Chelsea & Manchester United Target Luis Suarez Insists He Is Happy To Stay At Ajax

Rumoured Chelsea and Manchester United target Luis Suarez has played down talk of a summer transfer, insisting he is very happy at Ajax.

The Uruguayan international has already scored 32 goals this season, and alongside Atletico Madrid forward Diego Forlan is set to become one of the stars of this summer's World Cup.

Having signed a new three-year contract with the Amsterdam club in January, the 23-year-old insists that the interest of some of Europe's top clubs does not change his intention to honour the deal.

"I'm enjoying myself at Ajax," he told local Dutch television station AT5.

"I have not renewed my contract for nothing. I am here to stay."

Suarez scored 30 goals last season in the notoriously prolific Eredivisie, and has already notched 10 goals in 29 caps at international level.

Chelsea's Premier League Push Set To Be Disrupted As Carlo Ancelotti Is Summoned To Give Evidence In Calciopoli Trial

Chelsea's crucial Premier League run-in looks set to be hindered as manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to return to Italy to give evidence in a court case.

The 50-year-old has been summoned by judges presiding over the criminal trial into Italian football's 2006 match-fixing scandal, Calciopoli, to give evidence from his time as AC Milan manager.

Ancelotti has been asked to attend the next hearing, which is set for April 20 in Naples.

Chelsea are scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur on April 17, before Stoke City visit Stamford Bridge on the April 25. If the hearing goes ahead as scheduled, Ancelotti would almost certainly have to miss a number of training sessions between the two games — an unwelcome distraction as he aims to guide his side to a first title since 2006 and first double in the club's history.

The Italian has already missed one court summons this season, excusing himself in October as the Blues had an away game against Bolton Wanderers on the same day.

But Chelsea head of communications, Steve Atkins, confirmed to Goal.com UK that Ancelotti will definitely be attending on Tuesday, although he was not yet sure for how long the coach would be away from the club.

Ancelotti is not accused of any wrong-doing in the case, although his club AC Milan were deducted points for their part in the scandal which saw Juventus stripped of two league titles and demoted to Serie B.

He has been called to give his version on Tuesday's revelations, which revealed that club vice-president Adriano Galliani was aware of former Milan director Leonardo Meani's influential relationship with former referee chief Pierluigi Pairetto.

Galliani had previously declared under oath that he was unaware of Meani's conversations with referees — which helped the Rossoneri avoid greater punishment four years ago — but the court heard recordings of Galliani speaking with another referee chief, Paulo Bergamo.

That was one of a number of stirs Juve's controversial former director, Luciano Moggi, caused at Tuesday's hearing as he continues to attempt to clear his name. His lawyers presented new evidence, including 171,000 phone calls missing from the original trial, in an attempt to prove he never had an "exclusive relationship" with the referee designators he was found guilty of controlling.

His lawyers presented wiretap evidence that they suggested implicated the previously untarnished Inter — who were awarded Juve's lost titles — in the scandal, with then-Nerazzurri president Giacinto Facchetti heard speaking to various referee designators.
Under cross-examination, 2006 chief investigator Colonel Auricchio could not explain why the calls were not included in the original trial. There is speculation that Inter may now face punishment if these latest revelations are proven to be true.

McCarthy Hails Versatile Mancienne

Mick McCarthy has hailed the impact of Wolves loanee Michael Mancienne as a holding midfielder but insists he will have to be "top drawer" in the role to get into the Chelsea side.

Mancienne is on loan from Stamford Bridge this season and has switched from centre-back to the middle of the park with good effect in recent months.

He has played a key part in Wolves revival - nine points from the past six games - which has taken them to the verge of Barclays Premier League survival.

Wolves boss McCarthy said: "Michael has been excellent. We know he is a good player. He is a centre-back but, from the moment I asked him to do the midfield role, he said 'I love that.'

"He did it when we won at Tottenham. He is improving. He is a really talented lad.

"The role has evolved. Chelsea had Makelele doing it, who is probably better than anyone. They had Didier Deschamps there at one stage and Mikel does it for them now.

