamp to retirement, but have found little joy in their return investments.

Kevin Kuranyi, the big winter signing, scored just three times (all in Cup competitions) after his £9m move, while Sebastian Deisler failed to make an impact. Pepe Simunic, signed over the summer, has been maligned by fans as a poor replacement for Ashley Cole.

"I feel zat we have loost ahr va-va-voom" Henry said, in a Clouseau accent, "Vhen we loost Ashley, Lauren and Den-eees, zat was vhen we loose ground on ze Chelsea, n'est ce pas? I theenk ve wheel need to deepen ze squad if we are to acheeve our fool potential."

The loss of Arsene Wenger, who left to join the France national team, was also keenly felt. Arsenal have lost several of the key players from the unbeaten Premiership champions of two years ago, with Lehmann, Lauren, Cole, Vieira and Bergkamp all moving on to pastures new.

TRANSFER LATEST

CHELSEA LOOK TO KING & KOMPANY AFTER SUMMER CLEAROUT

After Deportivo pulled off an astonishing £12.5M switch for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho (marking a £7M loss for the Blues on the £19.5M paid out to FC Porto), Sevilla snagged Eidur Gudjohnsen for £7M, Geremi went to Ajax for £4M Carlo Cudicini completed a move to Lazio for £3.2M and Nuno Morais headed to Benfica for £500k, the World of football waited to hear which player would be Chelsea's first big signing.

The news emerged that Chelsea have made bids for Tottenham defender Ledley King, believed to be in the region of £11M, and Vincent Kompany, a £5M with Jiri Jarosik heading the other way. Though more transfers are likely to come through, those two deals represent a formidable jump over the £4.5M Shanyi spent predominantly on youth players last season. It is also thought that although Shanyi is looking for a striker, Carlton Cole will start the season as third choice behind Didi Drogba and Hernan Crespo, who fired Chelsea to the title last season. Lenny Pidgeley and Joe Keenan are also believed to have been added to the first team squad, with Freddy Guarin, Kerlon and Steven Watt waiting in the wings. Robert Huth, who has publicly claimed he is looking for first team football, is rumoured to be the subject of a £4M bid by Valencia, though Shanyi values the German international at £6M and may want a cut of any future transfer fees.

Other big transfers going through include a £7.25M move for D'Alessandro from Wolfsburg to Bayern Munchen, who are looking to boost their strikeforce, Peter Luccin also heading to Munich for £4.2M from Atletico Madrid. D'Alessandro said he was delighted to move to a club where he could achieve his ambitions, and hoped to win the Champions League. WBA made an excellent sale of £3.5M for Diomansay Kamara to Lens, Hertha BSC finally agreed a £3.7M fee with Arsenal for Pepe Simunic, Brazilian Cicinho completed his belated move to CF Real Madrid in a £3M move and Sergay Semek signed for PSG from CSKA Moscow for £2M.

[shanyi]

KING KLINCHES KING'S ROAD KONTRACT BUT KOMPANY IS KEPT AWAY

The Editor would like to apologize for the headline. An intern broke into the printing room and caused havoc with his poor grammar and shoddy attempts at witticisms.

Chelsea today completed the signing of Tottenham captain Ledley King for £15M. King expressed his delight to be 'stepping up a level' in moving to the English and European champions. Shanyi said that King was a fantastic player who could cover as both a midfielder and a defender and would represent a formidable challenge to the Gallas-Terry partnership.

One defender who won't be joining, at least not yet, is Vincent Kompany, after Chelsea's first bid of £3.5M and Jiri Jarosik was turned down. Shanyi is keen to snap up the Belgian defender, clearly not put off by the less than professional attitude shown by Anthony Vanden Borre after his £750k move (which lasted five months), as Manchester United and AC Milan are also nipping at the 19 year old's heels. A new bid is said to have been made, though whether Jiri Jarosik, still looking for a club after Nantes had a £1.1M bid turned down, is unclear.

Shanyi will be giving an interview to Chelsea Magazine as part of their special 'Blue Today' article in the near future.

[shanyi]

Why on Earth did I write King's Road? I went there today, but still. Damn that intern... King Klinched... erm... KChelsea Kontract, then.

[shanyi]

CHELSEA AND MESSI, PARTING KOMPANY

Chelsea gave up on two of their summer transfer targets last night after their third bid for Anderlecht defender Vincent Kompany was rejected. The club were also set to sign Argentine striker Leo Messi from Barcelona on a year's loan at a cost of £500k, but the striker wasn't keen on leaving Spain despite an agreement being struck between the two clubs. Jiri Jarosik's future at the club has also received a boost with the news that he has received a squad number for the season, though Chelsea are still looking for buyers after Birmingham and Blackburn both failed to sign the tall midfielder.

CHELSEA SQUAD 2005/2006

GK- Petr Cech, Leonard Pidgeley

DR- Paulo Ferreira, Glen Johnson

DL- Asier Del Horno, Wayne Bridge

DC- John Terry, Ledley King, William Gallas

DMC- Claude Makelele, Robert Huth, Joe Keenan, Michael Essien

AMC- Frank Lampard, Joe Cole

MR- Shaun Wright-Phillips

ML- Arjen Robben, Damien Duff

F/SC- Carlton Cole, Hernan Jorge Crespo, Didier Drogba

TOTAL: 21 (2 GK)

[shanyi]

STAR SPANGLED SACRIFICE FOR GABRIEL HEINZE

Manchester United showed the first signs of struggling under the debt from the Glazer takeover after star Argentine defender Gabriel Heinze moved on for £9.5M to Valencia. Although the deal represents a profit for United on the original transfer fee, many fans will feel hard done by that one of the club's best defenders has had to move on in such acrimonious circumstances. Valencia, who also recently signed Philipp Lahm from Bayern Munchen, are clearly looking to strengthen their defence after doubts were raised about their consistency and failure to move beyond the group stages in last season's Champions League.

[shanyi]

MESSI'S LOYALTY ILL-REPAID BY BARCA CHIEF

Leo Messi, who yesterday seemed destined to stay with Barcelona after he turned down a potential loan move to European Champions Chelsea, has seen his loyalty repaid by being relegated to the B team by Frank Rikjaard. The Spanish club, who finished a disappointing 3rd last season, already have Ronaldinho, Sam Eto'o, Maxi Lopez and Henrik Larsson on their books. Messi, once hailed as the prodigal star of Argentine football, failed to score in his ten games for the A side last season and soon fell by the wayside. He voiced his determination to stay with the club after rejecting a reported bid of £4M from Internazionale, but now he seems destined to move away from the club with Chelsea the obvious beneficiaries. The English club, who failed last night with their fourth, and likely final, bid for Vincent Kompany, have been looking for a fourth striker to accompany Hernan Crespo, Carlton Cole and Didi Drogba, the latter two of whom scored today in Chelsea's 6-0 demolition of MK Dons along with Frank Lampard's 30 yard curler.

