Premier League - Paper Round: Lampard out, Benitez in at Chelsea
Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea! That's not an unimaginative chant at Stamford Bridge, but a reflection of the only story in town in Thursday's back pages.
The Daily Mirror leads with a story claiming that former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti will offer Frank Lampard the chance to join him at PSG this summer to give him "a way out of his Chelsea nightmare under Andre-Villas Boas".
But the Daily Mail disagrees, reporting that Lampard "will resist Andre Villas-Boas's attempts to force him out of the club because of a £1.5 million loyalty bonus in his contract". That bonus is due at the end of Lampard's current contract, in June 2013.
The Sun focuses on another of Chelsea's senior players, Ashley Cole, who will apparently be offloaded in the summer after infuriating no less than Roman Abramovich for having clashed with AVB. "In the past, the senior players have sometimes got their way over an unpopular manager. But this time Mr Abramovich is fed up with their moaning," the paper's mole at Stamford Bridge reports.
The Daily Star has a plea from Branislav Ivanovic telling his team-mates to "forget your gripes and put the club first", while the Daily Express claims that AVB has already decided that Cole, Lampard and Michael Essien must be ditched in the summer.
Yet it's very doubtful that he will get the chance to axe those players. The Racing Post's back page story is all about how the bookies are becoming increasingly convinced that Andre Villas-Boas will be shown the door at Stamford Bridge, with odds being cut to as little as 11-8 that the Portuguese manager will not be in the dugout by the time Napoli travel to London for the second leg of the Champions League tie.
Who will the replacement be? The Times claims that Rafa Benitez is the man, reporting that the Spaniard has already been approached by Chelsea representatives to see whether he would be interested in taking over from Villas-Boas.
Only the Independent and Daily Telegraph offer different back page leads, both focusing on Stuart Pearce's intention to blood a number of young stars in England's forthcoming friendly with Holland.
No doubt Pearce's strategy was originally cooked up to avoid any controversy about leaving out John Terry, something which has since been rendered pointless by Terry's knee injury.
But Pearce's decision to put faith in youth is something which "alarms some of the senior players", according to the Telegraph, probably not least the six - reportedly Jermain Defoe, Jolen Lescott, Michael Dawson, Bobby Zamora, Phil Jagielka and Peter Crouch - who have been left out.
The Sun's story booms that one of those players is very angry indeed: "Lescott fury at Pearce axe" blasts the headline, which doesn't really fit with the Manchester City's star's quotes: "It's a strange one," he said. "It's a chance for other players to prove what good players they are." Oh yes, white hot lividness pouring out there - somebody fetch a fire extinguisher.
In today's transfer gossip Andrei Arshavin will decide today whether to go on loan to Zenit St Petersburg until the summer in order to boost his hopes of a Euro 2012 spot (Daily Mail), Al Ain are trying to persuade Sunderland's Asamoah Gyan to stay for good (Daily Mirror), while Juventus have offered unsettled Manchester United youngster Paul Pogba a four-year deal (Daily Mail).
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could have even more to spend in the summer than the £50 million reported at the weekend: the Telegraph's sources at The Emirates claim the figure is nearer double that sum. But why do we get the feeling that offering Wenger millions to spend in the transfer market is like giving a teetotaller a dozen cases of vintage claret?
And finally, back to the Daily Telegraph's take on the Chelsea situation, where our own Jim White decides that Villas-Boas's problem is a simple one: it's all about his overcoat. Where Jose Mourinho impressed with his sharp attire, the current Chelsea boss's choice of coat during the defeat at Napoli had the opposite effect: "Andre Villas-Boas gave an altogether different impression. In his mac with the belt tightened up under his ribs, he echoed a significantly less impressive style icon. He looked like the Frank Spencer of football."
Comment 231 - 250 of 250
Chelsea's problem is coaching. Their style of play is too bad. How can a team within 90 minutes pass the ball to their goalkeeper more than they pass to their strikers? How do you expect that team to score goals when they are not attacking? AVB's desires since arriving at Chelsea is ball possession instead of winning matches. That is why he praises himself when his team possess ball more than their opponent, even when they lose. That is rubbish. Remember that Jose's target is always to win with even half a goal irrespective of how his players were dribbled in the pitch. That is why he is always successful everywhere he goes. AVB should make way for a manager that can teach Chelsea how to play attacking football.