"To get into a team like Chelsea, you've really got to be top drawer doing it. Michael is learning it but he is certainly improving at it."

McCarthy believes Mancienne's ability to play in more than one position will help him to play regular first-team football.

He said: "It is great if you have got two strings to your bow.

"If you can play at centre-back, as well as he does, and then just step into midfield, and play as he does, he is always going to get a game somewhere."

Florent Malouda Should Be A Role Model For France Hopefuls – Raymond Domenech

France coach Raymond Domenech has hailed in-form Chelsea winger Florent Malouda, indicating that his recent form is exactly what he wants to see from players aspiring to make his World Cup squad of 23, which will be named on May 11.

The two men have previously been unable to see eye-to-eye on a number of occasions, but Domenech lauded the former Olympique Lyonnais man in an interview with L’Equipe on Tuesday.

“[Malouda] spoke to me when he was least good. But I told him to show me [what he could do] on the pitch. Now, he is good, he gives me an option, a choice and a problem. I want to tell people: show me all that!” Domenech asserted when quizzed over Nicolas Anelka’s recent declaration that he felt “ridiculous” in the recent friendly loss against Spain.

Domenech also reaffirmed his stance over players who are not fit to train on May 11, when the preliminary squad will be divulged, but he was keen not to close the door on Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira, who has struggled a little for form since joining the Premier League club from Inter during the January transfer window, indicating that if he had to select a squad today, the former Arsenal man would be involved.

Cech: Talking Backs

It's Chelsea's goalscoring prowess that has grabbed the attention in the recent good run of form, and quite rightly so with the season breaking the previous best for finding the net, but quietly going about their business well has been the defensive unit.
Just two goals have been conceded in four consecutive wins and this despite injury forcing a major change around in personnel.

In the back four that has played the greater part of the last four games, only John Terry remains from the defence with Ricardo Carvalho, Branislav Ivanovic and Ashley Cole that was in place for the majority of the season.

Yet despite the switching, Petr Cech who has witnessed the performance at close quarters, sees no adjustment problems.

'The point is Paulo [Ferreira] used to play as first choice right-back for many seasons and JT was playing with him, and Alex and JT have played together many times in the past,' he says.

'The only really new member of the defence is Yury [Zhirkov] so this is not a big problem for us. You can see the defence are doing well and Yury is a quality player so he fits in there.

'You need to communicate all the time and when you have some new players coming in who haven't played for some time, of course it is different but basically we know each other which is good.'

The importance of communication between the goalkeeper and the two centre-backs goes without saying but Cech confirms he also keeps talking to the wider-placed men in front of him.

'The position of any member of the defence, and even John Mikel Obi in front of them is important, and if you have one full-back attacking, the other has to always be in a good position so that we keep the balance at the back.

'As the goalkeeper, you see it better than them because you are behind and they try to follow the game and try to help the attack. We use both full-backs at lot for the attacking play. So we need to keep the balance and we need to communicate so that not everyone goes forward.'

The defence has remained tight against opponents Bolton this season with both previous meetings ending 4-0 in Chelsea's favour - but last season's match at Stamford Bridge is a warning that the Trotters can be a danger. From a position of 4-0 down once again, they fought back to put three goals past Cech.

'Always we have been winning at the Reebok but always we have had difficult games against them at home so I expect the same,' notes the Chelsea keeper.

'They have been resting for 10 days and they could prepare for the game and they have nothing to lose. They come with no pressure.

'We all know that on a good day Bolton can cause problems so we take every game seriously, especially when you have a cup game and have to come back to the Premier League three days later.

'That is dangerous and we know that we have to be really serious and play well to win the game.'

Former Chelsea Boss John Hollins Hails Carlo Ancelotti's 'Astute' Management Of Team

Carlo Ancelotti’s methods are beginning to be vindicated as Chelsea go into their home clash with Bolton Wanderers ready to tighten their grip on a historic Premier League and FA Cup double, says former Blues boss John Hollins.