[shanyi]

GREEN TAKES THE SHINE FROM CHELSEA'S LOAN STAR

Leo Messi agreed a £500k loan move to Chelsea only moments before being whisked away to play a pre-season match in Norwich. The possibilities of a fairytale start to his career, though, were hampered by an outstanding performance by Norwich keeper Robert Green, who withstood immense pressure to keep the scores at 1-1, with youngster Ryan Jarvis, also excellent, striking a well placed shot past Petr Cech in the first minute and Lampard heading level on the verge of half time. Messi arrived on 73 minutes to fill out an attacking 4-3-3 formation, but couldn't provide the breakthrough, despite putting in a good cross from which Carlton Cole headed over.

At his first press conference held shortly after the match, Messi was honest about his initial hope of staying with Barcelona.

"Barca are a fantastic club" he said, through a translator called Alan, "And I grew up there, I wanted to help them win many trophies. But the manager made clear that I would not be part of his plans. When I rejected Chelsea first time, it was not disrespect, it was loyalty to my employers. But since they did not want me, I hope I can now be loyal to Chelsea and help them to retain the Champions League." Manager Shanyi first answered questions about the friendly and the disappointing performance before moving onto the potential difficulties Messi faces in establishing himself at Chelsea.

"Today we played badly" he explained, "Our passing was unoriginal and we made many mistakes, especially in the concession of the first goal. But Robert Green played an outstanding match and if it were not for him, maybe we could have won. I think this performance is down to the fact that many players are having to adapt to having lost many of their colleagues over the summer, and also a lack of match fitness. Part of the Messi deal was that we play Barca in our final friendly of pre-season on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, hopefully we will be able to play more controlled and precise football." Moving onto Messi's introduction, he said "This boy has a lot of talent which I know he can put to good use for the club. He had a bad season last year with Barca but is ready to prove he is still the player many expect him to be when he steps out onto the field. I think he will be an excellent international one day." When asked how Messi will fit into the well stocked Chelsea team, Shanyi was also very open in front of his new signing.

"When I signed Leo, he knew he would be my fourth choice, like Gudjohnsen last season who still played over twenty games. Carlton Cole will be my third choice- he is older, more experienced and proved himself last season with eight goals. He is a Chelsea lad and he understands the need for competition. Leo is just 18, very young, and he will get his chance. From there, it is up to him." When asked about the number of young players that Chelsea have brought through the ranks, Shanyi smiled wryly and said "My interview with Chelsea magazine covers this point in detail. It will be published soon after the Barca game."

[shanyi]

BLUE TODAY: A CHELSEA MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MANAGER SHANYI

It's been...erm... a year since Chelsea last won the Premiership. But adding the Carling Cup, FA Cup and Champions League into that equation and you get one of the most monumental achievements in modern day football. Well, that and Sam Allardyce making Kevin Davies back into a footballer. The man who made it all happen... no, not Frank Lampard, the manager Shanyi, grants us an exclusive interview about what has been and what will be. If that makes any sense at all (Fired! -Ed)

In a single season, you've established yourself as Chelsea's most successful manager ever. What's next?

If that's true, I have to extend my lead. This season, we will also be playing in the Super Cup, for example, so my players and I have the chance to outdo last season's efforts. Retention of cups and trophies is, in many ways, more important than the first win- it differentiates the great sides from the lucky ones.

You've been noted for your policy of bringing through a lot of young players rather than spending Tsar Roman's cash as lavishly as your gorgeous predecessor. Why is that?

I think there is a lot of talent waiting to be developed out there. Young players can often have the drive and determination which can be missing from simply hiring big name mercenaries, and can often yield surprisingly effective results. It is also important for the club and for the game that young players are not pushed away by the demand for big names. Many fans understand that it is just as wonderful seeing a dedicated young man putting his all into his game and emerging as a terrific talent, as it is to herald the latest big name.

Lenny Pidgeley, Steven Watt, Jonas Elmer, Joe Keenan, Anthony Grant, Scott Sinclair and Carlton Cole all featured in a surprising number of Chelsea games last season.

I believe in giving people their chance, but remember I also signed a lot of talented youngsters like Kerlon, John Obi and Freddy Guarin who played often. As much as I value our academy, I think it would be foolish not to look outside and to suffer from tunnel vision. The arrival of these players gives our youngsters a higher standard they need to reach, some of them do and some of them don't.

Lots of players have been released or sold under your tenure.

Every player at Chelsea, at the moment, I believe could feasibly play for the club in the future. It would be unfair to keep these players here when they could be advancing themselves elsewhere. There are some hiccupps, like Vanden Borre who could not settle, and some who may take the chance I give them but use it in the wrong way, and become arrogant. Everyone has a role at this club, they must accept it and fight to improve themselves to move up in the pecking order.

Any examples of who the aforementioned 'arrogant' player might be?

You will possibly in a few weeks, maybe sooner. I had high hopes for him, but he wanted to move too fast and felt he had more importance than he was worth. It was very unfortunate, but maybe he will understand soon and he will still have a future with this club. His position was foolish because he should look at the behaviour of the other players I have given similar chances to. Anthony Grant played just a few games but has been fantastic in each of them. When I do not play him, he does not complain. He waits for his next chance and knows that I have taken note and appreciated the work he has done. Scott Sinclair played once, scored, and has not played since. But he knows I remember him, and his chance will come.

Yet you chose to sign Ledley King and Leo Messi rather than bring up young players- are you really prepared to put the youngsters into your team rather than just limit them to Cup appearances?

You say that, but when Carlo [Cudicini] left, I called up Lenny. When Geremi left, I did not turn to Jiri Jarosik, I called for Joe Keenan, who was magnificent last season. Some players take their chances but are not ready for consistent football. When that is the case, or if they are ready but not quite up to the standard I need, then I will buy someone.

So is Lenny Pidgeley going to be your second choice keeper this season then?

We will see how he performs. He has a lot of potential and I have confidence in him.

You hardly ever changed your tactical shape last season, yet the players moved around within that shape quite a bit.

