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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Latest Chelsea News

The Gubbio AS 1910 announced that from 12 January 2009 to 16 January 2009, the London club Chelsea, has three young players to support a prestigious club with the Anglo-Saxon.This testimony to the work that the Gubbio football, with his youth, plays with the most famed clubs in Italy and in Europe.

These are the names of young people interested: Mattia Urbani, Class'91, a defender, Andrea Ferrato'92, defender, Lazzoi Louis, Class'93, attacker. In addition, the AS Gubbio Calcio 1910 with this invitation, intends to involve the clubs on our territory, for a midnight mass to be held on December 28 at 18.30, at the Church of San Francesco in Gubbio.

The celebration will be attended by the bishop, Monsignor Mario Ceccobelli, we invite all companies and citizens to participate actively.

On this occasion we renew the wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009.

Chelsea tipped to beat Real Madrid for NEW ZIDANE

Chelsea Football Club are new favourites to sign Gabriel Obertan.The 20-year-old midfielder has been labelled as the ‘New Zinedine Zidane’ in his homeland following a string of fine performances for Bordeaux, which have caught the attention of Real Madrid.

However, reports in France now claim Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Blues are favourites to sign Obertan, although any move in January would involve the player remaining in Ligue 1 for the rest of the season.

"For the moment Bordeaux don’t want him to go out on loan,” said agent Karim Djaziri. “As far as we’re concerned, we have no intention at all. He’s under contract and the club will make a decision."



Drogba: Expect 'surprises' in 2009

Didier Drogba is not ruling out a move from Chelsea in 2009 which may lead to renewed interest from Inter.

The Ivorian striker is now back to full fitness and vying for a starting place with his rival Nicolas Anelka for the lone striker role, favoured by Blues' manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Reports abounded in November that Drogba had met with Inter sporting director Marco Branca, in a restaurant on the Fulham Road, but this has been vigorously denied.

“I’m going to let myself get carried by events,” Drogba told France Football. “I could plant myself here, but I have the impression that in 2009, good things will happen for me.

“Without doubt there will also be surprises.”

‘The Drog’ also revealed that he became disillusioned with football over the summer but now he is back firing on all cylinders, he is more concerned with forging a partnership with Anelka.

“For the moment, I just have to keep quiet,” Drogba added.

“It’s not because I’ve been here for more than four years that I have the right to have demands on a status of starter.

“At the moment there is a man who is scoring and who is piling up goals. I only have to wait my turn.

“I have always said that I was happy that Nicolas came to Chelsea. But I still don’t understand why coaches are scared to play us together.”


Chelsea Miss Their Key Man: Claude Makelele

Every great team requires a certain balance of players. It needs solid defenders, players who can pick a pass, someone who can get past players with pace, and someone to score goals.

However, the teams that have achieved most success in the world of football also have someone who can glue all these parts together to turn a great club into a great team.

Ronaldo commented back in 2003, when Real Madrid won La Liga, that of all the superstars in their team; the likes of Figo, Zidane and Raul, the most important player was one Cladue Makélélé.

Despite also helping Madrid to a Champions League win the year before, Chelsea took the chance to sign the well established midfielder.

Under Ranieri, Makélélé was played in a 4-4-2, but struggled to make a real impact; however, when Mourinho took over, he employed a 4-3-3/4-5-1 tactic Makélélé as his holding midfielder to allow Essien and Lampard to push forward more effectively, knowing that his back four was given sufficient cover.

Mourinho produced Chelsea's first League Tittle in 50 years and helped them win it back to back, adding a League Cup and an FA Cup.

Many football critics have since held Makélélé as the key to Chelsea's success. His experienced defending, and simple passing seemed to give the start for Chelsea's attacking moves, and it is impossible to doubt his effectiveness against the worlds top attacking players.

Not so long ago, Chelsea seemed almost unbeatable, Petr Cech kept a record of clean sheets in a row, by some margin and success seemed inevitable.