Ancelotti’s side can go four points clear at the top by beating Bolton at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, making them firm favourites to become only the seventh club in English football history to lift the League and FA Cup trophies in the same season. Chelsea contests the FA Cup final against the Premier League's bottom club, Portsmouth, on May 15.

Speaking exclusively to Goal.com UK Hollins, who managed Chelsea between 1985 and 1988, as well as making 436 appearances for the Blues as a player in the ‘60s and ‘70s, believes the Italian coach has shown his pedigree in expertly riding out the Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.

"It was disappointing, because Ancelotti came as the man to present the Champions League to the owner," said Hollins, "but they haven’t felt sorry for themselves, and it can still be a good, good season."

Hollins pinpointed Ancelotti’s psychological and tactical management of his troops over the last month as the key to Chelsea's reclaiming the initiative in the title race, particularly in the crucial win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"He managed to change the face of it," he said. "[Didier] Drogba came on and scored, but he looked as if he had that little bit of anger inside him, as if he felt he should have started. There was a little bit of a grimace in there too. And [Nicolas] Anelka, who is such an excellent all-round player, always seems to be the one to make way, so he’s still hungry. It’s an exciting prospect to see what they do next."

Myriad tactical options present themselves to Ancelotti, who told reporters on Monday that Michael Ballack and Salomon Kalou would start against Bolton in place of Deco and Joe Cole, and admitted he was also considering giving Florent Malouda a breather.

Hollins said the coach’s wealth of choice, especially in attacking positions, had vindicated his surprising decision to abstain from the January transfer window.

"They’ve got three games in a week (Villa, Bolton, then Tottenham on Saturday) but whatever position they’re in, they’re better equipped to take care of that situation than the rest," he said. "Ancelotti is very astute in knowing that one centre-forward can work, because the team is full of (forward) players who can run hard, chase hard and create danger when they have the ball."

Ancelotti’s experience at Milan of getting the best out of an unchanged squad has stood him in good stead, and indeed Hollins believes the lack of player turnover has served the coach well. "It’s mainly the same squad that was winning under Mourinho, so he’s just squeezed a little more out of what’s already there, rather than having a problem settling in new players and upsetting the balance.

"It helps that the players who are coming back from injury are coming back at the right time, and he’s used the squad well to fill the gaps when they’ve appeared."

Despite Joe Cole’s obvious disappointment at being substituted in the FA Cup semi-final and his absence from the starting XI against Bolton, Hollins still thinks the England man has a big role to play in the run-in. "The variation he gives them is something they didn’t have at the start of the season.

"He was way out of form, but has something big to aim for now with the World Cup. What I’m pleased about is that he's getting closer to the full-back, getting more confident, a bit more daring and going past his man, rather than just knocking it to someone else. That’s not what Joe Cole’s good at – he wants to be taking people on."

Premier League Preview: Chelsea vs. Bolton Wanderers

When Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in March and knocked his former charges out of the Champions League many wrote off Chelsea's chances of salvaging anything from this season.

A 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers soon after seemed to confirm those suspicions, but since then Carlo Ancelotti's side have rocketed to the top of the league and looked invincible in the process.

An impressive 17 goals in four games, including a 2-1 win over title rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford, have placed the Blues firmly in the driving seat for Premier League glory.

That was further boosted with United's 0-0 draw at Blackburn - perhaps making Chelsea's draw at Ewood Park seem not such a bad result - meaning the Blues can go four points clear with a win over Bolton on Tuesday.

Chelsea have only lost once at home all season and have hit a staggering 52 goals at Stamford Bridge, which is more than Bolton have managed anywhere in the league (36).

Bolton should avoid relegation, giving them little to play for, but Chelsea's incentive of a Premier League title, which would make up for the disappointment of crashing out of the Champions League, will give them plenty to play for.

Carlo Ancelotti told reporters he didn't agree with Sir Alex Ferguson after the United manager said this match would be "easy" for Chelsea, but secretly he must be thinking it will be.