It's simply about getting the most out of every player- when I started, I knew where I wanted to play each of them and I knew they could play in that position. But sometimes you have to change small details so the player can go from performing well on a consistent basis to performing brilliantly. Frank Lampard had a good start, but he was further to the right than he was possibly comfortable with. I moved him central, with Maka and Essien or Joe [Cole] just behind him and he played better but sometimes was too far forward, so I pulled him back and had an attacking trio of Duff, Robben and he just behind Didi or Hernan, where they could play triangles. At the end of the season, his assist and goal tallies were outstanding and the rest of the players were also performing superbly. With the new players like Ledley, Leo and Joe and Robert [Hoooth], who will be pushing for more regular inclusion, I think I will have to make some more changes when the time comes.

How about the rumours that you wear women's underwear?

That's absurd and slanderous. I'm not even wearing trousers, let alone underpants.

At this point, Chelsea magazine decides it may be best to back off...

[shanyi]

BIG MOVES IN EUROPE- TRANSFER MARKET LATEST

Tomas Rosicky secured a £14.5M move from Dortmund to Milan, which will be of great assistance in assuring the German club's future. The Czech midfielder will have a tough time competing with some of Europe's best at the San Siro, where Seedorf, Gattuso and Pirlo will be just a few of the names after his place. In Spain, Carlos Tevez was relieved to move out of Brazil, where he had been threatened by fans of rival clubs, to Real Madrid in an £8.5M move. Tevez, like Rosicky, will be up against top class players competing for his space- despite the departure of Michael Owen, Real still boast Raul, Ronaldo, Julio Baptista and Robinho in their front line. Madrid didn't get it all their own way, though, as Chelsea turned down a £25M bid for winger Damien Duff, who was one of the lynchpins in manager Shanyi's phenomenal first season. Real also sold flop Scottish defender Zander Diamond for a small profit with a fee of £1.2M to Real Sociedad. In England, Neil Mellor and James McEveley secured loan moves from Liverpool and Blackburn to Watford and Swindon respectively.

[shanyi]

CHELSEA WIN COMFORTABLY DESPITE CONTROVERSIAL BARCA GOAL

Chelsea 3-1 Barcelona

Xavi scored one of the strangest goals in football history today, striking home from fifty yards as Chelsea keeper Petr Cech was being substituted for Lenny Pidgeley and the net was unprotected. In spite of furious protestations from the Chelsea players, the goal stood and the game was equalised. The referee simply said "No no, ees no good. Es muy bueno!" Shanyi said afterwards he would be taking the issue up with the FA. Chelsea scored first with a low shot from Damien Duff after good work by Essien, before Xavi's strange equaliser. In the second half, Crespo hooked home to put a determined Blues side back in front before Lampard secured the win in their last pre-season game, with a near post header from Wright-Phillips' cross.

[shanyi]

AGUIRRE LAUGHS OFF CHELSEA CHALLENGE

Arsenal manager Javier Aguirre has laughed off press reports that Chelsea are once again set to barnstorm the footballing world in the upcoming season. Arsenal, who will play Chelsea in the upcoming Community Shield, have a dreadful record against Chelsea since Shanyi took over, scoring just the once at the home game last season and conceding at least three goals in each of the two sides' four encounters.

Aguirre, who took Arsenal on a long unbeaten run which many believe would have comfortably secured the Premiership for the Gunners had the Blues not hit their phenomenal run, said that records represent merely a state of mind and he hoped to record his first victory against Shanyi on Sunday.

"No, our record is not a worry" he said, "These things are all in the mind. Like Chelsea, who could not beat us until they won the Premiership for the first time with Mourinho, then they had confidence. My squad has a lot of talent and I think we can be more than a match for them if we play at our best." When asked about Shanyi's achievements with Chelsea, Aguirre was abrupt.

"It was, as you say, a great achievement for any football club" he mused, "But it will not happen again, simple. They have lost many players over the close season, good players- Carvalho, a top defender, Geremi, Gudjohnsen, a great attacking player. It will not be so easy this time, especially since the manager has chosen to use young players instead of buying- they will get tired. Here, Shanyi shows his first signs of inexperience, perhaps."

Shanyi's response was diplomatic as ever. "I think this game will be very entertaining for the fans. Chelsea and Arsenal games have always been fun, especially last year." A small smile was detected. When asked about his youth team policy, Shanyi shrugged off allegations that his squad was too inexperienced. "Many of the players I brought up have played in our last, fantastic season against good opposition. Some are internationals- they have proven themselves. If managers do not sometimes take a chance on their young players, football will disappear in five years. We can see the importance, when Mr. Wenger [emphasized] brought up Francesc Fabregas and Ashley Cole. They are now World Class players, and I'm sure Mr. Aguirre would have no complaints about them."

[shanyi]

COMMUNITY SHIELD

AGUIRRE FAILS TO FIND SOLUTION TO BLUES

Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Despite his ferverent denials of a mental block when it comes to defeating Premiership champions Chelsea, Arsenal manager Javier Aguirre is going back to the drawing board after yet another humiliating result at the hands of Shanyi's men.

Fans argue that Aguirre's dalliances with the transfer market have yielded none of the spectacular results that defined the Wenger era, with players (mostly German) such as Hildebrand, Deisler and Kuranyi all highly disappointing in their first season at Highbury. Although Aguirre achieved a fine run of form in the Premiership last season, overshadowed somewhat by Shanyi's bulldozer side, fans are already calling for the return of Arsene Wenger, who left to manage the French National Team.

What will be most disappointing for Aguirre is that despite Chelsea's dominance, many players in their XI will rarely feature this season. Although the likes of Johnson, Huth and Keenan have been talked up by their manager, the reality is that the likelihood of their featuring in only ten Premiership games is miniscule. Arsenal's midfield, on the other hand, was well stocked, with Fabregas, Pires, Gilberto, Ljungberg and Hleb all starting. The ever increasing age issue for Pires and, to a lesser extent, Ljungberg, looks as though it could yield a shadow over the upcoming season for the Gunners unless they invest fast. David Bentley, who featured for six minutes, is unlikely to provide an adequate solution. Matthieu Flamini, a very reliable midfielder, may be the solution Arsenal need but Aguirre's distrust of the young Frenchman is quite evident. Certainly, the differing games of Fabregas, Gilberto and Hleb seem to be clashing rather than moulding- once again, cries of "Vieira" could be heard on the terraces.

The two defensive signings on the field shared different fates. Arsenal's Simunic, a low key purchase from Hertha BSC, had a difficult game against the movement of Crespo and the speed of Wright-Phillips. His partner, Sol Campbell, also spent much of the afternoon in a state of bovine-esque general buffuddlement. Chelsea's Ledley King, who in contrast was this summer's biggest signing at £15M, had a comfortable afternoon and dealt with Thierry Henry without breaking much of a sweat. The former Tottenham man (two former Tottenham captains on show today) towered over the Frenchman and provided little leeway in the tackle. His only mistake was playing alongside John Terry, whose energy and dedication propelled Chelsea as at the end of last season, overshadowing all others in his defensive line.