Even under Grant, despite not winning the Champions League last year, a 35-year-old Makélélé started the game, implying his importance to the club. He has even become synonymous with the defensive midfielder role, often referred to as the "Makélélé role".

Since he has left last summer to join Paris Saint Germain, despite having more adventurous attacking play, Chelsea look vulnerable at the back, especially in defense. Perhaps due to Carvalho's sustained absence, perhaps due to Essien's injury, but largely because they don't have a world class defender in the midfield.

The highly rated John Mikel Obi has been forced to step into Makélélé's shoes, which on the whole, he has done surprisingly well;s however, he is just 21, and plays naively, giving away needless fouls in dangerous areas.

Ultimately, Chelsea's so far disappointing season can be put down to a number of factors, Drogba's absence, missing out on Robinho and Essien also being injured, along with lots of more minor injuries, however, the role that Makélélé played in this Chelsea side cannot be disputed, and they do have a gap in the team, which needs filling for Chelsea to once again assert some dominance in the domestic game.


Lampard insists Chelsea have fighting spirit

Frank Lampard insists Chelsea have the fighting spirit required to mount a title challenge in the new year.

The London side drew three of their four games over the Christmas fortnight and head into 2009 three points behind Premier League pace-setters Liverpool.

Defending champions Manchester United will overhaul Chelsea if they win all three of their games in hand - making the Blues' trip to Old Trafford on January 11 a vital fixture.

Chelsea have dropped 11 points from their last available 21 but Lampard is confident they can rekindle the resilience that carried them to the title under Jose Mourinho in 2005 and 2006.

''There's three points in it and we've got a very good squad of players,'' said Lampard, after scoring both goals in Chelsea's 2-2 draw at Fulham yesterday.

''We have obviously lost a bit of ground now but there are big games coming up. We have Manchester United as our next game in the league so it's still all to play for.

''We will go to United wanting to win that game. If we can get real consistency going, we can win the league.

''You can only win titles with never-say-die in your team. That is what Chelsea are all about. We've had it for the last few years and we've still got it.''

Lampard, sporting the captain's armband with John Terry suspended, embodied that attitude at Craven Cottage where he was Chelsea's outstanding player.

''Frank is a man who never accepts defeat,'' said Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari. ''He scored two goals again and he works more chances than any other player. He played very, very well.''

Unfortunately for Scolari the same attention to detail was not evident at the back as Lampard's best efforts were undone by poor set-piece defending.

Clint Dempsey, who had put Fulham ahead after Chelsea failed to clear a Simon Davies free-kick, was left unmarked to score the last minute equaliser.

''Without a doubt we should have won the game,'' Lampard added. ''We managed to get our nose in front and we felt comfortable in the game. Then we managed to get done on the set pieces and obviously there's frustration in the dressing room after the game.

''We dropped points against Fulham so Manchester United have a chance to go above us if they win all of their games in hand so that brings a lot of importance.''

Terry's suspension will be over after the FA Cup third round tie against Southend on Saturday and he will be available for the United game.


Terry: We're behind Big Phil

Chelsea captain John Terry has moved to dismiss claims of dressing room unrest at Stamford Bridge by hailing the impact made by Brazilian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in his six months at the club.

While The Blues go into Sunday’s game against Fulham just one point shy of Premier League leaders Liverpool, Scolari’s stewardship of the West London side has come under scrutiny in recent weeks thanks to some poor home form.

Whispers of dressing room unrest have also circulated in the national media although the club have been at pains to repeatedly deny that the tide of player opinion is turning against Scolari.

Now Terry has done his part to present a united front by claiming that Scolari is a popular figure at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground and that the squad are suuportive of the former Brazil boss.

“Felipe has been a great signing for the club as a manager — he’s actually been different class,” said Terry in the News of the World. “He’s a great man, he gets on with everyone.

“Away from the training pitch he’s like one of our friends but, on the training pitch, he’s got the respect of the whole squad.

“He has come in and encouraged us to play football a lot more. He has encouraged the two full-backs to get on and have an effect going forward.

“But we also have in mind keeping clean sheets — at the minute we are doing both.”

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