FORM

Chelsea
Mar 21: Blackburn 1-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
Mar 24: Portsmouth 0-5 Chelsea (Premier League)
Mar 27: Chelsea 7-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)
Apr 3: Man Utd 1-2 Chelsea (Premier League)
Apr 10: Aston Villa 0-3 Chelsea (FA Cup)

Bolton
Mar 9: Sunderland 4-0 Bolton (Premier League)
Mar 13: Bolton 4-0 Wigan (Premier League)
Mar 20: Everton 2-0 Bolton (Premier League)
Mar 27: Bolton 0-4 Man Utd (Premier League)
Apr 3: Bolton 0-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea
Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he will rest Deco and Joe Cole for the visit of Bolton, replacing them with Michael Ballack and Salomon Kalou.

Right-back Branislav Ivanovic is expected to return to the squad after recovering from his injured knee. However, Michael Essien (knee); Ashley Cole (ankle); Ricardo Carvalho (ankle) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) are all sidelined

Last starting XI (v Aston Villa): Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Malouda, Deco, Zhirkov, Lampard, Joe Cole, Mikel, Drogba.

Bolton
Midfielders Mark Davies and Ricardo Gardner both return for the trip to Stamford Bridge. Davies missed Wanderers’ last match - the 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa - on April 3 with injury while Gardner has not played since the 4-0 reverse at Sunderland just over a month ago.

Manager Owen Coyle is still without long-term injury victims Stuart Holden, Chris Basham, Gavin McCann, Sean Davis and Joey O’Brien.

Last starting XI (v Aston Villa): Jaaskelainen, Knight, Cahill, Robinson, Ricketts, Cohen, Muamba, Wilshere, Lee, Kevin Davies, Elmander.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea
French winger Florent Malouda has been in blistering run of form lately, with seven goals in as many games. Bolton will need to shackle the left-winger if they are to stem Chelsea's flow.

Bolton
With most of the action likely to be in the Bolton box, Jussi Jaaskelainen will have his work cut out between the Trotters sticks. The Finnish stopper has a history of match-winning performances, and another would be great for Owen Coyle's men.

Carlo Ancelotti Refuses To Indulge In 'Mind Games' With Sir Alex Ferguson

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has refused to be drawn into "mind games" with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Manchester United manager suggested on Sunday that the title was the Blues' to lose in the wake of his side's 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers, citing the west London club's easier run-in as one just reason.

But Ancelotti declined the opportunity to make too much of the Scot's claims.

"I hope that Alex is correct," Ancelotti said in his press conference before Tuesday's clash with Bolton Wanderers.

"Maybe before you can say it will be easy, but I haven't played an easy game this season.

"To play and win at Blackburn is not easy. They're a strong team at home. They drew against United, and that was a good result for us, but only if we win tomorrow."

Ferguson is well-known for attempting to use mind-games to gain an advantage against opponents, and has gained success against the likes of Kevin Keegan in the past, but the former AC Milan boss seems reluctant to rise to the bait.

"No, it's mind games. Ferguson is clever," Ancelotti noted.

"On paper we are favourites against Bolton, but only on paper. It's normal that Chelsea will win in theory, but we need to go out and achieve this.

"The title is in our hands. We are able to do our best, to maintain this level, we can win it.

"Maybe, if we are able to do this on Tuesday, it could be a very important step towards winning the title."

Ancelotti also revealed that club captain John Terry has spoken to Aston Villa midfielder James Milner to check on his progress, after a rash challenge in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final 3-0 win had left the midfielder injured.

"I think the yellow card was right," the Italian said of the controversial tackle.

"I saw the tackle on the television. John touched the ball before making contact with Milner.

"I know that Terry called Milner and, for Milner, it was okay. I think the decision of the referee was right."

A club spokesman subsequently confirmed the defender had texted Milner, but had not felt the need to apologise for the tackle.

Juliano Belletti Suggests FA Cup Final Might Be His Last Game For Chelsea

Chelsea's versatile squad member Juliano Belletti has revealed the club's FA Cup final against Portsmouth might be his final game for the club.

The Brazilian has been strongly linked with a return to his homeland all season, with a move to Flamengo in January blocked by the club, but has admitted he still doesn't know whether his future lies at Stamford Bridge.