That Chelsea scored all three of their goals in a mad ten minute period in the first half will come as little consolation to Arsenal- even when Lampard and Cech left the field and Chelsea sat back, they mustered up little in the way of threat. The first goal came from, who else, Frank Lampard, a stinging shot which seemed set to be going wide but the keeper somehow deflected it into his own net. If Hildebrand looked humiliated then, he didn't know where to look as Hernan Crespo charged onto Arjen Robben's devastating through ball to casually slot home the second four minutes later. When Lampard set up Crespo again two minutes later, Hildebrand was well placed but the wily Argentine played a low ball across the back line to the near unmarked Shaun Wright-Phillips, who notched up the third, his second in all his Chelsea games against his father's former club.

Lenny Pidgeley arrived for the second half to rapturous applause. The young goalkeeper's frustration at being held back by Carlo Cudicini and Petr Cech's talent finally satisfied, despite his not having much to do. Robert Huth seems to be a natural holding midfielder, his height giving great leverage for Chelsea's trademark midfield dominance while his occasional lapses of concentration, deadly in defence, can be cleaned up by Terry or King. Arsenal only threatened from free kicks, Henry and Eboue trying their luck but, like Arsenal, always finding themselves just off the mark.

ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): T Hildebrand- E Eboue (P Senderos), S Campbell, J Simunic, G Clichy (P Cygan)- F Ljungberg, Gilberto, F Fabregas (K Kuranyi), R Pires (D Bentley)- A Hleb (R van Persie)- T Henry.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): P Cech (L Pidgeley)- G Johnson, J Terry, L King, W Bridge- R Huth, F Lampard (J Cole), J Keenan (M Essien)- S Wright-Phillips, A Robben (D Duff)- H Crespo (C Cole).

[shanyi]

MADRID CONTINUE EUROPEAN SPENDING SPREE

Real Madrid's signing of Bayern's Brazilian centre-back defender Lucio became the summer's biggest transfer deal at £18.5M. Madrid have now spent slightly in excess of £30M on new players, including Brazilian full-back Cicinho, the 'new Roberto Carlos' at £3M, and Argentine striker Carlos Teves for £8.5M from Brazilian club Corinthians. De La Cuesta was Madrid's least remarkable signing, coming in at an initial £400k.

However, Madrid are far from being the only club to make a splash in the market this summer. Emiliano Bonazzoli's arrival at Inter is their only signing this summer, but weighs in at a hefty £15M. Celtic, rarely big players in the transfer market, have pushed the boat out to sign Tomas Hubschmann from Shakhtar Donetsk at just under £5M. Bayern Munich have splashed just £14M, but Peter Luccin, Hatem Trabelsi and D'Alessandro have cost over £13M total, while their five other signings, Reto Ziegler from Tottenham among them, have arrived on a free or at low cost. AC Milan have signed only Tomas Rosicky at expense, but that expense measured over £12M. What is surprising is that traditional big spenders Barcelona have only tossed away casual change of £85k on youth players, and have received just £500k in sales. English clubs have spent relatively little over the summer, Chelsea as usual the most extravagent, having put up £15.5M but also having received £12.5M for the sale of Ricardo Carvalho to Deportivo alone (and having been at the centre of various other big money deals including a £7M move to Sevilla for Eidur Gudjohnsen). The biggest deal to be completed by a Premiership club so far this month has been Martin Pieckenhagen's move from HSV to Fulham for £625k.

[shanyi]

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

HENRY GUNS DOWN TOON ARMY

Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle

Despite their losing the Community Shield, Arsenal sent out a stark warning to rivals Chelsea that the Premiership won't be going all their own way this season. In one minute, Robert Pires had struck the Gunners ahead with a curling drive. Newcastle edged rather than pushed forward, and Thierry Henry rifled home the Gunners' second after half-an-hour. Owen bundled the ball home after a defensive mix-up, but Henry soon put Arsenal back in control with two further goals to complete his hat-trick before the half. Lee Bowyer was sent off in the final minute for two bookable offences to compound Newcastle's woes.

ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): T Hildebrand, E Eboue, J Simunic (Senderos), S Campbell, G Clichy; F Ljungberg, F Fabregas (Flamini), Gilberto, R Pires (R van Persie); A Hleb; T Henry.

NEWCASTLE (3-5-2): S Given; A O'Brien, S Taylor, T Bramble; K Dyer (N Solano), Maniche (S Parker), A Faye, L Bowyer (s/o), A Luque; M Owen, S Ameobi (S Carr).

---

TOTTENHAM'S NEW DAWN ECLIPSED BY BRUM

Birmingham 4-0 Tottenham

This season, like the last and the one prior to that, was supposed to herald the re-emergance of Tottenham Hotspur as a major footballing force. In ten minutes, Steve Bruce's flamboyant Birmingham side were making the London club look like a Sunday League farce. Walter Pandiani has had his critics, but his enthusiastic volley to open the scoring on four minutes will draw few complaints. The Brum crowd cheered louder as Clemence capitalised on a mistake by Gardner to double the advantage, while the away supporters could only watch in despair. Julian Gray paraded his skills to waltz through Tottenham's back three (clearly missing the authority of Ledley King) and strike number three, before former Chelsea striker Mika Forssell was composed to slide home the fourth on the breakaway after twenty minutes. A spate of injuries restricted Birmingham from adding to their tally, though Kuqi's powerful strike curved inches around Robinson's far post late on, but for Spurs failed to muster any sort of reply- which for the fans, may have been the most telling fact of all. Back to the drawing board, then.

BIRMINGHAM (4-4-2): M Taylor; M Melchiot, O Tebily, M Upson, J Clapham; J Pennant, M Izzet, J Gray, S Clememce; M Forssell (E Cairo), W Pandiani (N Kuqi).

TOTTENHAM (3-4-1-2): P Robinson; A Gardner, M Dawson, C Davenport (S Kelly); W Routledge (El Hamdaoui), J Jenas, E Davids, M Esposito; M Carrick (S Davis), R Keane, J Defoe.