From CHIBUIKE
Fernando, you should have stayed at Liverpool and still earned a decent crust - you got greedy, dropped from
Spain and also Chelsea - the Reds would have made you an even better player with the current line-up!
AVB is sadly not upto this really demanding job.Perhaps we should not be too sad because he walk away having earned moretan the great Fergie. As for Benitez I have this feeling he again is not good enough althogh hr may do a good short term job.Jose will not return and my choice if I was the Chelsea Owner would be Pep Guardiola the great Manager young Coach.Will he come ? No he is far too intelligent for that.All the money in the world but Chelsea lack that something and all the top managers know that
I never thought of Lampard as an old mattress. John Terry will be the one with the mucky stains on it and the worn out springs .
AVB is a company man. He uses phrases like "My superiors". Roman likes people to do as they are told. No independant thinking allowed. Terry Venables used to talk to his team a lot and annoyed Tommy Docherty in the same way. Tommy was a great man to have a Chelsea though .
Rafa's a class manager who for some reason the press love to hate. Everyone goes on about how great a manager Mourinho is...he had more money to spend at Porto than any other Portuguese team had, at Chelsea he outspent everyone else, same at Inter and now at Real........any decent manager can buy a title. Do you really think Mourinho would take on a challenge like Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal, Valencia, Fiorentina or Roma- big clubs, but clubs that cannot or wont compete financially with others in their respective leagues...would he hell. Rafa took an unfancied Valencia to 2 prima ligas in 3 years then took liverpool to 2 champions league finals and to their highest EPL points finish ever...Hicks and Gillette destroyed Liverpool not Rafa.
It's about time Fat Frank stopped getting undeserved first team games just because he is a fan favorite. He needs to stop sobbing like a baby and move to another club.
time waits four no body so you done a good job four your club and country but that is life the money players are on they should have plenty two last them in there old age
awww poor lamps and terry throwin a wobbly cant get there own way well it about time thy got booted out shld be booted out england squad to thy arent bigger thn the boss of any club thy ainy even half decent look at the trouble thy caused in world cup send them on there way chelsea be better of keep avb .
It ,s about time Chelsea got rid of the deadwood who seem to be not trying , just look at drogba , mikel , malouda and probably through no fault of his own torres .Others just dont put a shift in so have a good clear out and get players in who want to play for such a good team , what did they say about Man Utd ,cant win with kids , oh how Fergie must be laughing. From Aquarius
I wonder if the word Loyalty is used in the Russian or Portuguese Language. Loyalty to players is the one thing I can admire at Manu.
If Lampard was to leave Chelsea, I hope he follows David Beckham and goes to LA Galaxy. I can go to watch them.
Villas-Boas's appointment as manager has ripped Chelsea apart. All that has been built in the pst 8 years is being thrown away.
The main cause is Chelsea lack of imagination in have ready made replacements for players like Lampard.
As an analogy "would you throw away your old mattress before the new one is delivered".
That is just what AVB is doing. Chelsea just do not have a ready made replacement for Lampard. Meirrelles is just not in that class. He can work hard true but has no tactical imagination or the ability to pass quickly and accurately.
"why do we get the feeling that offering Wenger millions to spend in the transfer market is like giving a teetotaller a dozen cases of vintage claret?"
What a great comment, how true!
behaving like a load of prinary school children,,how are these stories getting out,,multi-millionaire players,,just putting themselves before the club,,if i was abramocich ide sell he club,,,not worth the bother footy clubs,,
who really gives a @#$% !
i;ll do the job 10x better than anyone,,i cant believe raffa wud do it,chelsea are a mess
they must be thinking that he can get the best from torres. dont go raffa. for your sake, please dont take this offer.
i love it... chelsea are in a mess .. and the man to blame is the owner.... he is one spoilt brat...its my ball and i can do wot i like with it.. if not am taking it home... man united till i die...we reds are loving it pmsl.
The problem with Chelsea football club is not the manager or the players it is down to the owner , he believes that what he wants he gets , don't forget Abramovich got his riches on the back of organised crime in the old USSR . How did that happen ? He has no regard for Chelsea or football in general , he only thinks of number 1 , or he would have kept Mourinho .
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account