"Maybe it [the FA Cup final] will be my last game for Chelsea," Belletti posted on his Twitter account.

"My contract ends in June and I still haven't decided where to go."

However, the 33-year-old has no plans of retiring and announced his ambitious target to follow in the footsteps of famous countrymen Pele and Romario and score 1,000 goals in his career.

"I'm not thinking of retiring. I will try to reach my 1,000th goal... I'm 950 short," he joked.

Hilario To Reject Sporting Lisbon; Chelsea Keeper Wants To Stay In London

Portuguese newspaper A Bola reports this morning that Henrique Hilario is set to reject an offer from Sporting Lisbon as the veteran goalkeeper wants to stay at Chelsea.

The 34-year-old custodian has one season left on his contract at Stamford Bridge and is happy in London where his two sons are settled.

Sporting Lisbon has targeted Hilario for the 2010/2011 campaign but Hilario is not keen to return to Portugal or Portuguese football.

Besides the fact he is on good wages at Chelsea, his family are happy in London and he does not want to take his sons (aged 7 and 10) out of the school they currently attend.

Hilario has made four appearances for Chelsea this season as backup for Blues number one Petr Cech.

Borini Talks Continue

Chelsea striker Fabio Borini is still in talks with the club over a new deal, according to his agent.

The 19-year-old joined the Blues in July last year having initially moved to Stamford Bridge as a trainee, and he has impressed since then.

He has featured eight times in the first-team squad and his agent Marco De Marchi has revealed the youngster's intent.

"Borini has not renewed his contract with Chelsea, we are doing the negotiations to reach an agreement," he told tuttomercatoweb.

"The intention is obviously to stay; he has great esteem for the club and the coach."

The Italy Under-21 international spent six years with Bologna as a youth before moving to London.

Fabio Capello Is Left To Tackle New John Terry Furore

Martin O’Neill is demanding an apology from John Terry over the tackle that angry Aston Villa players say could have broken James Milner’s leg.

England manager Fabio Capello was at Wembley and is now facing another Terry row to patch up before the World Cup.

There was no Terry apology on Saturday after Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final triumph and relationships between Terry and Milner are strained.

Milner refused to comment afterwards and with him and Terry both expected to be on the plane to South Africa, the bad feeling could leave Capello with another major problem to solve.

Wayne Bridge has already refused to go to the World Cup because of Terry’s affair with his former girlfriend.

When asked about the tackle, Milner said. “The leg’s not too bad. I don’t know about the tackle. I don’t want to talk about that to be honest.”

But Villa team-mate John Carew was in no doubt that Terry, who was booked by referee Howard Webb for the second-half tackle, could have broken Milner’s leg and O’Neill claimed he should have been sent off.

“I saw it from close range and he could have sent Milner’s lower leg up into the stand if he hit him right,” said Carew. I have seen people get red-carded for less. There are a lot of tackles that can break people’s legs which are not even that dangerous. But that one was very dangerous because he launched in with a straight leg. If Terry had hit the leg and it had been planted on the ground he would have broken it.”

O’Neill wanted an apology from Terry straight after the game.

Carlo Ancelotti Reveals Roman Abramovich's Hands-On Style At Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed the extent of Roman Abramovich's involvement in first-team affairs at Chelsea, telling the club's official magazine that the owner "wants to know everything".

"Roman is very interested, for sure, in his team," he said. "We meet maybe once a month and when he doesn't have to travel with his job he likes to stay in Cobham [where Chelsea has their training ground]. We discuss everything. He likes football, Chelsea, the players and he wants to know everything – about injuries, the balance of the team, tactics."

Ancelotti also spoke warmly of his assistant manager, Ray Wilkins. Having spent three years playing for Milan in the 1980s and also worked at the club under another Italian manager, Gianluca Vialli, Wilkins provides essential translation services. "I have difficulty to understand sometimes but I have a very good assistant," Ancelotti said. "He's not only an assistant, he's a friend and he speaks very good Italian. And so he helps me to understand. It's not easy because when you speak to the team you have to not only speak, you have to show emotion as well.