---

NEWCOMERS STOKED BY CHAMPIONS

Stoke City 0-3 Chelsea

Although hardly the 15-0 rout some internet punters had predicted, Chelsea certainly gave lowly Premiership newcomers Stoke a harsh reality check with a comfortable win. Damien Duff soared as ever down the left wing and, after being picked out by Robben, made little mistake with his trademark near post finish. When Joe Cole rifled a powerful shot off Marcus Hall's head and past the floundering Simon Royce for the second on the quarter hour, many thought the floodgates would open. Instead, Chelsea played calm and conservative football across the midfield, knowing that harsher tests are yet to come, after a remarkable period of passing, Lampard casually split open the Stoke defence with the precision of a surgeon and Drogba showed why Shanyi keeps him in his side, volley a powerful shot over a defender and the keeper into the far corner. Several Stoke fans found the half a good time to leave, having discovered that the Premiership might not crack up to be the fairytale they had hoped. If they had stayed for the second half, they would have seen Stoke impress a much more positive attitude on the game, even testing Cech with Marcus Stewart's strike. But unfortunately, the damage had been done and as Halls, Hall (who formed a curiously named, if thoroughly ineffective, central defensive pairing), Chadwick and the infamous Akinbiyi trudged down the tunnel at full time after dour performances, they will know that the dream is well and truly over.

STOKE (4-4-2): S Royce; T McMahon, J Halls (M Swift), M Hall, A Dawson; L Chadwick, J Eustace, T Gudjonsson, L Neal (inj, D Russell); A Akinbiyi, M Stewart (D Everitt).

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): P Cech; P Ferreira, J Terry, W Gallas (L King), A Del Horno; F Lampard, C Makelele, J Cole (M Essien); A Robben, D Duff; D Drogba (H Crespo).

---

OTHER RESULTS

Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpooll

Everton 2-2 Blackburn

Fulham 3-1 Charlton

West Ham 1-0 Aston Villa

[shanyi]

UNITED LOOK TO STEEL UP DEFENCE

Argentine central defender Martin Demichelis has agreed a £9M move to Manchester United from Spanish club Sevilla. United's defence has looked shaky without the assured presence of Gabriel Heinze, who left the club before the start of the season. Demichelis said that playing for United was a personal dream come true for him, and he hoped his performances would be up to the high standards demanded at Old Trafford. In other news, promising Wigan defender Leighton Baines has signed for Lille for £2.2M. The player had asked for a transfer after Wigan were relegated from the Premier League last season.

[shanyi]

CHARLTON LOSING PATIENCE WITH CURBISHLEY

Once tipped for the England job, Charlton Athletic manager Alan Curbishley is said to have been told by the club's board that the next few games may be decisive for his fate with the team. Curbishley has been Charlton manager for ten years, guiding them from a mid-table old First Division outfit into a strong Premiership side. However, last season the team underperformed badly and were threatened with relegation almost up until the final game and this season, Charlton have started with a loss. Although Curbishley is a popular figure with the fans, many think he has done all he can with the club.

[podoooo]

Good work Shanyi Nice to see you continuing it

[shanyi]

CHELSEA DEFENCE IN POPULAR DEMAND

Chelsea's now famous back four, comprising of Paulo Ferreira, John Terry, William Gallas and Asier Del Horno, which conceded just four goals in the Premiership last season, is in high demand from the top international clubs. Paulo Ferreira, the Portuguese right back, has been the subject of several offers, including a recent £10M bid from Internazionale. Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid are also thought to have made offers in the region of £7.5M. William Gallas is a target of Spanish clubs, with Valencia, Real Madrid and Deportivo (who earlier signed Chelsea defender and Percy-alike Ricardo Carvalho for £12.5M) all competing to acquire the player's signature. Chelsea say the last recorded bid came in at a shade under £15M. John Terry, the Chelsea captain, seems to be safe but Asier Del Horno has been subject to an Atletico Madrid enquiry, with the club believed to be ready to pay over £10M for the defender. Manchester United have also offered £5M for Wayne Bridge. So far, manager Shanyi has refused all advances and none of the players have declared any interest in moving away from the London club.

One player who can't get an offer to save his life is Steven Watt, the reserve team defender whom Shanyi described as 'arrogant' in an interview earlier this week. Watt, who came into the team on several occasions last season, was set to be considered for the top squad this season but his contract demands were 'excessive'. Despite being placed on the transfer list, no offers have yet been registered.

Jiri Jarosik, Chelsea's tall midfielder, has been centre of attention again and looks to be heading to either Strasbourg or Blackburn for a fee in the region of £2-3M. After a potential move to Birmingham collapsed, his chances with the champions have been limited. Young midfielder Anthony Grant has also refused an opportunity for a loan at Sunderland.

A Chelsea player returning to the Premiership is Samuele Dalla Bona, one time hot prospect sold to Milan for £3M. He failed to carve out a career in a talented midfield and now will move to Everton for £1.7M. Southampton have signed highly rated South African forward Benni Vilakazi for £140k. The deal represents excellent value for the young striker, rated as one of the World's top talents.

Birmingham have completed the double signing of Alan Mahon from Wigan for £3M and Jon Macken from Crystal Palace for £1.5M. The two players will likely play in the team's upcoming weekend match.

[shanyi]

IMPRESSED PARDEW INFURIATES FANS AS HAMMERS CAN'T NAIL CHELSEA

1st Chelsea 2-0 West Ham 12th

Despite being a game which many fans felt would be a comfortable win for the home side, Chelsea looked creaky against a West Ham side who could have claimed all three points with better finishing. Arsenal will certainly be encouraged by the Blues' performance, as they will be out for revenge in Wednesday's encounter at Highbury. Aguirre, who has often claimed that the delays incurred on the corresponding fixture last season threw off his team's plans (both the home and away games between his and Shanyi's sides were delayed by upwards of three months due to cup ties and international call-ups) and he hoped to finally be able to collect the scalp he has wanted since arriving at the club.

Chelsea manager Shanyi was certainly not in a diplomatic mood, describing the team's performance as 'shambolic' and dismissed the injuries suffered to Michael Essien and Frank Lampard as 'no excuse'. Lampard will be fit in time for the Arsenal game, though Essien will have a late fitness test and is doubtful. Alan Pardew, the much loath'd Hammers manager, went against the grain and said he thought that his side was outplayed, much to the further infuriation of the Hammers' fans who have a deep ingrained loathing of all things Chelsea and Elijah Wood.

Chelsea started brightly, Duff in particular causing havoc down the wing and Drogba's aerial prowess testing for the home defence. Despite a glut of early chances, it was Lampard's high ball on the 19th minute with which Drogba lobbed the despairing Roy Carroll with a delightful header. From them, Chelsea's influence faded and West Ham had the best of the chances. Nigel Reo-Coker, excellent as always, set up Ian Moore from five yards out and though an equaliser seemed inevitable, he shot tamely into Cech's arms. John Terry mistimed a tackled on Mark Noble from which Reo-Coker again tested the Czech stopper and, in the final minute of the half, ex-Ajax centre back Yakubu headed in from a Chris Cohen corner, only for the referee to rule it out for a foul.