"The first time I was angry with the players I tried to shout at them in English – it was impossible! Now the players know that when I speak in Italian, I am angry!"

The 50-year-old, whose side is top of the league and in the FA Cup final, promising a golden conclusion to his first season in English football, said that Italy could learn much from the English game.

"I saw a lot of Premier League games last year," he said. "The surprise for me is the atmosphere around the stadium and inside the stadium. It is very good and different to Italy. In Italy it is hard to find a full stadium and it's very easy to have violence in the stadium – this is not good. Here there are no police, no barriers, just a fantastic atmosphere.

"I think England had the same problem about 20 years ago with the hooligans and other problems, but you changed the rules and respected them. Italy tried to change the rules, but there is not the respect, so we have a big problem. I hope Italy can have the culture that I found here."

Ancelotti Staying Focused

Carlo Ancelotti looked ahead to Chelsea's next Premier League game after reaching the FA Cup final with victory over Aston Villa.

The Blues were made to work much harder at Wembley than when the teams last met in the league a couple of weeks ago and Villa were put to the sword 7-1.

But after a goalless first half, Didier Drogba broke the deadlock and Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard added late gloss to the scoreline.

Ancelotti was pleased to stay on track for a domestic double but called on his players to concentrate on the clash with Bolton in midweek.

"It is a good moment for us because we are confident and motivated," he said.

"But I don't want to think about what we could win. I want to focus on the next game.

"We are happy to be in the final, now we have five league games to play, starting against Bolton on Tuesday."

Martin O'Neill felt that Aston Villa should have been awarded a penalty in the first half for a foul by John Obi Mikel on Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Ancelotti replied: "It could have been a penalty, but also it might not have been.

"It was a very strong tackle in our box but the referee did not whistle. If he had it would have been a penalty."

The state of the Wembley pitch was again a talking point as players from both teams slipped on the greasy surface, although Ancelotti did not think it was too much of a problem.

"The pitch was fantastic," he said. "Some players did slip but it was adequate."

Frank Lampard: We Deserved To Beat Aston Villa In The Cup

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believed that the opening goal gave his side the confidence needed to go on and beat Aston Villa comfortably in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

The Blues midfielder felt that his side didn't get off to a great start, with Villa looking the better of the two teams going in at half-time.

However Lampard's shot midway through the second half was turned in by Didier Drogba, and late goals from Florent Malouda and Lampard himself completed a 3-0 victory.

"At half-time we said to each other we hadn't even started yet," Lampard told BBC Sport.

"The confidence came after the goal and we deserved it in the end."

The pitch was a major talking point in the build-up to the game and Lampard felt that the surface at Wembley was problematic for both teams.

"The pitch looked decent, but it was very hard underneath," the England midfielder admitted. "The [league and cup] double is still on, it'll be very tough but we want to go all the way."

Chelsea has the chance to retain the title against Porstmouth, who defeated Tottenham Hotspur after extra time at Wembley on Sunday.

Terry Has Double Vision

Chelsea captain John Terry is already concentrating on Tuesday night's Barclays Premier League clash with Bolton as the Blues continue their bid to land the double.

Chelsea reached their third FA Cup final in four years with a 3-0 semi-final victory over Aston Villa at Wembley yesterday but the focus has already switched to their home game with Wanderers and their double bid.

Bolton have gained something of a reputation for spoiling the party at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons but Chelsea are determined to keep up the pressure on their rivals at the top of the table.

Goals from Didier Drogba, his 32nd of the season, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard helped the FA Cup holders to set up a final against Portsmouth or Tottenham in May.

It also keeps them on course to become only the seventh club in history to win both competitions in the same season.

"We've got our eyes on the double now," declared Terry. "We are back at the top of the Premier League with five games to go and we are in the FA Cup final now so that's what our sights are on.

"We know we've got some tough games coming up but as long as we keep winning and working hard for each other it is possible.

"We've got some tough games coming up in the league. We've got Bolton in the week, which will be tough.

"Looking at the fixtures, they all seem really difficult, but as long as we keep winning and working hard for each other, then the double is possible."

Terry came under fire from Villa boss Martin O'Neill for a second-half challenge on James Milner that led to a yellow card for the Chelsea defender.

An incensed O'Neill claimed: "It was an horrendous challenge on an England team-mate. James Milner is exceptionally lucky his career is intact. It should have been a straight red card.

"It could have been very serious. James is lucky to have got away with it. The fact his leg was in the air helped. I have spoken to the doctor who says he's a very lucky boy."

Terry is understood to have spoken to Milner after the game and Chelsea insist they have no plans to respond to O'Neill's remarks at the present time.

But Terry did have some sympathy with Villa over a first-half penalty appeal that was flatly rejected by referee Howard Webb.

Gabriel Agbonlahor appeared to be wrestled to the ground by Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi but Webb decreed otherwise. However, Terry was convinced that Villa should have been given a spot-kick.

"I think it was a penalty for Villa," he admitted. "I was right there. I would say so. But the game is over. We should have had some penalties earlier in the season and we move on."

Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou revealed how a half-time blast from angry coach Carlo Ancelotti helped give the Blues the boost they needed to go on and win the game.

Chelsea had been lethargic and off the pace in the opening half as Villa dominated the game but Ancelotti let rip during the interval.

"He was saying that we were playing too static and there was not a lot of movement in the front," said Kalou.

"Of course Carlo was angry because that was not the Chelsea that people want to see or the Chelsea we want to be.

"He was angry because of that and every player understood that we had to do better if we wanted to win the game."

Kalou also insists Drogba's opening goal in the 67th minute paved the way for their victory over a side they hammered 7-1 in the league just a fortnight ago.

Kalou came off the bench to help open the game up and the Ivorian believes they will need more impact players if they are to land the coveted double.

"Once we scored the first goal, we had more space to play and more chances to create goals," said Kalou.

"It is important if we want to win the double, which we have people who come off the bench and change games.

"We have never done the double before and it would be good history for the club and the manager. To have the opportunity to do the double as a player is amazing."

Terry: Keep On Running

John Terry paid complement to Aston Villa for making it a tough semi-final but was happy the Chelsea team worked hard enough to make it through to another big Wembley date.

In May the Blues will play in the fourth FA Cup Final of Terry's time in the side (fifth if you include an unused sub appearance at Wembley in 2000) and it is never a thought that fails to excite, especially with the chance that it might complete an historic league and cup double.

'It will be a big occasion coming back to Wembley and we can sit back and relax on Sunday and see who makes it through with us,' said the Chelsea captain after Saturday's 3-0 win.

'We are back at the top of the league and in the FA Cup Final now and winning those is what our sights are on. We've got some tough games, including Bolton on Tuesday which is going to be tough.

'Man United play away to Blackburn on Sunday afternoon which proved a tough game for us, and looking at the fixtures they all seem really difficult but as long as we keep winning and keep working hard for each other, which is what we have been doing, we stand a good chance.

'We are delighted to beat Villa after a sloppy first half,' Terry continued.

'I always said it was going to be very different from two weeks ago when we beat them and Villa pressed us really well and stopped us for playing so first half, we didn't really get out the stalls and we are disappointed with that.

'We got a bit of a rollicking at half time, the manager told us to liven it up, move the ball a bit quicker which is what we intended to do at the start of the game. We didn't but that was down to Villa pressing and working well as a team. We came out second half and played a lot better.'

Terry played a part in the ice-breaking goal when his miscued half-volley found Didier Drogba perfectly positioned to score.

'It was a shot but I told Didier it was a pass because I heard him shout,' Terry smiled, 'but he said he didn't call!

'I would say Villa should have had a penalty first half,' he admitted. 'I was right there but we should have had some earlier in the season. We didn't get them and we moved on, we got a bit of luck this time and in the second half we played a lot better.

'The pitch was quite hard on top and they watered it before the game,' he reported. 'It was in a good condition but a little bit slippery. Studs don't come much bigger than those that centre-halves wear and even we were slipping over.