In the second half, Lampard was soon replaced by William Gallas, with King heading to midfield and Cole going central. Didier Agathe wasted a great chance from Konchesky's cross, somehow nudging the ball past the far post when in acres of space and with Cech stranded. Crespo came on but to little avail, his one strike mishit and he suffered the ignominy of watching it dribble pathetically wide at a Sheringham pace. Chelsea tightened up midfield to secure the win and somehow, in the 80th minute, Carroll made his second mistake of the night punching clear a weak Robben cross and Joe Cole hit a cracking volley past the out of position keeper, through the two defenders on the line and in off the post.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): P Cech, G Johnson, J Terry, L King, A Del Horno; F Lampard (W Gallas), C Makelele, M Essien (S Wright-Phillips); J Cole, D Duff; D Drogba (H Crespo).

WEST HAM (4-4-2): R Carroll, T Repka, A Yakubu (C Dailly), H Mullins, P Konchesky; D Agathe (P Mikolanda), N Reo-Coker, M Noble, C Cohen; I Moore, B Zamora (M Etherington).

---

EVERTON GET BENT

9th Charlton 2-0 Everton 13th

Charlton responded in the best way possible to the news that manager Alan Curbishley was in danger of the sack, with an impressive win over an uninspired Everton side. Darren Bent, whose authority in the Charlton side has been slowly growing, scored an impressive solo effort to give the home side a crucial lead after 18 minutes. Everton had no reply and it was left to Nigel Martyn to parry a Darren Ambrose 30 yarder away for a corner. Matt Holland was supreme in midfield, directing the play and putting in one terrific pass to Jonatan Johansson, who volleyed well over from close range. Everton reinforced with the arrivals of Davies and Ferguson, but when Jason Euell popped up at the near post to head home a Kishishev cross, there was only going to be one outcome.

CHARLTON (4-4-2): D Kiely, R Kishishev, El Karkouri (Sorondo), Fortune, Hreidarsson; Rommedahl (Euell), Murphy, Holland, Ambrose; Johansson (Hughes), Bent.

EVERTON (4-4-2): N Martyn, P Neville, J Yobo, P Kroldrup, A Pistone; A van der Meyde (R Wallace), L Osman, T Cahill, J McFadden; M Bent (D Ferguson), J Beattie (S Davies).

---

OTHER RESULTS

17th Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal 2nd

7th Blackburn 2-0 Man City 18th

3rd Bolton 4-2 Portsmouth 11th

8th Liverpool 1-0 Stoke 19th

5th Man Utd 2-0 Middlesbrough 14th

15th Newcastle 0-0 Birmingham 6th

10th Southampton 1-0 Leeds 16th

20th Tottenham 1-2 Fulham 4th

[shanyi]

ARSENAL FINALLY MAKE THEIR POINT

3rd Arsenal 1-1 Chelsea 1st

Humiliated in all the five previous encounters, Arsenal finally regained some dignity to become just the fourth side to take points away from Shanyi's Chelsea with a superb goal from Aliaksandr Hleb. The midfielder picked up a loose ball from William Gallas' challenge and curled his shot past the stranded Petr Cech. Hleb, who has been one of Arsenal's star performers since his arrival two seasons ago, was a constant threat in a very even match.

Outspoken Arsenal manager Javier Aguirre once again took the opportunity to take a broadside at Shanyi, saying that the Blues didn't derserve the point and that their goal, scored in the 43rd minute, shouldn't have stood due to an infringement on the goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand.

The goal was indeed controversial. Drogba won a corner when his shot was deflected wide from Kolo Toure's block. Lampard swung the ball in and Robert Huth, one of the surprise starters in this game, seemed to nudge Hildebrand back before heading into the empty net. Shanyi responded that Aguirre should have spent less time complaining and more time honing his defence. "I thought it was a legitimate goal" he said, "The keeper came out and make a bad judgement. He ran into Huth to try and claim a foul but the referee thankfully did not fall for it. If I were Mr. Aguirre, perhaps it is time to talk less about his sufferings and start working on his defence."

Chelsea also had their lapses. Ledley King has not yet settled into his new environment and although his performance was solid, a stray pass to Thierry Henry also embarrassed Petr Cech, who had his worst night in a Chelsea shirt for a long time. Lampard and Drogba tested Hildebrand at the other end, an inswinging curler forcing a top class save out of the erratic German international, while Ljungberg missed a clear opportunity from a header late on.

ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): T Hildebrand, E Eboue, Toure, Campbell, Simunic (Clichy); Ljungberg, Gilberto, Flamini (Pires), Gray (Reyes); Hleb; Henry.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): P Cech, W Gallas, J Terry, L King, A Del Horno; C Makelele, R Huth (J Keenan); S Wright-Phillips, F Lampard, A Robben (D Duff); D Drogba (H Crespo).

---

OTHER RESULTS

12th Aston Villa 3-0 Newcastle 16th

9th Everton 3-1 Tottenham 20th

6th Fulham 0-1 Birmingham 2nd

10th Middlesbrough 2-0 Southampton 15th

11th Portsmouth 2-2 Blackburn 7th

[shanyi]

JIRI FINALLY GETS THE BRUM DEAL?

Long abandoned Chelsea midfielder Jiri Jarosik may be set to complete the move which collapsed at the beginning of the transfer window to Birmingham. However, while the original deal was for £2M, Jarosik's value rose after several good performances for the Brummie side and provided Jarosik picks them ahead of Blackburn and Strasbourg, the deal will be worth an extra million to Chelsea. The midfielder has taken his time in deciding his next destination since a surge in interest as the end of the transfer window beckons, with HSV also taking a tentative interest. Chelsea recently rejected a £12.5M bid for goalkeeper and fellow Czech international Petr Cech today, but signed promising youngster Joel Speight from Villarreal for £500k.

[shanyi]

EUROPEAN SUPER CUP

PIDGELEY INSPIRES YOUNGSTERS TO SHOOTOUT WIN

Inter 1-1 Chelsea

(Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties)

Lenny Pidgeley, who rose through the ranks to be Chelsea's second choice goalkeeper, made a big claim to keeping that place with an impressive set of saves during a one-sided penalty shootout against Italian underachievers Inter. Pidgeley had started nervously, and barely moved when Adriano headed in from a Pizarro corner, but his confidence grew throughout the match and his two penalty saves secured the Cup for the young side, which included starts for Carlton Cole, Joe Keenan and Robert Huth, and a first appearance for Argentine Leo Messi up front. Inter fielded a strong team and were a constant threat throughout, but Huth's aerial prowess and King's positional sense made the going difficult, restricting the Italians to inaccurate long shots. At the other end, Hernan Crespo curled in his second of the season to equalise from a deft Joe Cole flick, and Toldo was also on fine form, keeping out Huth, both the Coles and Keenan on seperate occasions.

INTER (4-5-1): F Toldo, J Zanetti, N Burdisso, W Samuel, G Favalli; L Figo (I Cordoba), J Veron, D Pizarro, D Stankovic, S Solari (A Recoba); Adriano (Martins).

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): L Pidgeley, G Johnson, R Huth, L King, W Bridge; M Essien, J Keenan; S Wright-Phillips (Kerlon), C Cole, J Cole (L Messi); H Crespo.

[shanyi]

RONALDO SECOND GLAZER CASUALTY AS FANS RIOT

Fans were rioting outside Old Trafford yesterday with the news that young superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a £24M move to AS Roma. The young winger, brought in to replace David Beckham, endured a tough first season but soon endeared himself to the United faithful as they watched him grow into a terrifying prospect for any defence. The Glazers had promised to keep the best talent at United, but with Heinze and Ronaldo now departing to cover the club's £500M debt, fans are becoming more and more restless.

"It's an absolute disgrace" said Martin Hollis, holding a large picket sign representing Glazer's face on a rump steak, "The Glazers are stripping the club and no matter how many promises they make, they're encouraging bids from other clubs for our top talent because they know we'll sell if the price is right. Today, it's Ronaldo. Tomorrow, it could be Ruud or Rooney." The Glazers and Sir Alex Ferguson, United hairdryer, have refused to comment. Upon his arrival at his new club, Ronaldo thanked the United faithful for their wonderful support but said that he felt the Italian club represented "a new challenge for a growing and evolving player like himself."

[shanyi]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW

RONALDO TO RETURN TO OLD TRAFFORD

In a bitterly ironic twist, former Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing again at Old Trafford this season after they were drawn against his new club AS Roma, as well as Monaco and surprise Scottish package Hibs. United are expected to win the group, but the Portuguese winger, who today laughed that such a draw was "inevitable", will be looking to impress his new teammates and cause an upset. Liverpool will also have a tough time, with AC Milan, Anderlecht and Werder Bremen competing in Group D. Arsenal and Barcelona will battle it out for Group A, surely leaving Porto and FC Basel to pick up the scraps. Chelsea, meanwhile, have a well balanced group with the London club up against Bayer Leverkusen, Parma and Besiktas. Manager Shanyi described the group as having "three very solid teams, who can hurt you if you take your eye off the ball." Arsenal manager Javier Aguirre said that he was looking forward to the match against Barcelona, calling it an "intruiging contest".

---

TRANSFER LATEST

Everton have signed Arsenal centre forward Jeremie Aliadiere for just under £2M. The Frenchman, who had disasterous loan spells at Celtic and West Ham, said that he hoped the move could revive his career and Everton's form.

[shanyi]

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

AKINBIYI SILENCES TRAFFORD BOO-BOYS

Stoke City 1-0 Manchester United

A scrappy goal was all it took, and Ade Akinbiyi achieved contentment in the face of all those who labelled him 'the worst striker in the World' during his time at Leicester. Heckled all evening by the United supporters, the Nigerian got his reward when a goalmouth mix up between Ferdinand and Tim Howard allowed him to slam home his first goal of the season. United strove confidently forward, forcing Simon Royce into a series of outstanding one handed saves from Rooney, van Nistelrooy and Giggs, a late substitute. Stoke held firm though, and even threatened a second when a long clearance from John Halls deceived Wes Brown and Ade Akinbiyi connected but drove well wide when through. The jeers were audible, but everyone knew who the last laugh belonged to.

Stoke City (4-4-2): S Royce, T McMahon, W Thomas, J Lescott, A Dawson; F Teale (S Johnson), D Russell, T Gudjonsson, D Everitt (J Halls); A Akinbiyi, T Wright (C Woods).

Man Utd (4-4-2): T Howard, G Neville, R Ferdinand, W Brown (J Spector), M Silvestre; JS Park (A Smith), P Scholes, R Keane, Q Fortune (R Giggs); W Rooney, R van Nistelrooy.

---

LAMPARD ENDS VILLA RESISTANCE

Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa

A 91st minute strike by Frank Lampard ended the hopes of the valiant Villa defence of securing an impressive draw on Chelsea's home turf. Villa played on the counterattack, Gareth Barry and Wilfred Bouma combining to take advantage of the isolated Paulo Ferreira. Chelsea, whose football seemed more stilted and unoriginal than usual, were restricted to long shots and deep crosses thanks to the energy of Djemba Djemba and Hendrie, who marshalled the game superbly. Only Kanoute could be criticised after he missed a superb chance early in the second half to put Villa in front, opting to try a cheeky lob over Cech which soared over the crossbar, rather than a simple low finish. Drogba was superbly dealt with by Mellberg, whose strength seemed equal to that of the fearsome Ivorian, and Damien Duff, Chelsea's best performer in the first half, retreated early on with an injury. Lampard's winner from Wright-Phillip's cross was ill-deserved, but Villa can be one of few teams to leave Stamford Bridge with their heads held high.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): P Cech, P Ferreira, J Terry, W Gallas, A Del Horno; F Lampard, C Makelele, M Essien (J Cole); A Robben, D Duff (S Wright-Phillips); D Drogba (H Crespo).

ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): T Sorenson, A Hughes, O Mellberg, M Laursen, W Bouma; E Cairo (U De La Cruz), L Hendrie, E Djemba-Djemba (G McCann), G Barry; F Kanoute (K Phillips), J Angel.

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OTHER RESULTS

Leeds 1-1 Bolton

Man City 1-1 Charlton

[shanyi]

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

HENRY HUMILIATES UNITED'S FADING FORCES

Arsenal 3-0 Man Utd

Two years ago, this fixture used to represent one of the great rival encounters in the Premiership, as tightly balanced as two teams can be. It was United who ended Arsenal's stunning unbeaten run two seasons ago, though Arsenal are themselves not without their fair share of victories. If any will be as straightforward as last night's however, is open to immediate question. Thierry Henry's hattrick represented not only the Gunners' impressive football but further emphasized the fatigue and despair with which United now play, brought on by the crippling debt from the Glazer takeover. Lacking the power of Heinze down the left or the unpredictability of Ronaldo on the wing, United could barely muster a reply as Henry casually slipped through their defence to strike three trademark finishes past Edwin van der Sar. Alex Ferguson may have spoken afterwards about his team's character and reminded us of their recovery from 12 points down against Keegan's Newcastle all those years ago, but it all smacked of desperation. They were simply unable to provide the moments of genius which once characterised their play, and which Aliaksandr Hleb and Thierry Henry were revelling in all match long, to the continued woe of Martin Demichelis, so poor he was replaced barely after half time by John O'Shea.