'We are playing well, the confidence is high,' he reported. 'We have let the lead in the league slip once and we are determined not to let it slip again. It is three years since we won the Premier League and we are really determined to get it back to the Bridge.

'We have seen the last four or five weeks the team working hard from each other and that is the key. The quality has always been there and always will be in the top four or five teams in the Premier League but if we can work hard, win our tackles and do the basics very well then we should be okay. If we can win our games there is nothing anybody else can do.'

Blues Duo Savour Semi Success

John Terry and Didier Drogba have expressed their delight at reaching the final of the FA Cup but will not let it detract from their quest for Premier League glory.

Chelsea overcame Aston Villa 3-0 at Wembley on Saturday thanks to second-half goals from Drogba, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard.

Terry admits that Villa had applied most of the pressure in the opening 45 minutes and Chelsea needed to improve considerably after the break.

"I thought they pressed us really well and stopped us from playing, but in the first half we didn't really get out the stalls," Terry told Sky Sports News.

"We were disappointed with that but we got a bit of a rollicking at half-time and came out and played much better."

Drogba hopes Chelsea can now go on to defend the trophy they won against Everton 12 months ago.

"We are happy for the fans, to be back here for another cup final," said the Ivory Coast international.

"When you know the joy we had here, it is fantastic."

Both players then looked ahead to the rest of the Premier League campaign, with Chelsea currently two points clear of nearest rivals Manchester United.

Terry said: "It is in our hands and if we win our games there is nothing anyone else can do.

"We are playing well and the confidence is high but we really need to maintain that.

"We have let it slip once and we are determined not to let it slip again."

Drogba added: "We really want to win it. We have the destiny in our hands and nobody can stop us if we win our games."

O'Neill Demanding Terry Apology Over Milner Tackle

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is demanding an apology from John Terry for his X-rated tackle on England team-mate James Milner.

O'Neill is still furious with Terry for the second-half lunge that caught Milner on the calf and led O'Neill to claim it was lucky the midfielder's ''career is still intact''.

Terry has so far not spoken about the incident, although he will probably accept TV replays look fairly damning, even if he did not feel the tackle even merited the yellow card dished out by referee Howard Webb at the time. O'Neill was certainly not happy.

''I would hope there would be an apology sent to the dressing room,'' he said. ''I don't know whether an apology is enough. That would be something for James and John Terry to talk about. But it was desperately poor.

''I am just delighted James is still fit to play because he could have been out for a long time.''

O'Neill's immediate fear was that Milner had suffered an injury that would wreck his hopes of making Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

''James is very fortunate his foot was off the ground,'' said O'Neill. ''Even that itself is not enough to save you all the time. Forget about the result. In two weeks' time it will be forgotten. I just want James to be fit to take his rightful place in the squad to go to South Africa.''

Meanwhile, John Carew has claimed Terry could have broken Milner's leg with his ''dangerous'' tackle.

Carew said: ''I saw the challenge from close range and Terry could have sent his (Milner's) lower leg up into the stands. I've seen people get red cards for less. That was a really dangerous tackle.

''There are a lot of tackles that can break legs which are not really that dangerous. But that one was very dangerous because he launched in with straight legs. It would have broken it.''

Abramovich Stalls On Spending, Damaging Chelsea's Transfer Plans

According to The People, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has refused to sanction any transfers or contract agreements until the end of the season, throwing the Blues' plans into chaos.

The People quotes a Chelsea insider, who said, "Roman is unhappy about the amount of money Chelsea have been paying in both deals and wages - he thinks he has spent far too much. Now he wants to let everything cool down before he decides what to spend."

The decision to shelve contract talks for now leaves Joe Cole in the dark over his future. The England midfielder is reportedly keen to stay at Stamford Bridge, but has no idea what Chelsea can offer him and is therefore reluctant to look elsewhere.

In addition, given that Chelsea chiefs have no idea what transfer budget may be available over the summer, they are unable to pursue players such as Benfica winger Angel Di Maria, who Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen watched at Anfield last week.

In contrast, Real Madrid is in a position to agree to Benfica's £23million asking price for 22 year-old Di Maria immediately.