ARSENAL (4-4-1-1): T Hildebrand, K Toure, S Campbell, P Senderos (G Clichy), J Simunic; F Ljungberg, F Fabregas (R Pires), Gilberto, J Reyes (J Gray); A Hleb; T Henry.

MAN UTD (4-3-3): E van der Sar, G Neville, R Ferdinand, M Demichelis (J O'Shea), M Silvestre (Q Fortune); D Fletcher, P Scholes, R Giggs; A Smith (O Solskjaer), R van Nistelrooy, W Rooney.

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LAMPARD PICKS APART TOON STARS

Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle

Frank Lampard once again provided the impotus to defeat a spirited Newcastle side who attacked the Champions at every opportunity. Lesser sides will of course attest to the dangers that leaves the defence in against a team such as Shanyi's Blues, and Damien Duff took little time reminding the Toon defenders just how tough the day was going to be. Robben's cross field ball was brilliantly controlled by the Irishman as he stepped inside and slid the ball home with nonchalant grace. Newcastle continued fighting and, after 25 minutes, earnt their reward, a strangely unmarked Kieron Dyer given a simple tap in from a corner. A rare defensive lapse from a team who conceded just four Premiership goals last season, and one which Dyer was happy to use to try and prop up his uncertain Newcastle future. Chelsea, though, have too much confidence to let themselves dwell over such small errors. Shanyi pulled Duff and Robben back to reinforce the midfield and soon the Toon army were in trouble, a deep cross from Paulo Ferreira towards the monumental Drogba panicking Boumsong, who shoved the Ivorian to the ground. Lampard was composed as ever in converting the penalty. Late in the first half, Drogba snatched a goal of his own, Lampard's floated ball into the area easy pickings for a player of such fearsome aerial prowess. The second half was a largely tepid affair, as Chelsea slowed the game down and passed the ball around midfield, safe in the knowledge that the game was already won.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): P Cech, P Ferreira, J Terry, W Gallas (L King), A Del Horno; F Lampard, C Makelele, M Essien (J Cole); A Robben, D Duff; D Drogba (H Crespo).

NEWCASTLE (3-4-1-2): S Given, T Bramble (C Babayaro), S Taylor, J Boumsong; K Dyer, S Parker, A Faye, L Bowyer; A Luque; M Owen (S Ameobi), L Guy (N Solano).

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OTHER RESULTS

18th Aston Villa 1-1 Liverpool 10th

6th Everton 4-1 Fulham 12th

7th Leeds 2-1 Charlton 14th

17th Man City 0-0 Birmingham 3rd

15th West Ham 0-0 Southampton 9th

[Aaron Meadows]

Uncut ? where is teh swearing and the jokes when the boys are in the showers after the games ? hehe

[shanyi]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

CHELSEA PROVIDE MASTERCLASS IN DISCIPLINED DESTRUCTION

Chelsea 4-0 Parma

Chelsea showed all their class as they destroyed Parma in a magnificent 90 minutes. Parma, astonishingly for a Champions League match, failed to take a single shot during the entire match such was Chelsea's pressure. In the absence of Frank Lampard, Shanyi narrowed his midfield and used the outside two of his front three to provide the usual width. Didier Drogba broke the deadlock after twenty minutes, volleying home a tidy pass from Hernan Crespo, who had cut in past the poorly positioned Bonera. Joe Cole lumped home the second in a similar fashion to his first goal, taking the rebound from Crespo's low strike which was parried by Parma goalkeeper van Duijnhoven. Ledley King almost opened his account with a header from a Duff corner, but Siviglia cleared off the line. In the second half, Shanyi was comfortable enough to introduce Joe Keenan, Carlton Cole and young Argentine forward Leo Messi. Carlton Cole was the creator of the third goal after a glorious passing move between him, Essien and Duff, laying in Crespo to lob the keeper. Parma pulled back for damage limitation, but couldn't stop Michael Essien heading home a late fourth from Drogba's deft header.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): P Cech, P Ferreira, J Terry, W Gallas, A Del Horno; J Cole, L King (J Keenan), M Essien; H Crespo, D Drogba (L Messi), D Duff (C Cole).

PARMA (4-1-2-1-2): R van Duijnhoven, Bonera, Siviglia, Cannavaro, Ferronetti; Bresciano; Rosina (Simplicio), Giannichedda; Grella; Corradi (Dedic), Ruopolo (Bernardini).

[shanyi]

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP

LIVERPOOL LACK CUTTING EDGE

Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea dominated the match at Anfield, but Liverpool will know they had more than enough chances to win the game. Steven Gerrard threatened early on from free kicks conceded by a jittery Paulo Ferreira, and Djibril Cisse was denied by a fine low save from Petr Cech after a strike from just outside the area. Chelsea held back, waiting for the moment to strike, and they strode forward for the first time in the eighteenth minute, Terry clearing from Sinama Pongolle, Duff picking up the ball and playing a beauty downfield to Drogba, who struck wide after engineering a good chance for himself after getting clear of his marker. Gonzales was active on the left, sweeping inside and forcing Cech to punch away several excellent crosses and providing an excellent ball to Alonso, whose header was deflected around the post by the in-form goalkeeper. Chelsea had Frank Lampard back on the field, and although he didn't look fully fit, he started several good moves with Robben from which Drogba again should have scored. The goals all arrived in the last ten minutes, Wright Phillips' overhead kick deflected in off Traore and past the, for once, stranded Franco. Four minutes later, Duff's through ball found Crespo who produced a carbon copy of his goal in the European Cup Final, a lobbed finished over the Argentine goalkeeper. Steven Gerrard hit a scorching curler from 25 yards to make for a tense finish, in which both Morientes and Mohammed Sissoko should have scored, but the Blues held out. After the game, there was much swearing and joking (always give the people what they want!)

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): L Franco, D Raven, S Hyypia, M Jones, D Traore; X Alonso, S Gerrard; F Sinama Pongolle (M Sissoko), B Cheyrou (F Morientes), M Gonzales; D Cisse (D Hamann).

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): P Cech, P Ferreira, J Terry, W Gallas (L King), A Del Horno; C Makelele, J Cole; A Robben (S Wright-Phillips), D Drogba, D Duff (H Crespo).